What can you do with a degree in Middle Eastern and Ancient Mediterranean Studies?
A degree in classics provides an excellent launching pad for careers in almost any intellectually demanding field. Firstly, Middle Eastern and Ancient Mediterranean Studies offers the advantages of a degree in the humanities.
General Considerations
A degree in the humanities is worthwhile because training in the humanities provides students with the intellectual equipment needed for success in today's world.
Students sometimes think that to be successful, they have to study science, technology, or business to the virtual exclusion of all else — that the best a humanities degree can provide is a lot of useless knowledge. Of course, the sciences have much to offer, especially in today's world. Still, that by no means implies the humanities don't. On the contrary, the humanities address issues and problems on everyone's mind. They do this in two basic ways:
- By offering enlightening perspective on today's headline issues
- By supplying the intellectual tools needed to address those issues
Indeed, whether pursuing a professional degree or not, undergraduates should understand that the humanities, and MEAMS major tracks in particular, provide highly sought-after training in:
- Critical thinking
- Writing
- Oral presentation
But there is more. Medical schools, while they look closely at a student's performance in the sciences, seek the intellectually well-rounded applicant, one whose additional major in Classics, Arabic, or any of our other major tracks speaks to intellectual breadth. Put differently, on a long list of applicants, that MEAMS credential really sets the one possessing it apart.
That principal can be extended to a whole range of fields that place a premium on intellectual ability.
Specific Uses for Your Degree
Government, Business, Professions Generally
Persons well-schooled in the languages and cultures of the Near and Middle East are much in demand by government, business, and indeed, a variety of professional fields. But given the rigor of training we provide in Classics and Near Eastern Studies, our students find that they have a lot to offer any field placing a premium on thinking and decision-making.
Law
First there are the connections between Roman law and the legal codes of a great many countries today, including the US. Then there is the law's reliance on Latin for much of its technical vocabulary. Nor should one overlook the sheer rigor of the training we offer, rigor of a type highly attractive to law schools. The program in Philosophy, Politics, and the Law (PPL) offers a Traditions of Western Law and Government track requiring, among other things, Latin. Hence the utility for aspiring lawyers of a double major: one of our Classics tracks along with PPL.
Education
Teaching is an noble and satisfying profession, and Latin teachers are increasingly in demand. Classics combined with a selection of courses in education can get you started on such a career. We in MEAMS also provide attentive and thorough preparation for those desiring to enter a PhD program in the areas our department handles.
