What can I do with a classics degree?

The short answer is: just about anything. Given the great range and depth of knowledge required of the field—language, culture, philosophy, history—the study of classics at UVM leaves students very well prepared to lead fulfilling, informed lives and to pursue a variety of fruitful careers.

Many UVM classics majors go on to graduate study in classics, philosophy, comparative literature, history, art history, or medieval studies; others enter the professions of law, business, or medicine; still others are employed immediately in secondary education, museums, publishing houses, journalism, and a wide range of business endeavors. But because of the broad interdisciplinary focus of the College of Arts and Sciences curriculum, classics majors are equipped with a broad range of transferable skills, enabling them to succeed in any profession.

Classics majors tend to be successful because they master grammar and syntax, expand their vocabulary, and learn intellectual rigor, communication skills, and analytical skills. They also possess the ability to handle complex information, and, above all, a breadth of view which few other disciplines can provide. 

  • P Silverman

    Entrepreneurial Classicist

    Peter Silverman is an entrepreneur focused on connecting students with volunteering, internships, and work opportunities. During his time at the UVM, where he majored in business and minored in classics, he created two companies. His BeaconVT found over 500 students paid internships; his second company Majorwise has successfully managed over 15 high school internship programs across the country. Peter’s love of classics helped him along his journey in the world of entrepreneurship by learning the logic and structure of a rigorous language like Latin, and he continues to build and grow companies in the Boston area. He remembers several faculty members as inspirational mentors during his classics studies. "Professor Chiu was one of the reasons I came to UVM, and the main inspiration around following what makes me passionate. I also liked studying Rhetoric in 253 with Robert Roger--I've used those skills a lot in my public speaking, business pitch competitions, and internal meetings." See this NBC Nightly News story on Silverman's entrepreneurial activities, post-UVM.

A degree of difference

Graduates from the department routinely go on to advanced study in the classics or related fields. A small sample of these institutions include:

Duke University
Cornell University
Florida State University
Indiana University
Johns Hopkins University
New York University
Oxford University
Princeton University
University of Cal. Berkeley
University College of Dublin
University College of London
University of Chicago
Yale University