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Careers

Classics majors have traditionally had a wide range of career options open to them, spanning various fields, including accounting, banking, business, communications, computer science, film, journalism, law, library science, marketing, medicine, museum work, religious studies and ministry, social work, and more. A recent Oxford study of college graduates from 2000-2019 finds that humanities majors “successfully and flexibly” navigate the job market by “choosing their career pathways based on their own interests and ambitions.” They not only exhibit excellent “communication skills and creativity,” they also excel in “multi-disciplinary teams,” and are quite good at “avoiding ‘groupthink’”. These traits of versatility, creativity, interdisciplinarity, and independent thought are valuable in most jobs and increasingly desirable in a rapidly changing world.

When it comes to pursuing higher degrees, Classics majors top the charts in their performance on the LSAT, MCAT, and GRE.

  • A study by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences showed Classics majors earning the highest GRE scores of any major (source)
  • A study from the Association of American Medical Colleges found that students who majored or double-majored in Classics had a better success rate in entry into medical school than those who majored solely in biology, microbiology, or other scientific fields (source)
  • According to the Law School Admissions Council, the median score for Classics majors on the LSAT has landed on the 85th percentile for test takers in 2021 – 2024. As the Council advises its members, “It is proper to prefer students who have taken courses such as those that develop skills in both written and oral communications, develop analytical and problem-solving skills, or promote familiarity with the humanities and social sciences to understand the human condition and the social context in which legal problems arise.” (source)

If you are interested in pursuing graduate work in Classical Archaeology, Ancient History, or Classics per se, please meet with a Classics faculty member early in your Purdue career, so that a suitable plan of study may be tailored to your needs. Students must study Latin and Greek beyond the minimum required for completion of the Classical Languages track in order to pursue graduate work in Classics.

For information about careers in Latin teaching at the middle and high school level, you may visit the American Classical League and Society for Classical Studies websites. Please also contact the Program Coordinator for World Language Education, Melinda White (white64@purdue.edu).

If you have any further questions, contact the College of Liberal Arts Student Recruitment Office at 765-494-6291 or email newstudent@purdue.edu.