University of St. Thomas

When asked what one word best describes the Latin major at St. Thomas, a faculty member responded, “enriching.”

A real student asks:

 

Latin isn't spoken as a native language anywhere; what could I do with a Latin major?

A Latin faculty member responds: Latin is actually still spoken, although principally in Vatican City and among small groups of Latin scholars and students.  However, as the mother of the “romance” languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian), Latin enjoys a prominent place as a beneficial foundation for learning languages generally, as well as being an excellent preparation for other kinds of studies. Learning Latin enhances one’s reading, writing and verbal skills. Because of Latin’s prominence in Western culture and history, many students interested in philosophy, literature, history, art history, and archaeology find Latin to be the most important language to study. Thus, students who are interested in careers in medicine, law and journalism – as well as many others – choose Latin as either a minor or major field of study.

It is interesting to note that, although Latin is no longer any country’s native language, there are many internet sites that feature Latin and modern terms coined in Latin, not to mention how many books, such as Harry Potter and Winnie the Pooh, have been translated into Latin. Many people today still consider Latin to be the true language of highly educated people.

What jobs are possible with a Latin major?

What are recent graduates doing now?

One very recent major has gone to graduate school in music; she loved Latin and found that it enhanced her studies in music, particularly medieval music. Another recent graduate is working at a law firm and leaving soon to teach English abroad; still another was inspired by a research project he completed on farming in ancient Italy and is pursuing an advanced degree in economics to study contemporary land use with an eye toward helping developing countries. 

What opportunities are there to bolster my resume while I'm in the program?

Study abroad. While we do not have an official study abroad program, there are many opportunities to study classics abroad and particularly to study in Rome and Greece. Some former students have even studied Latin or Greek in Scotland and England. 

Study abroad always enhances an individual’s life experience and learning. Contact with different cultures broadens perspectives and often leads to developing a greater ability to accept those who see things differently. Through a familiarity with a different culture, people are often able to develop new perspectives about others as well as themselves.

Faculty at work

While our faculty members principally teach, they also write. They have been involved with student-faculty research partnerships at other institutions before coming to UST, so such collaborations will most likely appear here soon.