History, Classics, and Religion
Welcome to the Department of History, Classics, and Religion!
The Department of History, Classics, and Religion offers a full range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in Classics (including Classical Archaeology), Religious Studies, and History. Classics is the interdisciplinary study of the ancient cultures and civilizations of the Mediterranean world, particularly those of Greece and Rome. History is the study of change over time within and across human societies, from any period and any part of the world. Religious Studies is the critical study of religious beliefs, practices, texts, institutions, and communities. Our courses and degrees help students develop their abilities in critical analysis, creative thinking, and effective oral and written communication. Our award-winning instructors and researchers teach nearly 9000 students in about 200 classes per year – and we welcome you to join us!
Programs
Undergraduate Programs
BA in History
The BA in History will give you an understanding of our society by studying the conflicts, ideas, and relationships that shaped global societies over time. Our History professors are passionate and creative teachers, eager to help you explore and understand the past and to develop your skills as researchers, thinkers, and communicators.
BA in Ancient and Medieval Studies
This interdisciplinary program allows students to explore past societies in the pre-modern period. Take courses from Anthropology, Classics, East Asian Studies, English, History, Philosophy, Scandinavian Studies, and Women’s and Gender Studies to explore the peoples, places, and cultures of the Islamic world in the Golden Age, Greco-Roman antiquity and an emerging Europe, as well as ancient and medieval Africa, India and Asia.
BA in Classics
The BA in Classics will give you a broad perspective on the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, particularly those of Greece and Rome. Read some of the most influential texts from the Greco-Roman world (in English or in the original languages), and study the material culture of ancient civilizations whose influence remains profound in the modern era. Classics courses help students develop their abilities in critical analysis, creative thinking, and effective oral and written communication.
BA in Religious Studies
The BA in Religious Studies program provides you with the skills to critically study religious beliefs, practices, texts, institutions, and communities. We ask: What is religion? How has it functioned in societies past and present? How do religious groups answer the enduring questions of human existence? An undergraduate degree in Religious Studies will prepare you to do research, think, ask questions, and communicate your ideas.
Graduate Programs
MA and PhD in History
We offer graduate studies at both the PhD and MA level (course-based or thesis-based MA programs). Our faculty supervise on fields in Canadian and global history related to their geographic or thematic areas of study. Our coursework exposes students to diverse areas of historical inquiry and emphasizes training in the theory and methods of History as a discipline, as well as writing and research skills with a wide application beyond academia.
MA and PhD Programs in Classics
We offer PhD and MA programs in both Classical Archaeology and Classical Languages, as well as an MA program in Ancient Societies and Cultures. Our faculty supervise projects on a full range of topics relating to Ancient Greece and Rome. The training our students receive ranges from learning ancient languages to participating in archaeological fieldwork and provides a thorough foundation in the discipline of Classics, along with valuable research and writing skills.
MA and PhD in Religious Studies
Our MA and PhD programs offer advanced graduate training in the interdisciplinary study of Religion from an academic, non-affiliated perspective, and are suitable for students of any or no personal faith background. Our faculty, as well as affiliated colleagues in other programs, supervise projects on a range of world religious traditions, particularly Islam and the religions of South and East Asia. Students gain experience in the diverse methodologies applied in Religious Studies, in addition to transferable writing and research skills.
fall Term 2024
Thursdays 2:00 p.M. - 4:50 p.M.
Relig 404/504: Literary Studies in the Old testament/hebrew bible
Delve into the historical and literary significance of Jerusalem in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. Discover how this small hill country town emerged as the capital of a kingdom, its central importance in biblical literature, and how it became the Holy City.
Instructor: Ken Ristau
fall Term 2024
T R 5:00 p.M. - 6:20 P.M.
RELIG 230: Introduction to Hinduism
How do Hindus conceive of self-identity, deities, devotion, and wisdom? How have different Hindu traditions changed over the centuries? This course explores such questions by examining the historical development of Hindu religious thought and practices from the ancient Vedic period to the present while paying close attention to processes of transformation, elements of continuity, and religious identity.
Instructor: Deepro Chakraborty
-
the WG Hardy Classics Museum
Founded in 1975, the WG Hardy Classics Museum includes artifacts from ancient Greece, Roman Europe, Egypt, Persia, and South and Central Asia. Free to visit, it has around 200 objects on display and is the only museum of its kind in the province.
-
Educational Diversity
Our department is an incubator for educational diversity in Alberta. Ukrainian Studies, Islamic Studies, Chinese language and history, and the study of Canada’s First Nations and Indigenous/ settler relations in the Fur Trade era are only a few of the areas of study pioneered here.
-
Distinguished Alumni
Our alumni have distinguished themselves all over the world and in many different professional spheres. They include lawyers and judges, educators, politicians, business and industry executives, public servants, and leaders in the non-profit sector.
EDI Statement
The Department of History, Classics, and Religious Studies is committed to a climate of safety and acceptance for all its members and guests. We see great strength in diversity of ability, class, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, nationality, religion, and sexual orientation, but those strengths can only be realized in the absence of structural oppressions. We are committed to revealing and dismantling these barriers.
News + Events
Upcoming lectures by Classicist and medical language researcher Dr Stephen Russell
Join us for two talks by Dr Stephen Russell (McMaster University): "Is Medical Terminology Getting Under Your Dermis?" on Monday, October 7 and "Classicists in Medical Terminology. Seriously? Seriously." on Thursday, October 10.
Giving
Leave a Legacy
Your donation supports new learning opportunities and experiences for students, funds research and builds spaces for innovation and education.