Classics, Medieval, or Indo-European?

[Ethersworn]

Information upon graduation

Major: Classics (Latin 4 years, Greek 2 years)

Minors: Linguistics, German (3 years)

Formally Trained Languages: Latin, Greek, German, Old English (2 years), Old Norse (1 year)

I am currently a sophomore with a 4.0, though my last difficult gen ed class, Inductive Logic, may very well end in a B+, so there is an at least likely possibility my final GPA will be something like 3.9(6?).

At the end of this year I will have taken 3 graduate level courses on Germanic Languages, Norse, and Old English. I am studying abroad at ULeeds for my Junior year. I am hoping to do a small scale research project over the summer (dreaming of having it published?) and then begin a separate senior thesis while in Leeds. My problem is that I am a Classics major and am very interested in going to graduate school for them, however my mentor is a Medievalist from Toronto and I feel a passion for the field, specifically in Germanic languages/culture/religion. Linguistics, specifically historical and specifically specifically Indo-European is also a strong interest of mine (paired with IE culture). I am trying to get some feedback on what I will be best suited to do with what I will take from my university, the Honors College at USouthCarolina.

Also, what programs would my current/projected stats suggest for me? I really want to go to a top 10 school in whatever field I choose.

Thanks.

[heliogabalus]

I'm out of the loop, but I'd think Cornell would be a good place. Their program in Latin and Greek linguistics would be able to incorporate IE, Classical Latin and Greek, and their Medievalists could fill in the post-classical stuff.

Also UCLA. I would probably go for either classics or German; it just seems like you'd have more options with the job market than if you did Cornell's Medieval Studies program or UCLA's IE program. But again, I'm out of the loop so talk to your professors about it. They'll certainly know more.

[maeisenb]

Well you have the languages and the training to do any of those choices. That being said, you've finished 2 terms of classes so you've made a large number of assumptions throughout your post (classes finished and GPA especially). I think that if you relax, have a good time in college, and continue to take classes that you like you'll eventually figure out which one of those fields you enjoy most. You could end up hating one or more of those fields over the next few years, so it will sort itself out.

[mlw]

Do the M.A. program in Classics at the University of Georgia, and study with Jared Klein, who is a top-notch Indo-Europeanist. You'll be better placed to get into top Ph.D. programs from there, and make a more informed decision with that program under your belt.

[JonathanEdwards]

Information upon graduation

Major: Classics (Latin 4 years, Greek 2 years)

Minors: Linguistics, German (3 years)

Formally Trained Languages: Latin, Greek, German, Old English (2 years), Old Norse (1 year)

I am currently a sophomore with a 4.0, though my last difficult gen ed class, Inductive Logic, may very well end in a B+, so there is an at least likely possibility my final GPA will be something like 3.9(6?).

At the end of this year I will have taken 3 graduate level courses on Germanic Languages, Norse, and Old English. I am studying abroad at ULeeds for my Junior year. I am hoping to do a small scale research project over the summer (dreaming of having it published?) and then begin a separate senior thesis while in Leeds. My problem is that I am a Classics major and am very interested in going to graduate school for them, however my mentor is a Medievalist from Toronto and I feel a passion for the field, specifically in Germanic languages/culture/religion. Linguistics, specifically historical and specifically specifically Indo-European is also a strong interest of mine (paired with IE culture). I am trying to get some feedback on what I will be best suited to do with what I will take from my university, the Honors College at USouthCarolina.

Also, what programs would my current/projected stats suggest for me? I really want to go to a top 10 school in whatever field I choose.

Thanks.

With your interests, can I ask why you’re not considering staying at Leeds for your master’s degree? They’re a leading university for medieval studies, and host the International Medieval Congress every year. Your study abroad time may yield some great contacts.