Penn State Penn State: College of the Liberal Arts

Department ofClassics and Ancient
Mediterranean Studies

CAMS 400W: Comparative Studies of the Ancient Mediterranean World

CAMS 400W: Comparative Studies of the Ancient Mediterranean World

CAMS 400W provides students in the Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS) Major, and other undergraduate and graduate students in allied fields, a capstone overview of research methodologies as they are applied to contemporary issues in ancient Mediterranean studies. The course is interdisciplinary in nature, and stresses the interactions among the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean region. The specific course content varies depending on the current research interests of the department faculty and the work undertaken by participating students. The course is organized as a seminar with participation by department faculty, and, when appropriate, visiting speakers. The topics concern issues of chronological, geographic, and cultural breadth. Students are expected to give an oral presentation of their research on a relevant topic during the last three weeks of the semester.This course requires a sequence of written assignments that constitute drafts in the process of writing an extended research paper. These consist of a statement of the problem, an annotated bibliography, a preliminary draft, and a final paper revised in light of the instructor’s comments on the assignments. This paper and an oral presentation in class based upon it will constitute about half of the final grade. A quiz and essay final examination will constitute the remainder of the grade.

Instructor: TBD