Distance Learning Courses for Ancient Greek/Greek History?

[Andrew Reinhard]

One of our eClassics members asked me this question, but perhaps someone else here will know how to answer it better than I: "Do you know of any distance or correspondence courses offerred for ancient Greek & ancient Greek history?"

[Lisa St. Louis]

Oh yes we do and we would looooove to have eClassics members as our students!! (Lisa jumping up and down like a Jack Russell terrier and looking very un-Deanlike! Sorry just can't contain myself at the thought of new classics students.)

Robert Welch University offers all levels of Ancient Greek online from 101 (Those chicken scratches are letters?) to 401 (Eek Medea is killing her kids and I know enough Greek by now to follow the plot.) Of course as a good classical school we'll also get you to a point of Latin proficiency where you'll be able to read Dido's death and weep (weep because of her death not because of the difficulty of the Latin).

LAT101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 401
GRK 101, 102, 201, 202, 301, 401
(Shh...for the really daring we have all levels of Biblical Hebrew, Modern Hebrew and Arabic)

Our unbelievably amazing prof Dr. Shawn Graham offers Greek and Roman History along with Greek and Roman Civ courses. He plays around with things like wikis, Skype and Youtube videos in his courses so there is never a dull moment.

There are many new history and other Classics courses underway for the upcoming BA:

CLA201 -- Classics 201: Ancient Greek Civilization
CLA202 -- Classics 202: Ancient Roman Civilization
CLA203 -- Classics 203: Ancient Greek History
CLA204 -- Classics 204: Ancient Roman History
CLA205 -- Classics 205: Introduction to Classical Literature
CLA301 -- Classics 301: Women in the Ancient World
CLA302 -- Classics 302: Holy Land, Heroes and History
CLA303 -- Classics 303: Classical Mythology
CLA304 -- Classics 304: Classical Roots of the American Founding
CLA305 -- Classics 305: Augustus and Imperial Rome
CLA306 -- Classics 306: Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic World
CLA307 -- Classics 307: The Roman Republic
CLA 308 -- Classics 308: The Golden Age of Athens
CLA401 -- Classics 401: Ancient Greek Epic Literature in Translation
CLA402 -- Classics 402: Ancient Roman Epic Literature in Translation
CLA403 -- Classics 403: Greek and Roman Historiography

Courses which are cross-listed with Classics
ARC201 -- Archaeology 201: Principles of Archaeology
ART201 -- Art History 201: Introduction To The History Of Western Art Part I, Ancient Through Early Christian
COM303 -- Communication 303: Classical Rhetoric
PHI401 -- Philosophy 401: Philosophical Thought in the Ancient World
HIS101 -- History 101: Western Civilization Part I

The next session starts Nov. 1 and will feature a truly epic double bill of Greek civ and Classical Rhetoric. We rely on student requests to decide the courses for each session so if you see something that you want, tell us now!

There are no prerequisites for these courses and prices are reasonable.

If you mention that you found us on eClassics, we'll sneak in a discount when the Registrar is looking the other way.

Dr. Lisa (Dean of Arts, Science and all the Gladiators)

[Adrian Tamblyn-Watts]

Dr. Lisa

Information please. How can apply for a place on your upcoming BA program?

Kind regards

Adrian Tamblyn-Watts

[Arran Evans]

It was odviously a number of years since this post, but I would be very interested to hear more information . I am over half way through a Ba unnamed due to universities constrictions. So I would like to turn my degree into a named degree in Classics. I hope you are still online, the coures you posted sounded fantastic.

[Xoë Schinas]

Hullo,

I came across this forum while looking for a distance learning course in Ancient Greek - I'd like to study first for a GCSE and then for an A level in the subject. I would hope to be at A level standard by the summer of 2010, so as to sit the exam then. I'm hoping to study Classics at university and need to learn Ancient Greek before I can do this.

I have already learnt some languages: I speak Spanish fairly well (having lived in Spain for the last few years) and know Latin well enough to "read Dido's death and weep". I'm taking A levels and AEAs in both this June.

I have always studied for my exams using distance learning courses, since I and my family spend a lot of time travelling. However, I've been having trouble finding a course in Ancient Greek.

All the best,

Xoë

[April]

What about taking the courses as more of a refresher. Technically, I have an M.A. in Classics, but having not used or taken any classes in Greek in the last five years, its really rusty. Also, do y'all do independent study classes?

[Maria Basta]

I think there two choices 1) Open University of London and 2) University of Wales Lampeter. I do not know anything else... sorry!!!

[Adrian Tamblyn-Watts]

Does anyone have any experience with the 'Institute of Biblical Greek' which seems to be run by John Schwandt (http://biblicalgreek.org)?

Is this a reliable and credit worthy organization? Opinions and advice please.

Many thanks

Adrian

[Edward H. Campbell]

Pardon me but this Robert Welch University doesn't look viable in any way shape or form.  But I probably should not need to point out Socrates' opinion on these matters "who needs teachers and who resorts to them?"  My answer: the ignorant.

 

More important than having a distance learning class for Latin and Greek, what one needs to do is sit down with Greek and Latin texts, a Lexicon or Dictionary, and a reference grammar and spend as much time as you can learning it, maybe 10 to 12 hours per day on the days that you have time.  As Heidegger once remarked: 'Time the very thing life is made of, and the very thing we're running out of.'  It's 90% persperation and 10% inspriation.

 

In other words, you have to put the time in.  It's all a question of time and how much you put into it.  Once you learned the basics, i.e. Latin and Greek 101, you don't need any teacher, let alone any total fraud like Robert Welch University.  These kinds of places, like all universities really, are about bilking you for as much as they possibly can, imparting a 'program' into your mind, usually trafficked under the name of 'western cannon,' and assulting your family wealth.

 

Just face the fact that you have to put the time in yourself, and forget the sophists.  I shouldn't have to tell any classics major, but I repeat it: forget the sophists, do it yourself.  'those who can do, those who can't teach.'  And that's a fact jack!  And it's as true now as it ever was.  They teach what they don't know.  'Know it thy self,' saith Thales.

[Rich]

Hello Lisa,

Does Robert Welch University still offer these courses? I have not been able to find the full catalog online. I am interested in taking a distance intro to Attic Greek. I have done some studying on my own but would benefit from a course. I work full time and have other responsibilities so the format of a self-paced class where I can watch the lectures and send in questions would work best for me.

Thanks,

Rich