The Certificate in Western Civilization is offered for undergraduates interested in pursuing an interdisciplinary track on the foundations of Western thought and society. Its emphasis is course work focusing on languages and cultures, science, the arts, philosophy, law and government in their ancient, medieval and modern forms. The interdisciplinary curriculum of over 30 courses is taught by faculty in departments that include classics, English, history, philosophy, religious studies and Germanic languages and literatures.
The certificate is sponsored by the Center for Western Civilization, which seeks to encourage critical reflection on the distinctive traditions, languages and issues that characterize the cultures of Western civilization. The study of Western civilization covers many subjects and many ages, including fields of study that are influenced by the history, culture and languages of most of the traditional areas of the human, physical and social sciences. These include, but are not limited to, Greek and Latin languagesand cultures, science, history, literature, the arts, law and governmentall in their ancient, medieval and modern forms. The Center sponsors faculty and student research on topics related to the history of Western civilization. It aims to promote the university's already strong contributions in these areas, and to provide the resources for the university to become even more active in pursuing such research.