Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
Classical studies is a liberal arts degree, so it's not directly training you for a job. However, unlike other liberal arts degrees, classical studies benefits from snobbery. See, for a long time Greek and Roman civilizations were held in nearly religious reverence—sometimes with good cause, sure—and because of this, classical studies is considered one of the "better" liberal arts degrees out there.
It may be due to how difficult this area of study is. You're learning a wide swath of things, from art to literature to languages to history. You're basically getting a wide range of education on a narrow front, meaning if a job needs you to have a skill, you probably have it. There are tons of classical studies majors in all kinds of different fields. The key is not to limit yourself and don't be afraid to pursue a higher education on the back of that strong, majestic undergraduate degree.
Common Career Fields
Lawyer. (requires law school) A lot of legal terms come from Latin. Surprised? You shouldn't be, since large parts of our legal system are straight out of Rome. This isn't a job you can go right into out of school, but it's a career path a lot of classical studies majors take.
Government. Jerry Brown, the governor of California, has a classical studies degree. While this isn't going to give you the charisma or magnificent jawline we're assured is required to win public office, it does help. For one thing, you're learning rhetoric, also known as "arguing." That's pretty important for debates and speeches.
Medicine. (requires medical school) Oh, come on. Ancient Greeks thought disease came from people having too much blood and they tried to cure everything with wrestling (seriously, they loved wrestling). Yeah, you're not going to learn a thing about modern medicine in your classical studies, but medical schools are pretty fond of classical studies majors. Why? You're hardworking enough to have gotten a classical studies degree. Plus, you can have elitist, hoity-toity conversations with rich folks. Which means you should do well.
Archaeologist. Bad news first: you won't learn how to use a bullwhip, leather jackets are impractical on digs, and you hardly ever fight Nazis. I mean, if you see a Nazi, by all means, punch him, but it's not a normal part of your duties. Since Ancient Greece and Rome happened in a time called "antiquity" (which is smart-people code for "wait, it happened how long ago?"), big chunks of their civilization have to be dug out of the ground. You're an expert. Get to digging. Just don't expect fortune and glory.
Clergy. Hang on, this can't be right. But it is, at least for Christian faiths. Big sections of the New Testament were originally set down in Ancient Greek, one of those languages you learned to read. Also, the events in the Bible happened right around then. Disclaimer: you should only try to become clergy in a religion you practice. Otherwise, it's kind of weird.
Education. Aristotle kind of invented modern education. Why not honor that and get into teaching? You're going to have the basics of one of those classical educations everyone is always raving about. Might as well strut your bad self. Write comments on students' papers in Ancient Greek. They won't know what you're saying unless they complete the lessons. Sneaky, right?
Museum Curator. Here's the amazing part: it barely matters what kind of museum. Oh sure, you're probably not specifically qualified to curate a stuffed clown museum (if such a thing exists outside of nightmares) but chances are you'd be seriously considered. You are eminently qualified to curate art museums, anthropological museums, Greek and Roman—okay, you probably figured that one out. The thing is, with your degree, nearly anyplace will consider you.
Current unemployment of the major
6.8%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
37%Stats obtained from this source.