When I was busy choosing a college to entrust with my postsecondary education, picking one that taught Hellenic studies was far from my mind. It’s surprising because I grew up in a strong Greek-American household, and embracing my Greek identity took center stage all throughout childhood.
Then a funny thing happened. I signed up for a core requirement class during my freshman year of college and, luckily, the professor happened to be Greek. She identified my last name immediately and asked me to stay behind after class. There, she explained that my school happened to have an under-the-radar, incredibly robust Classics program featuring courses on ancient and modern Greek language, philosophic inquiry, theatrical studies, Greek Orthodox traditions and more. I declared Modern Greek Studies as my official minor later that day.
The point of this article is to take luck out of the equation for thousands of young Greeks like me who want to dedicate part of their adult studies to a greater understanding of Greece and its history. I essentially “backed in” to a minor in Greek studies, but other young Greeks can use this article to make a more informed decision about where to go to college.
If not for attending an institution with its own Greek studies department, I wouldn’t have learned the language of my ancestors or know half as much about Orthodoxy as I do now. I also received a generous scholarship from a Greek family and went on to work for the department as an events coordinator and website administrator.
College is a time for growth, thought and earnest study – so why not apply those efforts to understanding your own history? Without further ado, here are some of the best colleges and universities for pursuing Greek studies.
5. UC Berkeley (Cal)
The Modern Greek and Hellenic Studies Program at UC Berkeley excels in its focus on contemporary Greece and the Greek Diaspora. Director Christine Philliou oversees a top-notch department that, in addition to offering a breadth of classes teaching modern Greek language and comparative literature, benefits greatly from its proximity to the Greek Consulate of San Francisco and several Greek businesses operating in Silicon Valley. Each year, the department hosts public programs with notable writers, scholars, entrepreneurs, scientists and artists, as well as diplomats and politicians to promote and deepen Greek-American relations.
4. Loyola Marymount University (LMU)
This one always flies under the radar for people, but it really shouldn’t. I’ll be upfront about my bias in favor of LMU because it’s where I received my own degree in Hellenic studies, but I have good reasons to highly recommend its rich program. The department is led by Christina Bogdanou, a wonderful woman who goes out of her way to locate Greeks in the student body and offer them financial, academic and social support. LMU offers elementary, intermediate and advanced Greek language classes, and the curriculum is simultaneously accessible for beginners and challenging enough for those possessing some familiarity with the language.
Even better, there are several scholarships up for grabs for Greek students (I can attest) and Bogdanou organizes many large cultural events each semester for Greek students to enjoy and network with one another, including the staging of Greek tragedies and speeches by famous Greek diplomats and politicians. LMU also has Fr. Michael Courey, a wonderful and knowledgeable man, teaching classes on the Orthodox faith. As a second generation Greek-American who didn’t learn the language at home and yearned for a deeper exploration of Orthodoxy, Greek theatre and philosophy, this program over-delivered big time.
3. University of Washington (UW)
UW’s Hellenic Studies program was kickstarted in 1998 following a generous endowment made by the Vidalakis family, bringing the school a holistic understanding of Greece, with classes spanning the ancient and modern world. More specifically, the major is offered as a specific track within UW’s European Studies program. Students benefit from special courses, cultural events, conferences and public lectures on Greece given by visiting scholars and specialists.
The curriculum is flexible, too – students can work toward a 25-credit minor by choosing courses in history, classics, art history, and philosophy. Additionally, the program offers four scholarships ranging between $2,000 - $4,000, which require only a resume, transcript and cover letter explaining your interest in Hellenic Studies for consideration. To top it all off, UW offers a study abroad opportunity in Athens and Nafplio each year, hosted by Harvard University and the American College of Greece.
2. Hellenic College Holy Cross (HCHC)
No list of the top Greek Studies programs in America would be complete without including Hellenic College Holy Cross. Known as the leading Greek Orthodox School of Theology and Private Orthodox Christian liberal arts college in North America, HCHC lives up to its name by offering undergraduate, graduate and summer programs on all things Hellenic Studies. It also lays claim to the largest Modern Greek language program in the United States.
This article would be too long if I went ahead and listed every exceptional class offered by HCHC’s Classic and Greek Studies department, but a few highlights include “Christ in the Old Testament,” Modern Greek Language II, Iconography and a graduate-level course called “The Soul and the Soil,” exploring the Orthodox Church’s response to the climate crisis. I also have several friends who are currently enrolled in seminary at HCHC, and they regularly praise the school’s curriculum on studying and performing Byzantine chant.
Honorable Mentions: Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Wisconsin Madison
1. Princeton University
Most classics programs in America are small but led by a dedicated faculty – however, Princeton’s Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies comprises 19 educators and promotes a distinct focus on research and study abroad in Greece. There are summer fellowships offered for undergraduate researchers in the Mediterranean, student workshops in Meteora, summer internships and archeological excavations, plus front-line reporting opportunities for aspiring journalists located in, you guessed it, Greece!
Of course, the department also teaches elementary through advanced Greek language to go along with its robust interdisciplinary curriculum. In Fall 2024 alone, Princeton offered no less than 24 classes, spanning gems like Music in the Mediterranean, On the Road with Paul of Tarsus, Hellenism: The First 3000 Years and much, much more.