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Course listings in History and Classical Studies include regular offerings in Modern Greek language, history, literature and culture. All courses related to Modern Greek may be counted towards the Minor in Neo-Hellenic Studies.
Depending on the type of course, credits earned in Modern Greek may also be counted as:
- Civilization credits towards degree option in Classical Studies
- History electives towards degree option in History.
- Neo-Hellenic Studies
- Courses
- Fellowships
- Students and Alumni
- Teaching Greek
Minor Concentration in Neo-Hellenic Studies
Program Advisor
Prof. Anastassios Anastassiadis
tassos.anastassiadis [at] mcgill.ca
Office: 827, Leacock Building
Office HoursFall 2023: Monday 14:30-16:00; Wednesday: 13:00-14:30
Program description
The program does not currently enroll new students. New program will be available in the near future.
The Minor Concentration in Neo-Hellenic Studies immerses students in the rich literary and cultural tradition of Greece. The Minor Concentration is designed to enable students to achieve linguistic proficiency in Modern Greek and to provide them with an understanding of the diachronic influence and the synchronic importance of the Modern Greek language, literature and history in the contemporary global world of diversity and pluralism. In a McGill Reporter article, the Program Advisor explains why to undertake a minor in Neo-Hellenic Studies.
Program Requirements
Complementary (18 credits)
Students may choose 12-15 credits from the following courses:
CLAS 230D1
Introductory Modern Greek
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: A course for beginners.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 230D2
Introductory Modern Greek
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: See CLAS 230D1 for course description.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite: CLAS 230D1
- No credit will be given for this course unless both CLAS 230D1 and CLAS 230D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 331
Intermediate Modern Greek 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: Oral and written competence in the language at the intermediate level through the study of grammar and vocabulary. Excerpts from literature, film and music introducing the civilization of modern Greece.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite: CLAS 230 or similar course or permission of the instructor
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 332
Intermediate Modern Greek 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: A thorough review of the language at the intermediate level through the study of grammar, vocabulary and derivatives. Excerpts in prose, poetry and newspapers as well as audiovisual material introducing the civilization of modern Greece. a continuation of CLAS 331.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite(s): CLAS 331 or similar course or permission of instructor.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 335
Modern Greek Culture & Society
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: Offers a panorama of Greek culture and society through the study of a corpus of documents in Greek pertaining to the year's thematic topic.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- The language of instruction is English. Knowledge of Greek is not mandatory.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 336
Modern Greek Literature
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: Offers a panorama of Modern Greek literature in translation. It examines a corpus of texts selected according to each year's thematic topic of study.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 349
Greece: From Ottoman to the EU
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Examines the emergence of a modern nation state in the Balkans out of the Ottoman empire and its evolution until its present status as a member state of the European Union. A story of Greece and Greeks within the broader regional and global context.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite(s): HIST 214, HIST 215, HIST 226 or HIST 262 recommended.
- 2-3 film screenings held in a continuous 3-hour slot.
- Screenings will replace lecture hours the week of screenings.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Additionally, students may choose 3-6 credits from the following list:
(With advisor’s approval, other courses might also be considered)
ARTH 314
The Medieval City
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Art History: Towns and cities in the Middle Ages as architectural entities, their urban planning and development; main building types, profane and ecclesiastical: castle, defence works, town halls, houses, cathedrals, churches and monasteries; the role architecture played in forming a society.
Offered by: Art History & Communications
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 203
Greek Mythology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: A survey of the myths and legends of Ancient Greece.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 404
Classical Tradition
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: Examines the evolution of Classical Antiquity's social and cultural status from the 17th c. to the present day. Particular consideration is given to the processes of the ongoing professionalization of history and archeology as academic disciplines, the emergence of new political usages of the past, the transformation of cultural practices from the Grand Tour to the modern museum and tourism.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite: CLAS 202 or related courses or permission of instructor
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 205
Ancient Mediterranean History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: An introduction to the history of the ancient Mediterranean world, focusing on Greek and Roman civilization.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken HIST 275.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 226
E Central &SE Europe in 20th C
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Introductory survey of east central and southeastern European history from the twilight of nineteenth-century imperialism to the most recent expansion of the
European Union. Consideration will be given to the two world wars and their consequences; nationalism, fascism, and socialism; and the revolutions of 1989.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 262
Medit & Euro Interconnections
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Introduction to the cultural practices and political experiences that have shaped the Eastern Mediterranean and South-Eastern Europe examined diachronically. Topics adressed include empires and nations, religion, politics of memory and space, archeology and historical legacies, migrations.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken HIST 462.
- The course is composed of two to four interrelated seminars and includes field excursions. One section of 30 students maximum will be offered.
- here is a fee of $3,300 (in 2018) for the McGill Summer Studies in Greece activity associated with registration in course HIST 262. The fee includes accommodation based on double room occupancy, meals, onsite visits, course packs and travel within Greece when associated with onsite visits. Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements and travel insurance costs.
- Des frais spéciaux liés à l'activité d'Etudes estivales en Grèce de McGill d’un montant de $3,300 (en 2018) sont associés à l'inscription au cours HIST 262. Ces frais comportent l'hébergement sur la base d'une chambre double, les répas, les visites aux sites, les coursepacks et les frais de déplacement liés aux excursions/visites en Grèce. Les étudiants sont responsables pour leur propre le voyage vers et de Grèce ainsi que pour les coûts de leur assurance médicale et de rapatriement.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 362
Byzantine Hist&Historiography
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Examines the political, social, cultural, and economic aspects of the 1000-year story of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine empire, as well as its posterity.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 368
Greek Hist: Classical Period
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: The Classical period of Greek history, from the end of the Persian wars to the death of Alexandra the Great (479-323 BC).
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 369
Greek History: Early Greece
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Historical study of the period from the Mycenean Age to the end of the Archaic Age.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
PHIL 345
Greek Political Theory
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Philosophy: An examination of the ethical and political theories of ancient Greece, especially those of Plato and Aristotle.
Offered by: Philosophy
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken POLI 333
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
PHIL 353
The Presocratic Philosophers
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Philosophy: An examination of the surviving fragments of the presocratic philosophers and schools of philosophy, as well as later reports of their views.
Offered by: Philosophy
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
PHIL 355
Aristotle
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Philosophy: An examination of selected works by Aristotle. The course considers issues in moral philosophy as well as those found in the logical treatises, the Physics and Metaphysics, and in the philosophy of mind.
Offered by: Philosophy
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
PHIL 452
Later Greek Philosophy
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Philosophy: An examination of some of the major post-Aristotelian schools of philosophy. Texts from the Peripatetic, Stoic, Epicurean, Sceptical, Platonic, and medical traditions may be considered. Problems in logic, ethics, physics, epistemology, and metaphysics will be addressed.
Offered by: Philosophy
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
PHIL 454
Ancient Moral Theory
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Philosophy: An examination of central themes of ancient moral theory as treated by two or more contrasting philosophers or philosophical traditions - probably including Plato and/or Aristotle, and possibly some Hellenistic or post-Hellenistic schools.
Offered by: Philosophy
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
POLI 333
Western Political Theory 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Political Science: The major themes and writers in the political theory of classical antiquity. The political ideas of Thucydides, Plato, Aristotle, and the Hellenistic philosophers will be explored through the significant texts of this period.
Offered by: Political Science
- Prerequisite: POLI 231 or POLI 232 or PHIL 240 or at least two political science courses at the 300 level; or permission of the instructor
- Note: The field is Political Theory.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Students are required to take a minimum of 12 credits at the 300-level or above.
Course Offerings
CLAS 230D1
Introductory Modern Greek
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: A course for beginners.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 230D2
Introductory Modern Greek
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: See CLAS 230D1 for course description.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite: CLAS 230D1
- No credit will be given for this course unless both CLAS 230D1 and CLAS 230D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 331
Intermediate Modern Greek 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: Oral and written competence in the language at the intermediate level through the study of grammar and vocabulary. Excerpts from literature, film and music introducing the civilization of modern Greece.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite: CLAS 230 or similar course or permission of the instructor
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 332
Intermediate Modern Greek 2
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: A thorough review of the language at the intermediate level through the study of grammar, vocabulary and derivatives. Excerpts in prose, poetry and newspapers as well as audiovisual material introducing the civilization of modern Greece. a continuation of CLAS 331.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite(s): CLAS 331 or similar course or permission of instructor.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 335
Modern Greek Culture & Society
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: Offers a panorama of Greek culture and society through the study of a corpus of documents in Greek pertaining to the year's thematic topic.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- The language of instruction is English. Knowledge of Greek is not mandatory.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 336
Modern Greek Literature
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: Offers a panorama of Modern Greek literature in translation. It examines a corpus of texts selected according to each year's thematic topic of study.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
CLAS 404
Classical Tradition
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Classics: Examines the evolution of Classical Antiquity's social and cultural status from the 17th c. to the present day. Particular consideration is given to the processes of the ongoing professionalization of history and archeology as academic disciplines, the emergence of new political usages of the past, the transformation of cultural practices from the Grand Tour to the modern museum and tourism.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite: CLAS 202 or related courses or permission of instructor
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 349
Greece: From Ottoman to the EU
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Examines the emergence of a modern nation state in the Balkans out of the Ottoman empire and its evolution until its present status as a member state of the European Union. A story of Greece and Greeks within the broader regional and global context.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite(s): HIST 214, HIST 215, HIST 226 or HIST 262 recommended.
- 2-3 film screenings held in a continuous 3-hour slot.
- Screenings will replace lecture hours the week of screenings.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 262
Medit & Euro Interconnections
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Introduction to the cultural practices and political experiences that have shaped the Eastern Mediterranean and South-Eastern Europe examined diachronically. Topics adressed include empires and nations, religion, politics of memory and space, archeology and historical legacies, migrations.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken HIST 462.
- The course is composed of two to four interrelated seminars and includes field excursions. One section of 30 students maximum will be offered.
- here is a fee of $3,300 (in 2018) for the McGill Summer Studies in Greece activity associated with registration in course HIST 262. The fee includes accommodation based on double room occupancy, meals, onsite visits, course packs and travel within Greece when associated with onsite visits. Students are responsible for their own travel arrangements and travel insurance costs.
- Des frais spéciaux liés à l'activité d'Etudes estivales en Grèce de McGill d’un montant de $3,300 (en 2018) sont associés à l'inscription au cours HIST 262. Ces frais comportent l'hébergement sur la base d'une chambre double, les répas, les visites aux sites, les coursepacks et les frais de déplacement liés aux excursions/visites en Grèce. Les étudiants sont responsables pour leur propre le voyage vers et de Grèce ainsi que pour les coûts de leur assurance médicale et de rapatriement.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 362
Byzantine Hist&Historiography
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Examines the political, social, cultural, and economic aspects of the 1000-year story of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine empire, as well as its posterity.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
The following courses are also admissible when the topic is relevant to Greece in its Balkan, European, or Mediterranean context:
HIST 436
Topics: European History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: An in-depth look at particular aspects of European history.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Prerequisite: Permission of instructor.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 597D1
Seminar: Modern Europe
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Exploring aspects of modern European history.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Topics will vary from year to year.
- Prerequisites: HIST 215 or HIST 226 or permission of instructor.
- Restrictions: Open only to history honours students and graduate students or advanced students with the permission of instructor.
- Students must register for both HIST 597D1 and HIST 597D2
- No credit will be given for this course unless both HIST 597D1 and HIST 597D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
HIST 597D2
Seminar: Modern Europe
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
History: Exploring aspects of modern European history.
Offered by: History and Classical Studies
- Topics will vary from year to year.
- Prerequisites: HIST 215 or HIST 226 or permission of instructor.
- Restrictions: Open only to history honours students and graduate students or advanced students with the permission of instructor.
- Prerequisite: HIST 597D1
- No credit will be given for this course unless both HIST 579D1 and HIST 579D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2023 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2023 academic year
Fellowships
-
The proposed fellowship ($1200 in 2015) contributes to the travel and living expenses for an outstanding graduating student with a Neo-Hellenic studies minor in order to live a Grand Tour experience in Greece during the summer, following graduation from McGill, and to report on it.
-
Stavros Niarchos Foundation Fellowship
Qualified students pursuing or willing to pursue graduate studies at McGill University can apply for the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation Fellowships.
-
The Schull Yang International Experience Awards
The Schull Yang International Experience Award, supported by Joseph Schull (BA ‘82, MA ’85) and Anna Yang (BCL, LLB ’88), helps students gain first hand international experience related to their fields of study. The award is meant to provide partial funding to assist students with travel and other expenses related to their international experience. The Schull Yang International Experience Award is part of the McGill International Experience Awards initiative. For more information, clickhere.
Award value: $1,500 CAN
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be accepted to the McGill Summer Studies in Greece (MSSG).
- Must be a full-time undergraduate McGill student, B.A., B.A. & Sc.
- Must be returning to McGill in fall 2018.
- Must have a minimum CGPA of 3.0.
Application Requirements
- Letter of intent highlighting how the international activity is related to your studies, what you will gain from this opportunity, and how the award will impact you (max. 350 words).
- An updated curriculum vitae (1-2 pages).
- Copy of unofficial McGill transcript.
Student must submit electronic applications by email to ion [at] mcgill.ca. Applications should consist of 1 PDF or Word document. Please use the following file-name format: firstname.lastname_ssgreece (ex.: james.mcgill_ssgreece.pdf). Only applications received from students’ official email account will be considered.
Application deadline
Monday, April 16, 2018, 12PM (noon) (EST) – Late applications will not be accepted
Students and Alumni
2013
- Watch Ariana Collas (B.A. 2013, Political Science/Minor in Neo-Hellenic Studies) explain why she took Modern Greek at McGill.
2014
- See what Dimitrios Tomaras (B.A. 2014, Economics/Minor in Neo-Hellenic Studies) did with his 2014 Greek Grand Tour Summer Fellowship. After graduating, Dimitris went on to a Master's in Health Economics at McGill.
- Neo-Hellenic Studies minor student, Katerina Patouri, wins in 2014 the Guy Ouellette Chomedey-Laval MNA scholarship from the Hellenic Scholarships Foundation of Montreal.

2015
- Katerina Kostopoulos, the 2015 'Greek Grand Tour Summer Fellowship' recipient and McGill Graduate (B.A. 2015 Political Science, Double minor in Philosophy and Neo-Hellenic Studies), created a blog on her Grand Tour experience! After graduating from McGill, Katerina went on to pursue a law degree at the Université de Montréal.
2016
- Nathalie Defne Ghier was the recipient of the 2016 Greek Grand Tour Summer Fellowship. Read about Defne's experience in Greece on her blog. Defne went on to pursue graduate studies at Oxford, where she completed a Master's in Late Antiquity and Byzantine Studies.
Teaching Greek
Teaching Greek Language and Culture Option
within the Bachelor of Education
Teaching English as a Second Language (B.Ed. TESL)
Elementary & Secondary
In the fall of 2016, McGill’s Faculty of Education will launch the first comprehensive degree in North America to prepare Greek language teachers for elementary and secondary schools. Through the 4 year B.Ed. TESL Elementary & Secondary Program – Teaching Greek Language and Culture Option, students will combine studies in education with studies in Greek language and culture to become teachers of both English and Greek as a Second Language.
The B.Ed TESL program includes studies in language and language learning from linguistic, literary, social, cultural, philosophical, political, and psychological perspectives, accompanied by a minimum of 700 hours of supervised field experiences in schools. The NEW Option includes studies in Greek Language and Culture from History and Classical Studies, Art History, Philosophy and Political Science, and offers field experiences in Hellenic schools.
Montreal is a natural fit for this fresh initiative! Its vibrant Greek community and full-program day schools within the Socrates School network teach Greek as well as French and English. This new program option will bolster the efforts of McGill’s Phrixos B. Papachristidis Chair, which was established in 1988 in memory of the late Montreal shipping industrialist for whom it is named. The Chair aims to maintain Greek language and culture as a shared tradition among diaspora and to further the study of Modern Greek and Greek-Canadian relations. We are thrilled to add the preparation of Greek language teachers to these efforts.
For more information visit B.Ed. TESL/Teaching Greek Language and Culture Option/Concentration.