noun
classics; classical studies
Refers to the academic study of the languages, literature, history, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome, or more broadly the study of classical antiquity.
彼は大学で古典学を専攻している。
He is majoring in classics at university.
古典学の研究者はラテン語とギリシャ語を読める必要がある。
Scholars of classical studies need to be able to read Latin and Greek.
西洋古典学 explicitly specifies Western classics, whereas 古典学 can be used in a broader sense or, by default, often implies Western classical studies.
Compound of 古典 (classics) and 学 (study, -ology). The term is a direct translation of the Western concept of 'classics' or 'classical studies'.