How you'll study

Explore a broad range of literary texts and open your mind to different perspectives on the ancient world. In essay assignments you'll develop your written communication skills and explore your own ideas.

In your final year, you'll have the opportunity to embark on a research topic entirely of your choosing on the dissertation module.

We train you to become a researcher so you can thrive during your degree and your future career.

We equip you with skills such as how to present in a range of contexts, process and analyse large amounts of data, write cohesively, and work collaboratively. 

You'll access resources of international importance during your studies, allowing you to gain a material understanding of life in the ancient world.

These resources include our own museum of ancient artefacts, the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology.

You can opt to participate in our Peer Assisted Learning scheme (PAL), which groups you with trained students, typically from the year above, to consolidate your learning. 

We offer a dedicated module that encourages you to focus on what career you might like to pursue.

In the module Prospects for Classicists and Ancient Historians you will reflect on the degree, its prospects and the place of the discipline in the modern world. You'll also develop learning strategies for Years 2 and 3 to aid with specific skill acquisition and employability in given sectors.

The Ure Museum provides plentiful work experience opportunities if you aspire to a career in the museum or heritage sector. Roles typically involve cataloguing items, improving online databases, cleaning objects and producing temporary displays and texts.

The museum is open daily during the term-time and is also open to the public, offering opportunities to engage with the local community.

On our Academic Placement module, you'll work directly with an academic member of staff on their own research projects, between your first and second years of study.

You can also take part in our Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) in your second year. Examples of past opportunities include digital modelling, curating online exhibitions, writing biographies and researching queer histories. 

Students in Schools enables you to work alongside teachers in local schools with the aim of raising the aspirations of school pupils and encouraging them to continue into higher education.

We also encourage you to take an optional schools placement opportunity via a special module hosted by the University's Institute of Education.

In partnership with the University's Careers Service, we run a module that allows you to undertake a five-day placement in a relevant workplace.

Placements include time spent in museums, archives and similar Classics-related settings.

Doing a Professional Placement Year will increase your confidence in the workplace and allow you to explore your career options before you graduate.

During your placement year you can choose from many countries worldwide, with previous students going to Australia, China, the US and Zambia.

Find out more about the Professional Placement Year