Ancient history

The taught progamme in Ancient History is designed to offer postgraduate students the opportunity to study aspects of the ancient world in depth and also to acquire the research training that will enable them to undertake independent research in this discipline. It has flexibility to cater for the differing experiences and needs of individual students while also encouraging a collective sense of intellectual enterprise.

Module options include Greek and Roman history, art, archaeology and architecture, politics, the economy, the army, and much more. Postgraduate courses at the British School in Athens and the British School at Rome can count towards the degree. There is also an Erasmus agreement with the University of Leiden in the Netherlands open to postgraduate students seeking credit-bearing modules.

Degree Structure

The Postgraduate Diploma is awarded for satisfactory performance in taught modules worth a total of 120 credits in semesters 1 and 2. M Litt candidates must pass the Postgraduate Diploma, and then write a dissertation of up to 15,000 words over the summer on a topic approved by the Course Director.

All students take the core module, Themes and Methods in Ancient History, which is taught initially in conjunction with the core module in Classics, but then moves into more specialist areas for Ancient Historians. This is a 60 credit module taught in weekly seminars throughout the year.

A further 60 credits are required, typically 2 modules, one to be taken each semester. These may be chosen from the Ancient History modules listed below, Greek 1, Greek 2, Latin I and Latin II (15 credits each). With the permission of the relevant Head(s) of School, up to 30 credits may be taken from other programmes (Classical Studies, Greek or Latin) taught by the School of Classics or by other Schools.

You should make your choice of modules in consultation with the Course Director who will enter your choices onto your computerised record when you matriculate. Subsequent changes of module need the approval of the Course Director.

Ancient History modules

Links below provide the course catalogue information for the named module.

MLitt programmes

• Ancient History
• Classical Studies
• Latin, Greek, Greek and Latin

Postgraduate enquiries

• Enquiries of an academic nature should be directed to the Director of Postgraduate Studies.
• Enquiries about the application process should be directed to the Postgraduate Secretary.