MA Classics and Ancient History

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2027, the tuition fees are as follows:

• MA (full-time)
  UK students (per annum): £14,400
  International, including EU, students (per annum): £31,400

The fees quoted above are fully inclusive of tuition, administration and computational costs.

Fees for entry are subject to yearly review. The University reserves the right to increase your tuition fee by up to 7% each year for courses lasting more than one year, including to reflect rising costs associated with delivering our educational and wider student experience. Postgraduate fees information .

Always contact the admissions team if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

International student CAS deposit

Self-funded international applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2500 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. Some applicants will be required to pay a higher deposit. More information on tuition fee deposits .

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.

• Learn more about - student finance options for UK students.
• Learn more about - fees and finance for international students .
• Graduates of The University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University can receive a 10% discount on their master's degree tuition fees as part of our Manchester Alumni Loyalty Discount scheme.

A ‘Directed Reading’ course-unit allows you to explore a particular topic in Classics & Ancient History which is relevant to your wider research interests but is not covered by the regular menu of course-units offered at PGT level.  This is an independent study unit that allows you to ‘audit’ an enhanced version of an advanced (Level 3) course unit at undergraduate level, chosen from a selective menu of available course units. You are expected to attend the lectures of that Level 3 unit. These audited lectures are a significant introductory resource to support your learning; they are then ‘enhanced’ by 6 hours of advanced MA-level seminars taught on a small group basis by the convenor of the L3 unit on which your chosen Directed Reading is based. Assessment consists of an extended research essay on a topic devised by you,in consultation with the course convenor; you do not need to complete any of the assessment set for undergraduates taking the course unit you have chosen.   Capacity on Directed Reading units is limited: if you are interested in taking this option, you should discuss your plans with the Programme Director at the earliest possible opportunity. Enrolment in this course unit is subject to the approval of the Programme Director. NB you are not permitted to associate a Directed Reading with any undergraduate course unit that is not listed on the selective menu offered for Directed Readings.

• To explore a particular topic in Classics and/or Ancient History independently and in depth.
• To develop skills in independent research, and in writing up the results of that research.
• In particular, to enhance students’ skills in synthesising, and critically engaging with, current scholarship on a particular topic in Classics and/or Ancient History, and their skills in close reading of ancient texts and other evidence.
 

6 advanced small-group seminars, discussing specialist aspects of the chosen unit’s topic, and offering guidance on developing the student’s research project. 
Attendance (as auditor) at higher-level undergraduate lectures in the chosen Level 3 course unit.

Elearning: Blackboard.
 

• Detailed knowledge of a particular topic in Classics and/or Ancient History.
• Detailed and critical understanding of the current state of scholarship on that topic, and the ways in which that scholarship might be developed.
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of ancient material relevant to that topic, and the issues associated with its interpretation.
 

• the ability to define a research problem and devise a solution to it
• the ability to organise complex arguments
• the ability to demonstrate advanced analytical skills, to evaluate ancient texts, and to engage critically with secondary scholarship
 

• independent research skills 
• the ability to design and write a lengthy piece of work; 
• skills in finding and use a wide range of research materials, including pertinent scholarly works.
 

• The ability to work independently on an extended project
• Development of presentation and discussion skills (including confidence) through face-to-face discussion of difficult topics in class.
 

This will vary according to the topic chosen.