BA Classical Studies / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

Course description

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Classics and Ancient History
Our BA Classical Studies course offers a flexible way to explore the art, culture, history, language and literature of ancient Greek and Roman civilisations that have been so inspirational in the formation of the modern world.

You'll be taught by leading experts in Greek and Roman literature, language, culture and history, and can choose from a diverse range of course units with topics including ancient storytelling, tragic drama, love poetry and exile literature.

Study with us and you'll also have access to exclusive resources such as the Special Collections of The John Rylands Library (home to papyri, medieval manuscripts and early printed books including very early copies of the Homeric poems) and the Manchester Museum (the University's own on-campus holdings) with its world-class Egyptology collections.

In addition, you can broaden your studies with options as diverse as Alexander the Great, the Roman Family, ancient philosophy and Egyptology.

We also offer further options in related areas, including Modern History, Religions and Theology and History of Art.

You can also study ancient languages, enabling you to explore texts and literature in the original language.

Although language study is not required, all students are encouraged to take a language option and, if successful, to continue language study throughout the course if they so wish. Both Latin or Greek can be studied from beginner level or beginning at advanced level, while it is possible to begin the study of language in any of the three years.

Our  Flexible Honours  initiative may also allow you to study an additional arts, languages or cultures subject in conjunction with Classical Studies.

Special features

Placement year option

Apply your subject-specific knowledge in a real-world context through a placement year in your third year of study, enabling you to enhance your employment prospects, clarify your career goals and build your external networks. 

Study abroad

You may apply to spend one semester studying abroad during Year 2. Exchange partners are offered through the Erasmus Exchange scheme (in Sweden) and our international exchange scheme (e.g. USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore).

Explore world-class collections

Enjoy unique opportunities to explore special archived material and carry out research in a wide range of archives, libraries, museums and other research institutions in Manchester and beyond.

Study an additional subject

Flexible Honours may allow you to study an additional arts, languages or cultures subject.

Teaching and learning

You'll learn through a variety of methods. Lectures will help broaden your understanding of subjects, while small group tutorials and seminars will help you to deep-dive into these topics.

Language classes are taught intensively, with group sizes capped to encourage participation.

Independent study and original research will help you to advance, as well as making the most of the specialist knowledge of your tutors.

Coursework and assessment

Assessment practices in different course units vary, but our basic aim is to achieve a good balance between formal examinations, continuous assessment, and project work.

Written examinations are held at the end of most courses. The third-year dissertation provides 25% of the total marks for your degree.

Course content for year 1

Year 1 introduces you to key Greek and Latin literature, as well as a Greek or Roman history unit. You'll be able to choose from a wide range of optional units and related subject units.

Course units for year 1

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
The Odyssey CAHE10102 20 Mandatory
Virgil's Aeneid CAHE10421 20 Mandatory
Constructing Archaic Greek History CAHE10012 20 Optional
From Republic to Empire: Introduction to Roman History, Society & Culture 218-31BC CAHE10021 20 Optional
Introduction to Egyptian Hieroglyphs  CAHE10032 20 Optional
The Making of the Mediterranean CAHE10131 20 Optional
The Story of Britain CAHE10141 20 Optional
Cities and Citizens CAHE10231 20 Optional
Introduction to the History and Culture of Pharaonic Egypt CAHE10651 20 Optional
Intensive Greek 1 CAHE20151 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 1 CAHE20171 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 1 CAHE30110 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 1 CAHE30120 20 Optional
Intensive Greek 2 CAHE30162 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 2 CAHE30182 20 Optional
Mapping the Medieval ENGL10051 20 Optional
Histories of the Islamic World HIST10172 20 Optional
An Introduction to the Medieval World HIST10261 20 Optional
Forging a New World: Europe c.1450-1750 HIST10302 20 Optional
New Testament Greek RELT10120 20 Optional
Bible in Ancient and Modern Worlds RELT10712 20 Optional
Standing on The Shoulders of Giants: Foundations for Study in The Arts SALC10002 20 Optional
Ice Age to Baroque: Artworks in History SALC10041 20 Optional
Climate change and societal response: Lessons from the past SALC11011 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 24 course units for year 1

Course content for year 2

In Year 2 you will continue to study central works of Greek and Latin Literature and optional units in Classics and Ancient History.

Course units for year 2

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
The World of Late Antiquity: Europe and the Med from the Severan Dynasty to the Rise of Islam CAHE20022 20 Optional
The Conquering Hero: The Life, Times and Legacy of Alexander The Great CAHE20041 20 Optional
The Roman Empire 31BC - AD313 Rome's Golden Age CAHE20052 20 Optional
Politics and Society in Classical Greece CAHE20061 20 Optional
Social Life in Ancient Egypt  CAHE20072 20 Optional
Literature, Literacy, and Textual Transmission in Pharaonic Egypt  CAHE20091 20 Optional
Thinking Archaeology CAHE20111 20 Optional
Greco-Roman Society and Technology  CAHE20122 20 Optional
Neolithic Britain CAHE20131 20 Optional
From Cloud Cuckoo Land to Atlantis: Utopian thinking in the Ancient World CAHE20142 20 Optional
Intensive Greek 1 CAHE20151 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 1 CAHE20171 20 Optional
The Emergence of Civilisation: Palaces, Peak Sanctuaries, and Politics in Minoan Crete CAHE20221 20 Optional
Artefacts and Interpretation CAHE20362 20 Optional
Doing Archaeology 2 CAHE20502 20 Optional
Roman Women in 22 Objects CAHE20532 20 Optional
Greek Tragedy CAHE21012 20 Optional
Ovid: the Mythological Poems CAHE21261 20 Optional
National Identity and the Roman Past CAHE23022 20 Optional
Men, Beasts and Marvels: the Limits of Nature in Classical Antiquity  CAHE23361 20 Optional
Nature, Poetry, and Art: Ancient Pastoral and its Reception CAHE24201 20 Optional
Education and Schools in the Greek and Roman Worlds CAHE25211 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 1 CAHE30110 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 1 CAHE30120 20 Optional
Intensive Greek 2 CAHE30162 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 2 CAHE30182 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 2 CAHE30210 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 2 CAHE30220 20 Optional
The Stuff of History: Objects Across Borders, 1500-1800 HIST21151 20 Optional
Histories of the Islamic World HIST21192 20 Optional
Silk Roads: Eurasian Connections from the Mongols to Manilla, 1200-1800 HIST21242 20 Optional
Revolutionary Cities: The Urban World of the Middle Ages HIST21252 20 Optional
Biblical Hebrew RELT20140 20 Optional
New Testament in Greek II RELT20150 20 Optional
Data Literacy in a Digital World SALC20081 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 35 course units for year 2

Course content for year 3

You'll have the opportunity to write a dissertation on a classical topic of your choice, and you will be supervised by an expert in your field of interest with one-to-one sessions. There's an emphasis on studying classical texts in detail, further developing your skills in interpretation and analysis.

Course units for year 3

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology Dissertation CAHE30000 40 Mandatory
Intensive Greek 1 CAHE20151 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 1 CAHE20171 20 Optional
The World of Late Antiquity: Europe and the Med from the Severan Dynasty to the Rise of Islam CAHE30022 20 Optional
Social Life in Ancient Egypt  CAHE30072 20 Optional
Literature, Literacy, and Textual Transmission in Pharaonic Egypt  CAHE30091 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 1 CAHE30110 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 1 CAHE30120 20 Optional
Neolithic Britain CAHE30131 20 Optional
From Cloud Cuckoo Land to Atlantis: Utopian thinking in the Ancient World CAHE30142 20 Optional
Intensive Greek 2 CAHE30162 20 Optional
Intensive Latin 2 CAHE30182 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 2 CAHE30210 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 2 CAHE30220 20 Optional
The Emergence of Civilisation: Palaces, Peak Sanctuaries, and Politics in Minoan Crete CAHE30221 20 Optional
Advanced Latin Language 3 CAHE30310 20 Optional
Advanced Greek Language 3 CAHE30320 20 Optional
Artefacts and Interpretation CAHE30362 20 Optional
The Roman Army and the North-West Frontiers CAHE30882 20 Optional
Greek Tragedy CAHE31012 20 Optional
Ovid: the Mythological Poems CAHE31261 20 Optional
National Identity and the Roman Past CAHE33022 20 Optional
Men, Beasts and Marvels: the Limits of Nature in Classical Antiquity  CAHE33361 20 Optional
Nature, Poetry, and Art: Ancient Pastoral and its Reception CAHE34201 20 Optional
Education and Schools in the Greek and Roman Worlds CAHE35211 20 Optional
Heroes and Holy Men: The Irish Sea World in the Viking Age, c. 780-1100 HIST31361 20 Optional
Becoming Christian in The Early Middle Ages HIST31951 20 Optional
The Normans in the Mediterranean World (1000-1200) HIST31992 20 Optional
Responses to Globalisation, 1500-1700 HIST32022 20 Optional
From Greed to Grandezza: A History of Capitalism from the Renaissance to Modernity (1250s-1900s) HIST32121 20 Optional
Cultural Entanglements: Life and Death in Seventeenth-Century North America HIST32241 20 Optional
Science and Islam RELT30521 20 Optional
Displaying 10 of 32 course units for year 3

Facilities

The John Rylands Library

At The John Rylands Library , you'll have exclusive access to our internationally significant collections, including papyri, medieval manuscripts and early printed books such as very early copies of the Homeric poems.

Manchester Museum

The UK's leading university museum has more than four million objects spanning millennia, including one of the largest collections of ancient Egyptian artefacts in the UK. Go behind-the-scenes to handle, analyse and interpret rare artefacts, including exclusive material specific to ancient history.

Visit our facilities page to find out more.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk