- UCAS course code
- Q800
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
BA Classics
Explore the language, literature and culture of the Greek and Roman worlds in this richly varied course.
- Typical A-level offer: ABB
- Typical contextual A-level offer: BBC
- UK refugee/care-experienced offer: BBC
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 34 points overall with 6,5,5 at HL
Overview
Course overview
- Explore the literature, culture, and history of the Greek and Roman worlds. You will also take specialist courses in ancient literature, history, religion, philosophy, art, Egyptology, or archaeology.
- Study the legacy of the ancient world and uncover its impact on modern culture.
- Beginner and advanced study options are available for Greek and Latin. Students must study one language throughout the course.
- Study at a Top 10 UK university for History, Philosophy and Theology (THE World University Rankings 2024).
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
- Telephone
- +44 (0)161 509 2871
- ug-classics@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/cahae/
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: About us
Related courses
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
A-level
ABB including one essay based subject.
Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.
A-level contextual offer
BBC including one essay based subject.
Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.
Contextual offers are available for applicants who:
- live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
- live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
- have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.
See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.
UK refugee/care-experienced offer
BBC including one essay based subject.
Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.
UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:
- have been looked after in care for more than three months; or
- have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).
See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.
International Baccalaureate
34 points overall. 6,5,5 in Higher Level subjects
Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.
GCSE/IGCSE
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 6 or B in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and Grade 4 or C in Mathematics. GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the admissions team in your academic School/Department for clarification.
Other entry requirements
Other entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.
Country-specific entry requirements
English language requirements
All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:
GCSE/IGCSE English Language grade B/6, or;
IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each sub-test, or;
An acceptable equivalent qualification.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.
If you need to improve your English language skills to meet the entry requirements for your academic course, the University Centre for Academic English (UCAE) summer pre-sessional courses can help. Check if your academic course offers the option of taking a pre-sessional course on the UCAE page .
The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa (previously known as a Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found here .
English language test validity
Fees and funding
Fees
Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.
Policy on additional costs
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).
Scholarships/sponsorships
- Find out more from student finance
- Eligible UK students can apply for bursaries and scholarships
- Funding for EU and international students is on our country-specific pages
- Many students work part-time or complete a student internship
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
Potential candidates are expected to demonstrate why they have chosen this particular degree in their personal statement and express why the course interests them.
Applicants submitting mitigating circumstances
If you are submitting information about mitigating circumstances that have affected, or are likely to affect, your academic performance, you should include this in the referee's report.
We cannot usually take into account information that is supplied after an adverse decision has been made on an application by the admitting school.
(Examples of mitigating circumstances include family illness, problems with school facilities or an unusual curriculum followed by your school of college.)
Home-schooled applicants
Non-standard educational routes
Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences. Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.
The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to. Further information for mature students can be found here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )
How your application is considered
Interview requirements
Returning to education
Overseas (non-UK) applicants
Deferrals
We welcome applications for deferred entry and feel a gap year benefits many students.
We do ask applicants to let us know as early as possible if they are intending to defer. This helps us to adjust the number of offers we make, in order to achieve the required number of students in a given year.
Re-applications
Transfers
We will consider applications to transfer to Manchester from other universities and would normally ask for a letter explaining why a transfer was needed, relevant transcripts, a copy of the applicant's UCAS form and a confidential reference from one of the applicant's current university tutors.
We will consider applications to transfer from other degrees within the University of Manchester but applicants are required to have the A-level grades (or other qualifications) needed for entry to that degree programme.
Both of the above are subject to our having enough places to accommodate such applicants. Enquiries should be made to the admissions administrator for the subject (see contact details).
Course details
Course description
This course enables you to study Greek and/or Latin language and literature, and explore the political, social, and intellectual history of ancient Greek and Roman societies.
You'll be taught by experts in Greek and Roman language, literature, culture and history. Course units are varied covering Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology and exploring topics as wide ranging as Greek philosophy, the literature of exile, Latin love poetry, and Greek myth.
Special collections
Through the John Rylands Research Institute and the Library’s Special Collections, our students have access to papyri, medieval manuscripts and early printed books, including very early copies of the Homeric poems. They also have opportunities to study some of the world-class Egyptology collections in the Manchester Museum.
Language study
You must study Latin or Ancient Greek for all three years because some texts are studied in their original language. Beginners and advanced level study is available, and if you enjoy language learning there are also options to study both languages.
If you have no experience of either language, you would take a beginners course in Latin or Ancient Greek in year one, progressing to advanced study of your chosen language in years two and three. If you wanted to learn a second language, you could pick this up at beginners level in year two or year three.
If you have already studied Latin or Ancient Greek at A-level, or equivalent, you could study this language at an advanced level in years one, two and three. If you wanted to learn a second language, you could pick this up at beginners level in years one, two or three.
Special features
Use your subject-specific knowledge in the real world through a placement year in your third year of study. It will help you to improve your job prospects, clarify your career goals, and build your external networks.
Study abroad
You can apply to spend one semester studying abroad during Year 2. Exchange partners include those in Europe, the 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.
Teaching and learning
Language classes are taught intensively, with group size capped to encourage participation.
You are encouraged to involve yourself, under guidance, in independent study and original research.
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 22% of the total marks for your degree.
Course content for year 1
Depending on your choices, you may add a further course unit from across a wide range of options, including Egyptology, Archaeology, History of Art, the history of ideas, and Religions and Theology.
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.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
CAHE10011 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE10022 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE10101 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE10132 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE10232 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE10422 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE10651 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20151 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20162 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20171 | 20 | Optional | |
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Course content for year 2
You will choose additional course units from across a range of course units, including classical philosophy, ancient history, archaeology, and Egyptology.
You can also opt to study a free-choice course unit which can be chosen from a wide range on offer across the University.
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.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
CAHE20031 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20042 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20052 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20061 | 20 | Optional | |
Thinking Archaeology | CAHE20112 | 20 | Optional |
CAHE20151 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20162 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20171 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20261 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20272 | 20 | Optional | |
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Course content for year 3
In addition to taking at least one literary course unit and up to two units on historical, philosophical, archaeological, or a free choice unit, you will research and write a dissertation on a subject of your choice - this thesis is your chance to carry out your own independent study of the classical past.
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.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
CAHE30000 | 40 | Mandatory | |
CAHE20151 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20162 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20171 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30031 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30111 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30121 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30162 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30182 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30211 | 20 | Optional | |
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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
Careers
Career opportunities
All our courses involve the development of strong transferable skills, encouraging students to think logically to interpret and analyse information and data.
A degree in Classics or Ancient History will give you the ability to communicate well. It will show a deep understanding of varied cultures and societies, preparing you for a career in many industries.
You can also apply to spend a year gaining valuable workplace experience on a work placement.
Throughout your degree and for two years after, you'll have access to dedicated support for your subject. The careers and employability page has more on how we prepare students for the workplace. Also, our undergraduate courses are designed to ease the transition into postgraduate study, if desired.
The University of Manchester is the second most targeted university in the UK for top graduate employers (High Fliers Research, 2024).
Our graduates have gone on to work in many industries. They have had positions with BBC, Google, the UK government, museums, and law firms.
Regulated by the Office for Students
The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website.
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website.