- UCAS course code
- QR63
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
BA Latin and Italian
- Typical A-level offer: ABB including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: BBC including specific subjects
- UK refugee/care-experienced offer: BBC including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 34 points overall with 6,5,5 at HL including specific subjects
Overview
Course overview
- Beginner and advanced levels are available for Latin, and for Italian. One language must be taken at advanced level (post A-level).
- Develop advanced knowledge of the language and culture of the classicalworld andexamine original sources of ancient literature.
- Spend your third year working or studying in Italy, where you'll gain first-hand insight into Italian language, life and culture.
- Study at a university ranked sixth in the UK for Modern Languages (QS World University Rankings by subject 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 Italian and/or Latin.
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 B in Italian and/or Latin.
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 B in Italian and/or Latin.
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 including Italian or Latin
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 B or 6 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and grade C or 4 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 academic School 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 6/B, or;
IELTS 7.0 overall with no lower than 6.5 in any 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
Residence abroad support
We offer dedicated financial support packages of up to £2,000 for residence abroad students, based on household income.
You will be automatically assessed for this, based on your Student Finance financial assessment - you just need to make sure you apply for a financial assessment in the academic year in which your residence abroad will take place.
Application and selection
How to apply
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
We don't normally interview for this degree, except in the case of mature applicants. In considering your application, all the information on the UCAS form is taken into account, particular attention being paid to academic qualifications and predictions, to your referee's confidential report, and to your personal statement.
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
Our BA Latin and Italian will enable you to develop your linguistic skills while learning about the literature and culture of both societies.
You can learn Latin either as a beginner or from A-level standard. Once you've reached the appropriate level, your learning will allow you to study literary and historical texts in their original language.
Language study offers much more than just language fluency. You'll explore diverse aspects of the culture, society, history, politics and literature of the countries in which your chosen languages are - or were - spoken, helping you to develop intercultural awareness and communication skills - both highly valued by employers.
You'll benefit from excellent teaching, student support and cutting-edge study facilities, as well as from the vibrancy and cultural diversity of Manchester itself - Western Europe's most multilingual city.
With placement options available at partner universities and in professional environments in Italy, a compulsory third year abroad gives our undergraduate students unforgettable and invaluable personal and professional experience. Where possible, this includes enrolment on classical courses at an Italian university.
The course unit details listed below are those you may choose to study as part of this programme and are referred to as optional units. These are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this programme. Although language units may show here as optional, they are a mandatory part of your modern languages degree and you will take the units relevant to your level of language in each year of study. It is compulsory to study language at all levels of your modern languages degree.
Special features
Residence abroad
Your year abroad gives you the chance to experience life in an Italian-speaking country, further developing your language skills.
Learn from language experts
Modern language courses are mainly taught by native speakers of the language, giving you a richer learning experience.
Access outstanding resources
Explore the exclusive resources of Manchester Museum and 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.
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 size capped to encourage participation.
You are encouraged to involve yourself, under guidance, in independent study and original research.
Coursework and assessment
Assessment practices vary between course units, but our aim overall is to achieve a good balance between formal examinations, continuous assessment and project work.
Written examinations are held at the end of most course units. The Year 3 dissertation is a major piece of original work, accounting for 22% of the final overall mark.
Course content for year 1
Core units will give you a grounding in the historical and cultural contexts of life in first century Rome via ancient poetry and the study of Latin language. Optional units allow you start exploring key themes and making links between your fields of study.
Italian
In Year 1 Italian language instruction is divided between beginners ('ab initio') and post-A-level groups (with most students being beginners).
'Ab initio' students have 4 contact hours per week with their nominated Italian teacher as part of a course specifically designed to build confidence in comprehension, writing, speaking and listening skills. Post-A-level students have three hours consolidating and building competency on specific language points. All first year students also have an additional linguistics hour, introducing them to the history and structures of the Italian language.
Culture units cover topics from the filmic and literary to the historic and linguistic. Year 1 is specifically designed to begin furnishing candidates with the tools to enable them to read cultural products with confidence, be they texts, pictures, buildings or linguistic constructions.
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 |
---|---|---|---|
CAHE10422 | 20 | Mandatory | |
ITAL10300 | 20 | Mandatory | |
CAHE10011 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE10022 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE10101 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE10232 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE10651 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20151 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20162 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20171 | 20 | Optional | |
Displaying 10 of 19 course units for year 1 | |||
Display all course units for year 1 |
Course content for year 2
Italian
In Year 2, the core language component builds on the grammar topics covered in Year 1, in order to prepare you for the year abroad. Both the post-beginners and post-A-level language modules have three contact hours per week in addition to working on set assignments and undertaking private study.
Your course units in second year are more specialised than in first year, allowing you to explore a diverse range of subjects and approaches. Current options include the Italian Renaissance and Italian Fascism.
All our Italian culture units have three contact hours per week and are augmented by materials and content placed in the unit's Blackboard virtual learning environment.
Our modules are assessed by a variety of different coursework assessment types, including essays and commentaries, book reviews, reports, presentations, and innovative digital projects such as group curated exhibitions.
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 |
---|---|---|---|
CAHE20042 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20052 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20061 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20151 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20162 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE20531 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE21061 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE24102 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE24401 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE24602 | 20 | Optional | |
Displaying 10 of 21 course units for year 2 | |||
Display all course units for year 2 |
Course content for year 3
Course content for year 4
Continue to shape your understanding according to specific interests, with interdisciplinary and advanced course unit options, in addition to your Advanced Latin language unit.
Italian
In Year 4, you build on the linguistic authenticity acquired abroad in the core language unit, and can choose from a range of specialized content course units. The final year language course develops your core skills to an advanced level, including translation into English, writing different kinds of target-language texts, and oral work including discussion of texts, debates, and presentations. The language component of the course comprises three contact hours per week, in addition to working on set assignments and undertaking private study.
Course units available in final year are closely related to the research interests of individual members of staff, in areas such as romance linguistics, Renaissance Florence, Italy and the Grand Tour, book history, and the political and cultural history of Italy.
You will also be able to undertake a research-orientated dissertation (often using the primary sources held in the Rylands Library, which has outstanding Italian holdings) and participate in the Italian department's mentoring and outreach work.
Course units for year 4
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 |
---|---|---|---|
CAHE30292 | 20 | Mandatory | |
ITAL51060 | 20 | Mandatory | |
CAHE20162 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30000 | 40 | Optional | |
CAHE30031 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30211 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30261 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30272 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30311 | 20 | Optional | |
CAHE30382 | 20 | Optional | |
Displaying 10 of 24 course units for year 4 | |||
Display all course units for year 4 |
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.
The University Language Centre
Home to language resources, including a new interpreting suite, purpose-built recording rooms and resources for over 70 languages, the Centre also offers multilingual word processing, language learning software, off-air recording and AV duplication, multilingual terrestrial and satellite TV and support and advice.
Societies
The University is home to over 30 international and language related student societies offering a breadth of cultural activities and experiences. Learn more about colloquialisms in language through native speakers and take part in discussion groups and socials. Some of our societies also coordinate trips abroad to language-specific destinations.
Find out more on the Facilities pages for Classics and Ancient History and Modern Languages and Cultures .
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
Allour courses involve the development of strong transferable skills, encouraging students to think logically and imaginatively to interpret andanalyseinformation and data.
A degree in Classics or Ancient History will equip you with the ability to effectively communicate ideas and demonstrate an intricate understanding of different cultures and societies, leading to a career in wide range of industries.
You'll have various opportunities to gain professional and practical experience.
Many employers seek graduates who have skills in many fields of expertise.
This is besides your major within Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology.
Alternatively, you could study selected course units from other courses around the University.
This is through the University College for Interdisciplinary Learning.
You can also apply to spend a year gaining valuable workplace experience on a work placement.
The creative economy accounts for one in 11 jobs across the UIK and employs 700,000 more people than the financial services industry (Creative Industries Federation).
The University of Manchester is the second most targeted university in the UK for top graduate employers (High Fliers Research, 2024).
Our award-winning careers service provides a wealth of tools, advice, development opportunities and industry links.
You'll have access to dedicated, subject-specific support throughout your studies and for up to two years after graduation.
Our undergraduate courses are also designed to provide an easy transition into postgraduate study, if desired.
We offer a wide range of specialist master's courses within the University and even offer fast-tracked enrolment to high-achieving undergraduate students.
Our students can take part in our Stellifyprogrammealongside their degrees, developing professional and leadership skills while contributing to their local and global communities through volunteering.
Our graduatesfrom Classics and Ancient Historyhave gone on to work in a variety of industries, including positionswithBBC, Google, UK government, museums, cultural institutions and law firms.
Employers who have taken on graduates of our Italian courses in the past include Zalando, Greenpeace, NHS, Barclays,Roblenko, Alfred H Knight, Fresh Direct, P&A Receivables, Connexity Europe, Sane Communications, Benchmark International, Wellocks,Cognolink, and Penguin Random House.
Find out more onour Careers and Employability page.
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.