MAClassics and Ancient History

Source: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/classics/classicsma/ Parent: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/courses/

MA Classics and Ancient History


UCAS code	1234
Duration	1 year full time 2 years part time
Entry year	2026
Campus	Streatham Campus


Typical offer View full entry requirements	We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above in a social science* or humanities subject.
Contextual offers

Why study MA Classics and Ancient History at Exeter?

Gain an understanding of Greek and Roman culture and society through guided study and independent research
Develop advanced research skills and specialist methodologies for the use and analysis of a range of forms of textural and material evidence
Tailor your programme by choosing a selection of modules to match your interests
Become part of a friendly and lively community of students and scholars. Exeter has one of the largest and most successful teams of Classics and Ancient History scholars in the country

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Select date of entry Sept 2026

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Fast Track (current Exeter students)

Open Days

Contact

Programme Director: Prof Claire Holleran

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

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Discover MA Classics and Ancient History at the University of Exeter.

We are 4th in the UK for world-leading Classics research

Based on 4* research in the Research Excellence Framework 2021

Top 50 in the world for Classics and Ancient History

QS World University Subject Rankings 2025

Top 10 in the UK for Classics and Ancient History

6th in the Complete University Guide 2026; 10th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026

Proactive Classics Society with successful student tutor scheme

Entry requirements

We will consider applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree or above in a social science* or humanities subject. While we normally only consider applicants who meet this criteria, if you are coming from a different academic background which is equivalent to degree level, or have relevant work experience, we would welcome your application.

*Accepted social science subjects include:

Anthropology
Archaeology
Area and Development Studies
Criminology
Demography
Development Studies
Economics
Economic and Social History
Education
Environmental Planning
Human Geography
International Relations
Law
Linguistics
Management and Business Studies
Media and Communication Studies
Philosophy
Politics and International Studies
Psychology
Science and Technology Studies
Social Policy
Social Statistics, Methods, and Computing
Social Work
Socio Legal Studies
Sociology

Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications.

Entry requirements for international students

Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.

Please also see our guidance on essential documentation required for an initial decision on taught programme applications.

Entry requirements for international students

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course.

The required IELTS test scores for this course fall under Profile B1.

Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

Course content

The MA Classics and Ancient History is fully flexible allowing you to create your own programme based on your particular interests and aims. We provide a wide variety of specialist modules based on our diverse areas of research, together with optional language teaching at all levels. You will undertake training in specific research skills designed to help you succeed across your MA studies and beyond.

We also offer a range of international opportunities that vary from year to year.

The modules below provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

Modules

Please note that the module information displayed here is from a previous year and is subject to change.

90 credits of compulsory modules and 90 credits of optional modules.

Compulsory modules

Code	Module	Credits
CLAM043	Dissertation in Classics and Ancient History	60
CTHM007	Research Skills in Classics, Ancient History and Theology	30

Optional modules

a - If you are beginning a classical language, you should take 30-60 credits from CLAM090 and CLAM091 as well as CLAM088 and CLAM089.

b - If you have a classical language at beginners' level, you should take 30 credits from either CLAM252 or CLAM202.

c - If you have a classical language at intermediate level, you should take 30 credits from CLAM254, CLAM255 or CLAM204, or CLAM205.

d - If you have a classical language at Degree level, you should take CLAM012A.

Code	Module	Credits
CLAM090	Classical Language and Texts: Latin I (A) [See note a above]	15
CLAM091	Classical Language and Texts: Latin I (B) [See note a above]	15
CLAM088	Classical Language and Texts Greek I (A) [See note a above]	15
CLAM089	Classical Language and Texts: Greek I (B) [See note a above]	15
CLAM202	Classical Language and Texts: Greek II [See note b above]	30
CLAM254	Latin III [See note c above]	30
CLAM255	Latin IV [See note c above]	30
CLAM204	Greek III [See note c above]	30
CLAM205	Greek IV [See note c above]	30
CLAM228	Classical Language and Texts: Latin V [See note d above]	30
CLAM227	Classical Language and Texts: Greek V [See note d above]	30
CLAM227	Classical Language and Texts: Greek V [See note d above]	30
Classics and Ancient History PGT option modules 2025-6
CLAM101	The Western Dragon in Lore, Literature and Art	15
CLAM046	The City of Rome	30
CLAM108	Rome: Globalisation, Materiality	15
CLAM107	Roman Myth	15
CLAM263	Magic and Folklore in the Greek and Roman Worlds	15
CLAM118	Guided Reading in Greek and Latin Authors	15
CLAM078	Classical Reception: An Introduction	15
CLAM077	Ancient Texts and their Interpretation	15
CLAM106	Ancient Philosophy	15
CLAM259	Ancient Epigraphy	15
HASM029	Reproduction and Reproductive Justice: Past, Present and Future	15
HASM030	Reproduction and Reproductive Justice: Past, Present and Future	30
HASM027	In Sickness and In Health: Medicine and Disease in the Past	30

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Fees

2026/27 entry

UK fees per year:

*£12,650 full-time; £6,325 part-time*

International fees per year:

£25,550 full-time; £12,775 part-time

Scholarships

The University of Exeter offers a wide range of scholarships to support your education, with £7 million available for international students applying to study with us in the 2026/27 academic year, including our prestigious Exeter Excellence Scholarships *. We also provide awards for sport, music and other achievements, as well as regional and partner scholarships with organisations such as Chevening, The Beacon Trust and the British Council. For more information on scholarships and other financial support, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship

We are pleased to offer University of Exeter alumni beginning a standalone postgraduate programme in 2026/27 with us a scholarship towards the cost of your tuition fees. Full details can be found here.

*Terms and conditions, including deadlines, apply. See our website for details..

Find out more about tuition fees and funding »

Teaching and research

Teaching

Before you begin your MA we will sit down with you to discuss your module choices and help you build your programme of study. Throughout the course we will support you, mainly through a personal tutor who will meet with you regularly to discuss progress, results and feedback.

Your teaching will mainly be through small group discussions and seminars where you will present your work and take part in debates. We use a variety of methods including seminars, student-led groups and one-to-one supervision. You will also have the opportunity to join postgraduate reading groups and benefit from working collaboratively with your fellow students.

Throughout your programme you will have the opportunity to explore your personal interests through directed independent study.

In your final term you will continue shaping, researching, and writing your dissertation which will be an original project on a topic of your choice. We will teach you the skills and train you in the methodologies you need to be a success.

Research

Exeter has one of the largest and most successful teams of Classics and Ancient History scholars in the country. We are all active academic researchers, working at the forefront of our fields, and are confident in the benefits that our discipline can bring to the wider world.

We have a real research culture at Exeter with international conferences that you could help organise. You will be taught by research-active staff who are at the top of their field. We hope you will become part of that culture and add to our research strength.

Our academic staff have a broad range of expertise and ground-breaking research interests. Some of the areas we have a special research interest include:

Ancient and modern philosophy, especially metaphysics and ethics
Ancient political thought and its reception in later societies
Archaeology and material culture, especially of the Roman world
Papyrology
Classical reception
The history of sexuality and gender
Digital Humanities
Greek and Roman epic, tragedy and comedy
Greek and Roman mythology, religion and magic
Greek and Roman socio-economic history
Greek literature in the Roman empire
Hellenistic history and historiography, especially the Hellenistic dynasties, the barbarian interface and the Greek culture of Asia Minor
Ancient medicine
Late Antiquity and religious change
Latin literature
Migration, mobility, and connectivity, especially in Italy and the Roman empire
Global Classics

Facilities

We have a number of dynamic research centres grouped around shared themes in our work.

The Centre for Hellenistic and Romano-Greek Culture and Society is an internationally recognised hub for the study of the history and culture of the post-classical Greek world. Research interests include ancient Macedonia and the Hellenistic dynasties, religion, cultural exchange and heritage, historiography, and the literature of magic.

The Centre for Connectivity in the Roman World examines the ways in which connectivity contributed to the shaping of distinctive cultures, economies and societies across the breadth of the Roman world (and its immediate neighbours).

The Centre for Knowledge in Culture in Antiquity and Beyond brings together research in specialised areas including ancient medicine, ancient science and the scientific imagination, metaphysics, philosophy, ethics, sexual knowledge, military strategy and political thought, and on ancient technical writings from across the Classical world.

The Exeter Centre for Classical Reception brings together an extraordinary concentration of colleagues in English, History, Modern Languages, as well as Classics and Ancient History with an interest in the different ways in which the Greek and Roman world has been presented, interpreted, and reimagined in both the past and the present. We also have close links with other disciplines within the university, particularly digital humanities, archaeology, and theology.

Find out more about our research on the Classics and Ancient History website.

My research interests lie in Roman social and economic history, particularly urban economies, the experience of living in the ancient city, and Roman demography.

I am especially interested in Rome itself, and have published work on the city's retail trade, demography, and street life, as well as editing A Companion to the City of Rome with Amanda Claridge (Wiley-Blackwell, 2018).

View staff profile

Careers

PhD

Many of our students decide to take their studies on to doctoral level and we are very happy to help you prepare with one-to-one mentoring as you develop a research proposal and submit applications for funding. Of course, a PhD isn’t the only option available to you on completing our MA.

Careers

During your time with us you will have a developed an excellent range of skills in logical thinking, interpreting, analysing and evaluating information, and communication. A range of options will be open to you, you might take a career path in a related area such as museum and cultural heritage work or teaching. Alternatively, you might choose to pursue a different profession using your relevant skills, perhaps joining the Civil Service or working in business, law or management.

Some destinations of graduates from Classics and Ancient History programmes are: