Taught courses

You will take several courses across two semesters of teaching, including a compulsory course and a range of optional courses.

The compulsory course (Skills and Methods in Classics – 20 credits) will provide you with the key methodological and practical skills required of researchers in all Classical subjects, while the 20-credit option courses offer a level of flexibility, allowing you to both develop or cement your language skills and explore a diverse range of in-depth historical topics. You can also take courses in archaeological and literary topics.

Core course

You will take a compulsory course, which will provide a general introduction to graduate study in classics and give you the opportunity to develop your research skills.

Compulsory courses previously offered include:

Course nameCredits
Skills and Methods in Classics20

Optional courses

You’ll be required to take 5 option courses (20 credits each), subject to availability. Each year we offer ancient history courses in topics that our staff are currently working, ensuring that we provide Greek, Hellenistic, Roman and Late Antique options. Greek and Latin language courses are always offered.

Please note: at least three of your option courses must be on ancient history topics. You may be able to take one classics language course and/or one online course

 

Option Courses 2025-2026

* * Please note that the list of courses below is provisional and subject to change.

Further information and course details can be found on the Degree Programme Table.

  • A Topic in Late Antique and Byzantine History 1 #
  • Advanced Ancient Greek (PG) 1 #
  • Advanced Ancient Greek (PG) 2
  • Advanced Latin (PG) 1 #
  • Advanced Latin (PG) 2
  • Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs: The Basics and Beyond #
  • Archaeological Illustration
  • Archaeology of 'Celtic' Europe: Communities and Interactions #
  • Archaeomaterials Analysis #
  • Bronze Age Civilisations of the Near East and Greece #
  • Centre, Province and Periphery in the Age of Constantine VII Porphyrogennetos: Byzantium and its Neighbours in the Tenth #
  • Conflict archaeology: materialities of violence
  • Data Science for the Past: Statistical Thinking & Visualization
  • Early Greek Philosophy ^
  • Elementary Ancient Greek (PG) 1 #
  • Elementary Ancient Greek (PG) 2
  • Elementary Latin (PG) 1 #
  • Elementary Latin (PG) 2
  • Epicurus and Epicureanism #
  • Greek Text Seminar 1 #
  • Greek Tragedy ^
  • Heritage Studies and the Archaeology of the Contemporary World: Investigating How the Past Shapes the Present #
  • Homer ^
  • Jewish Texts through the Ages #
  • Judaea under Roman Rule #
  • Latin Tragedy: Medea on the Roman Stage ^
  • Lucretius, 'De rerum natura' ^
  • Popular unrest, revolts, and rebellions in the Byzantine world #
  • Roman Archaeology
  • Seafaring and Society in the Ancient Greek World (Online) *
  • Space, Place and Time: the archaeology of built environments
  • The Archaeology of Children and Childhood #
  • The Athenian Akropolis
  • The Hellenistic City #
  • The Hittites: The Archaeology of an Ancient Near Eastern Civilisation #
  • The Jewish Diaspora in the Roman Empire (Online) *
  • The Latin Manuscript: Palaeography, Codicology, Textual Criticism
  • The Neo-Hittite Kingdoms: A World between Empires #
  • Themes in Egyptian archaeology: the foundations of the state to the end of the Middle Kingdom # 

# You must choose three Ancient History courses

^ A maximum of one Level 10 course can be chosen. Priority for Level 10 courses goes to undergraduate students.

* A maximum of one online course can be chosen.

  • Elementary Greek (PG) 1 #
  • Elementary Latin (PG) 1 #
  • Intermediate Greek (PG) 1 #
  • Intermediate Latin (PG) 1 #
  • A Topic in Late Antique and Byzantine History 1 #
  • A Topic in Late Antique and Byzantine History 2 #
  • Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs: The Basics and Beyond #
  • Ancient Philosophy Seminar I #
  • Ancient Superpowers: The Armies and Military Monuments of Rome and Persia #
  • Apocalypse: The Book of Revelation in History and Culture (PG) #
  • Archaeology of 'Celtic' Europe: Communities and Interactions #
  • Archaeological Illustration
  • Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy ^
  • Bronze Age Civilisations of the Near East and Greece #
  • Conflict archaeology: materialities of violence
  • Constantinople: The History of a Medieval Megalopolis from Constantine the Great to Suleyman the Magnificent #
  • Greek Pastoral Poetry ^
  • Greek Palaeography & Manuscript Culture
  • Greek Philosophy (Plato's Republic)
  • Greek Text Seminar 3
  • Hellenistic Art and Archaeology
  • Herod the Great and the End of Hellenism (online) *
  • Issues in Egyptian Archaeology: the Second Intermediate Period until the end of the Late Period (1650-332 BC)
  • Latin Epic ^
  • Latin Satire ^
  • Latin Text Seminar 1 #
  • Religion and War in Archaic and Classical Greece
  • Mariners, Monks and Mobility: the archaeology of the early medieval Atlantic Archipelago #
  • Plato's Republic ^
  • Popular Culture in the Roman World (Online) *
  • Scottish Latin Literature #
  • The Archaeology of Children and Childhood #
  • The Art and Archaeology of Sparta and Laconia #
  • The Athenian Akropolis (online) *
  • The Hellenistic City #
  • The Hittites: The Archaeology of an Ancient Near Eastern Civilisation #
  • The Jewish Diaspora under the Roman Empire #
  • Themes in Egyptian archaeology: the foundations of the state to the end of the Middle Kingdom #
  • Women, Writing, Greece: From Sappho to Virginia Woolf and Beyond
  • Herod the Great and the End of Hellenism (online)

# You must choose three Ancient History courses

^ A maximum of one Level 10 course can be chosen. Priority for Level 10 courses goes to undergraduate students.

* A maximum of one online course can be chosen.


Select exactly 60 credits of the following Ancient History courses

  • Elementary Greek (PG) 1
  • Elementary Latin (PG) 1
  • Intermediate Greek (PG) 1
  • Intermediate Latin (PG) 1
  • A Topic in Late Antique and Byzantine History 1
  • A Topic in Late Antique and Byzantine History 2
  • Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs II: Texts and Contexts
  • Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs: The Basics and Beyond
  • Apocalypse: The Book of Revelation in History and Culture (PG)
  • Archaeology of 'Celtic' Europe: Communities and Interactions
  • Archaeology of Late Antique Religion
  • Bronze Age Civilisations of the Near East and Greece
  • Debating Marriage between Antiquity and the Middle Ages
  • Dispute Resolution in the Roman Empire
  • Egypt under the Ptolemies
  • Honour in Ancient Greece
  • Mariners, Monks and Mobility: the archaeology of the early medieval Atlantic Archipelago
  • The Archaeology of Children and Childhood
  • The Hittites: The Archaeology of an Ancient Near Eastern Civilisation
  • The Maccabaean Revolt
  • Themes in Egyptian archaeology: the foundations of the state to the end of the Middle Kingdom

Select between 0 and 40 credits of the following courses

  • Elementary Greek (PG) 1
  • Elementary Greek (PG) 2
  • Elementary Latin (PG) 1
  • Elementary Latin (PG) 2
  • Intermediate Greek (PG) 1
  • Intermediate Greek (PG) 2
  • Intermediate Latin (PG) 1
  • Intermediate Latin (PG) 2
  • A Topic in Late Antique and Byzantine History 1
  • A Topic in Late Antique and Byzantine History 2
  • Apocalypse: The Book of Revelation in History and Culture (PG)
  • Archaeological Illustration
  • Archaeology of Late Antique Religion
  • Bronze Age Civilisations of the Near East and Greece
  • Classical Greek Sculpture
  • Conflict archaeology: materialities of violence
  • Dispute Resolution in the Roman Empire
  • Egypt under the Ptolemies
  • Greek Philosophy (Plato's Republic)
  • Greek Text Seminar 2
  • Handling Greek Pottery
  • Honour in Ancient Greece
  • Human Evolution
  • Issues in Egyptian Archaeology: the Second Intermediate Period until the end of the Late Period (1650-332 BC)
  • Latin Text Seminar 2
  • Space, Place and Time: the archaeology of built environments
  • The Archaeology of Children and Childhood
  • The Hittites: The Archaeology of an Ancient Near Eastern Civilisation
  • The Latin Manuscript: Palaeography, Codicology, Textual Criticism
  • The Maccabaean Revolt

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following Level 10 Classics Language courses

  • Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy
  • Greek Pastoral Poetry
  • Latin Epic
  • Latin Satire
  • Plato's Republic

Select between 0 and 20 credits of the following Online courses

  • Herod the Great and the End of Hellenism (online)
  • Popular Culture in the Roman World (Online)
  • The Athenian Akropolis (online)

 


Teaching and assessment

You will develop your skills in critical thinking, clear writing and research, verbal presentation and critical analysis.

Most teaching takes place in small groups with most courses taught via weekly seminars. The majority of the 20-credit courses are assessed by single pieces of coursework, usually essays of 4,500 words.

 Further information

You can see more details about the 2025/26 programme structure on the Degree Programme Table for the MSc in Ancient History. We expect the 2026/27 programme structure to be available from May 2026.

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