A young female university student in a headscarf reading a classical text at a wooden desk in a Gothic university library, with a marble bust, classical architecture prints and leather-bound books surrounding her, representing the scholarly study of the ancient world in Classics and Classical Civilisation degrees

DEGREE GUIDE

Classics

What do Classics degrees involve?

Classics degrees teach you about the languages, literature, history, and culture of the ancient world, focusing on civilisations such as Greece and Rome. You will study key areas such as Latin and Ancient Greek, classical philosophy, mythology, archaeology, and ancient history. Classics degrees typically involve learning Latin and/or Ancient Greek, allowing you to engage with classical texts in their original form, while Classical Civilisation degrees focus more on history, literature, and culture, without a language requirement. These courses help you develop strong analytical, research, and critical thinking skills while exploring how ancient ideas continue to shape modern society. Many programmes include opportunities for archaeological fieldwork, historical analysis, and engagement with classical texts, providing both academic depth and practical experience.

Example
Modules

Interpreting Ancient Literature: Explore classical texts through close reading and critical analysis, focusing on themes, style and historical context.

Greek Myth: Narratives and Sources: Study myths from ancient Greece, looking at their origins, meanings and the different ways they have been interpreted over time.

Ancient Greek Theatre: Examine the role of tragedy and comedy in Greek society, exploring performance, politics and the cultural impact of major playwrights.

Common Degree Names

💼 Some courses offer placements in museums, archives, schools or cultural organisations.
🌍 Study abroad is commonly available, especially for Classical Civilisation degrees and through university partnerships in Europe.

BA (Hons) Classics
BA (Hons) Classics with Latin and Greek
BA (Hons) Classics and Ancient History
BA (Hons) Classical Civilisation
BA (Hons) Classical Civilisation and English
BA (Hons) Classical Studies and Archaeology
BA (Hons) Classical Civilisation and Philosophy

Classics degrees usually include the study of ancient Greek and Latin, while Classical Civilisation focuses more on literature, history, philosophy and culture, often with no language requirement.

Homer's Odyssey in translation alongside an ancient Greek grammar textbook open to verb conjugations, a Greek tragedy text with a theatre mask illustration, Plato's Republic, a red-figure Greek vase, a Roman coin, and framed photographs of the Parthenon and Roman Forum, illustrating the literary, philosophical and cultural study developed in Classics and Classical Civilisation degrees

Level 3 (A-level / IB Diploma (HL) / Scottish Highers)

Classics explores the languages, literature, history, and culture of Ancient Greece and Rome. Entry requirements vary depending on whether the degree includes Latin or Greek language study.

Universities usually expect:

English Literature or History – highly recommended for reading and analysis
Classical Civilisation – helpful if offered, but not required
Latin or Ancient Greek – may be required for language-focused courses, but many accept beginners
Religious Studies, Philosophy, or a Modern Language – valued for analytical and linguistic ability

✨ At least one essay-based subject is usually expected. You don't need Latin or Greek to apply to most Classics degrees – many teach ancient languages from scratch.

Universities may also accept:

BTEC Extended Diplomas. Several require A-levels alongside, particularly in an essay-based subject.
BTEC National Extended Certificates or National Diplomas alongside relevant A-Level subjects
IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) with at least two IB Higher Level subjects (ideally three - see relevant subjects above) alongside your Career-Related Study

Be sure to check the specific course structure; some degrees focus heavily on languages, while others are more historical or cultural. University websites will make this clear.

Level 2 Qualifications (GCSE / MYP / National 5)

Most universities expect:

GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4/C or above, or National 5s or MYP equivalents

📘 GCSE Classical Civilisation, Latin, or Ancient History (or equivalent), if available, can help build a strong foundation—but they’re not required. Strong performance in English and Humanities subjects is especially important.

💬 Interviews

Formal interviews aren't usually part of the application process. However, some universities may invite you for a short conversation, either online or in person, to learn more about your interest in the subject.

✨ Personal Statement Tips

What draws you to the ancient Greek and Roman worlds? Classics brings together language, literature, history, philosophy, art, and archaeology, so thinking about which aspects interest you most helps. If you've read ancient texts in translation, explored classical ideas through books or documentaries, visited museums, or begun learning Latin or Greek, reflect on what captured your interest and what questions it raised. You don't need to have studied classical languages already, but showing curiosity about engaging with ancient voices directly, as well as what they can tell us about enduring human questions, will strengthen your application. Admissions tutors want to see genuine fascination with the classical world and eagerness to study it rigorously.

If your qualifications don't match the usual entry requirements, there are some other possibilities.

🌱 Foundation Year in Humanities or Classics

Some universities offer a foundation year that can lead into Classics. This adds an extra year but provides a route in if you don't have the required subjects or grades.

🎓 Access to HE Diploma (Humanities or History)

Accepted by some universities offering Classics. Choose a pathway with essay-based units such as history, literature or philosophy, and aim for Distinctions in your graded units.

Is this degree right for you?

Members can explore whether this degree fits who they are:

Skills you'd develop and whether they match your strengths
How this aligns with your interests, motivators and values
Career paths and where graduates end up

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Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Use the tabs to explore the kind of person that this would be a good fit for. Do you share the Interests, Motivations, Values, Work identity and skills that people who thrive in this course tend to have?

Not sure what these things are? Explore your Identity Tree with us first.

Interests that connect well with a Classics degree

Students who enjoy this degree often share these interests. You don't need to feel strongly about all of them, and interests develop over time. If one or two catch your curiosity, or sound like something you'd like to know more about, that's a good sign.

The Past & How It Shapes Us: The degree immerses you in the civilisations of ancient Greece and Rome. You'll study their history, culture, and legacy through texts, objects, and archaeological evidence, building a deep understanding of the ancient world and its lasting influence.

Language, Stories & Writing: Classical literature is central to the degree. You'll learn Latin and Ancient Greek, read epic poetry, drama, and philosophical texts in their original languages, and develop the skills to analyse how writers like Homer, Virgil, and Euripides shaped ideas that still resonate today.

Different Cultures, Languages & Beliefs: The degree opens a window into the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome. You'll study how these societies organised themselves, what they believed, how their religions and philosophies worked, and how their cultural traditions shaped the western world we live in today.

Big Questions & Deep Thinking: Classical philosophy is a significant strand of the degree. You'll encounter Plato, Aristotle, and Stoic and Epicurean thinkers, engaging with foundational questions about ethics, knowledge, and reality that laid the groundwork for Western philosophical tradition.

Students who thrive in a Classics degree are often motivated by

Research and Discovery

You're excited by the idea of uncovering something genuinely new: being at the cutting edge, running experiments, and contributing knowledge that didn't exist before. You want to discover, not just learn what others have found. The prospect of adding something original to human understanding is what drives you, and you're willing to spend long periods on uncertain work for that possibility.

Analysing and Investigating

You're energised by making sense of information, looking for evidence, spotting patterns, and piecing together how things connect. Whether it's pulling apart data, questioning assumptions, or tracing a problem back to its source, you find energy in the process of understanding what's really going on. You'd rather dig into the details than accept things at face value.

Curiosity and Learning

You're energised by the activity of learning itself: diving into a subject you've never explored, watching documentaries, taking apart how something works, or constantly asking "why?" The process of learning gives you energy, not just the outcome. You don't just want the answer; you want to understand how things connect, why they matter, and what's underneath the surface explanation.

Intellectual Challenge

You're energised by pushing your mind to its limits, tackling difficult questions, and wrestling with problems that don't have easy answers. You're drawn to work that requires deep concentration and rigorous thinking. The harder the problem, the more satisfying it feels to work through it, and you'd rather be stretched than comfortable. Easy work bores you rather than relaxing you.

What makes Classics click for the students who love it?

They don't want to pick just one part of the ancient world, they want all of it: its stories, ideas, history, art and languages. One week it's a Greek play, the next a Roman battle or a broken pot, and working out what these people were like from the bits that survive is a big part of it. And some go further still, learning Latin or Greek to read these writers themselves, not in translation. It is slow, demanding work, and that's exactly why they take it on.

These are the skills that students who love this degree tend to enjoy using. You don't need to be great at them already, but if they sound like you, that's a good sign.

Skill Name

Skills that suit this degree

You don't need to be great at these already — but if you enjoy using them or want to get better at them, that's a good sign.

Are you drawn to the idea of stepping inside a completely different civilisation — understanding how people thought, lived, and saw the world thousands of years ago?
Do you enjoy weighing up evidence carefully and figuring out what happened — especially when the picture is incomplete?
Do you like working with original sources — whether that's ancient texts, objects, or images — and building your own arguments from what you find?

Careers a Classics degree could lead you to

Classics

What do Classics degrees involve?

Example Modules

Common Degree Names

Is this degree right for you?

Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Careers a Classics degree could lead you to

Example
Modules