This is a programme geared towards preparing you for higher research into the interaction of the classical world with the Near East - partly through direct research training, and partly through modules taught by experts in their field in small-group seminars.
The relationship between the classical world and neighbouring civilisations is among the most important and most rapidly expanding areas of classical scholarship, and we have particular strength in this field: we offer tuition in Akkadian, and can draw on the resources of the Oriental Museum in Durham and the expertise pooled in the Centre for the Study of the Ancient Mediterranean and the Near East. The programme lasts for one year full-time (two years part-time).
You will take modules to a total of 180 or 190 credits. The structure of the course is as follows:
MA modules are 30 credits; you may substitute two undergraduate (20 credit) modules for one MA module. You may also take up to 40 credits of modules offered by other Departments (subject to approval).
Not all modules will be offered every year, and new modules (both elective and core) are added regularly.
Core Modules
Optional Modules
Optional modules are offered according to the current research interests of members of staff. In recent years, optional modules available in the Department have included:
The MA in Greece, Rome and the Near East is principally conceived as a research training programme which aims to build on the skills in independent learning acquired in the course of the student’s first degree and enable them to undertake fully independent research at a higher level. Contact time with tutors for taught modules is typically a total of 5 hours per week (rising to 7 for someone beginning Latin or ancient Greek at this level), with an emphasis on small group teaching, and a structure that maximises the value of this time, and best encourages and focuses the student’s own independent study and preparation. On average, around 2 hours a week of other relevant academic contact (research seminars, dissertation supervision) is also available.
At the heart of the course is a module focused on the range of research methods and resources available to someone working in the field of Classics. This is run as a weekly class, with a mixture of lectures and student-led discussions. Three or four further elective modules deal with particular specialised subjects. You must choose one module involving work with a relevant foreign language (ancient or modern; beginners modules in each language and specialised text seminars for those who have already studied Greek and Latin are offered every year), and one dealing directly with research on interaction between the ancient Mediterranean and the ancient Near East. All the modules offered will form part of the current research activity of the tutor taking the module. Numbers for each module are typically very small (often no more than five or six in a class). Typically, classes are two hours long and held fortnightly, and discussion is based on student presentations. (Modules for those beginning ancient Latin or Greek are typically more heavily subscribed, but their classes also meet more often: 3 hours per week.) All students write a 15,000-word dissertation, for which they receive an additional five hours of supervisory contact with an expert in their field of interest.
All staff teaching on the MA are available for consultation by students, and advertise office hours when their presence can be guaranteed. The MA Director acts as academic adviser to MA students, and is available as an additional point of contact, especially for matters concerning academic progress. MA students are strongly encouraged to attend the Department’s two research seminar series. Although not a formal (assessed) part of the MA, we aim to instil the message that engagement with these seminars across a range of subjects is part of the students’ development as researchers and ought to be viewed as essential to their programme. In addition, MA students are welcomed to attend and present at the ‘Junior Work-in-Progress’ seminar series organised by the PhD students in the Department. Finally, the student-run Classics Society regularly organises guest speakers – often very high-profile scholars from outside Durham.
UCL is a world-leading centre for research and teaching in the archaeology and cultural heritage of Egypt and the Middle East. The programme is ideally suited to students seeking to combine advanced study of these regions with new technical and interpretative skills, and offers an ideal grounding for doctoral research.
UCL’s wide range of archaeological expertise provides a unique opportunity to study Egypt and the Middle East in a truly comparative context, and for students to develop a programme and research dissertation tailored to individual interests. These may include the application of new skills in archaeological science, exploring new theoretical perspectives, or the significance of archaeology for the wider cultural heritage of these regions.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of three core modules (45 credits), two or three optional modules (45 credits), and a dissertation.
Core modules
All students must take the following:
Optional modules
You are then able to choose further optional modules to the value of 45 credits. The most popular choices are:
Students may also elect options from the wide range of other graduate courses in world archaeology, ancient languages, archaeological sciences, or cultural heritage offered at the Institute of Archaeology, subject to availability
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project, with guidance from an assigned supervisor, which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000 words.
Teaching and learning
Teaching at the IoA is delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars to support student interaction, and examination is primarily through module-based essays and the individual dissertation. Depending on the options taken, teaching may also include object handling, museum work, and laboratory practicals.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Archaeology and Heritage of Egypt and the Middle East MA
The first cohort of students on the Archaeology and Heritage of Egypt and the Middle East MA is due to graduate in 2018, therefore no specific career destinations are currently available.
Previous UCL graduates in these areas have regularly gone on to undertake doctoral research, or found employment in related areas of the public, museum and heritage sector.
Employability
In addition to receiving advanced training in their chosen subject areas, students will have the opportunity to acquire a strong combination of general research skills, communication skills, skills in teamwork and networking and overall personal effectiveness.
Egyptian and Middle Eastern archaeology at UCL are embedded in the vibrant research environment of London's Bloomsbury Campus, in the centre of one of the most exciting cities in the world. The research facilities and collections of the British Museum, the UCL Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, and the Institute of Archaeology's own extensive collections from these regions will be on your doorstep. Our institute includes over 20 researchers with regional expertise in these areas, from prehistory to the present, and has a long and ongoing history of active fieldwork throughout the study region. We are also an international centre for research in cultural heritage and museum studies, where the study of the past is critically related to the concerns of the present.
UCL’s wide range of expertise in archaeology and cultural heritage will allow you to study the Egyptian and Middle Eastern past under the instruction of world-leading experts, and with a sensitivity to the contemporary circumstances of the study region. In addition to taught modules, students are given the opportunity to develop a programme of research tailored to their individual interests, including hands-on work with collections from Egypt and the Middle East. New skills you may acquire include the application of techniques in archaeological science, new theoretical perspectives, and critical approaches to the use of museum collections and archives in research. The legacy of colonialism, and the ethical challenges of archaeological research in regions of current conflict, are also core topics in the teaching of the programme.
With its international staff and student body, the UCL Institute of Archaeology (IoA) is well known for its welcoming atmosphere, challenging intellectual climate, and supportive feedback structure. It is regularly rated in first place among UK archaeology departments for student experience.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Institute of Archaeology
73% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
The Research Master’s programme in Archaeology is the most diverse in the Netherlands. Benefit from our extensive experience and reputation in archaeological research.
Our research master's programme offers interesting regional and thematic specialisation possibilities. It stimulates extra-talented and motivated students by exposing them to cutting edge research and making them part of it.
The programme helps you to find your own place in the wide world of archaeological careers, and equips you with all the 21st century professional and transferable skills you need.
Our research facilities and labs, field schools and excavation projects, experimental archaeology projects and the national research schools (ARCHON, OIKOS) offer excellent opportunities for every prospective researcher.
Australopithecus africanus, one of our many ancestors
This programme provides an in-depth interdisciplinary introduction in the European Palaeolithic record and its wider setting, from the Early Pleistocene to the Late Pleistocene.
Prehistoric Farming Communities
The programme aims to develop a detailed and coherent view of past communities.
Town and Country in the Mediterranean Region and the Near East
This programme focuses on a region that has enormous culture-historical significance, and is a cradle of civilisation from Prehistory up to the Early Medieval period.
Religion and Society in Native American Cultures
Leiden Archaeology researchers used high-tech imaging to reveal rare precolonial Mexican manuscript hidden from view for 500 years
The programme offers an interdisciplinary context, where archaeology, anthropology, sciences, history, linguistics, landscape and heritage studies come together.
Fragments of a sabre-toothed cat skull where recenty excavated
Discover our four research disciplines, together covering an extensive geographical area and time range.
Archaeological Heritage in a Globalising World
The programme focuses on the role of the past in the present. Explore the various aspects of recent developments in international politics, cultural tourism, the use of social media, and the revitalisation of local traditions and regional identities.
The Transformation of the Roman World
This programme offers an introduction to advanced studies of Europe and the Mediterranean in Late Roman and Post-Roman times (c. 300-900 AD).
Students who choose the Bioarchaeology track receive a Master of Science degree in Archaeology. For the other research tracks you receive a Master of Arts degree in Archaeology.
Our Classical Art and Archaeology postgraduate course is designed for those who want to further their understanding of the classical world through the advanced study of the art and archaeology of the Greeks and Romans. This MA programme studies the Classical world through the art and every-day items the ancients left behind. It draws upon the expertise of several members of the department who have research interests in the art and archaeology of the Near East, Roman Britain, Rome and Italy as well as the architecture of Classical Greece.
Organised on an intercollegiate basis, this MA programme is jointly run with King’s College London and University College London to enable you to take full advantage of the teaching expertise of all three participating colleges. This tri-collegiate approach offers up an unparalleled range of modules to study: postgraduate units cover Greek and Latin literature and ancient philosophy, as well as key technical skills such as papyrology, epigraphy, and palaeography.
Our Classics department has an excellent track record in producing publications that advance the understanding of the ancient world. A thriving and internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and teaching, the department is home to two College Research Centres - Centre for the Reception of Greece and Rome (CRGR) and the Centre for Oratory and Rhetoric (COR). Research in the department covers the whole range of Classical Studies, from Homeric Greece to the very end of the Roman Empire with particular interests in language, literature, history, ancient philosophy as well as Greek and Roman archaeology.
In teaching Classical Art and Archaeology we are particularly well equipped to supervise dissertations on: Greek architecture, quantitative methods in archaeology, ancient water systems and management, the Roman Near East, the city of Rome, Greek architecture, the archaeology of the Roman Empire, and ancient shipping and shipsheds.
A global leader in Masters provision, Royal Holloway gives you the opportunity to take part in one of the most extensive programmes of research seminars and training programmes offered by any institution. During your time with us you will be under the careful supervision of our academic staff with access to not only the Royal Holloway library but also the word-class resources of: the Institute of Classical Studies, the Warburg Institute, the British Library, Senate House Library, and other specialised libraries in the School of Advanced Study. You will also benefit from access to the world renowned collections of the Museum of London and the British Museum.
Core modules
Optional modules
In addition to these mandatory course units there are a number of optional course units available during your degree studies. The following is a selection of optional course units that are likely to be available. Please note that although the College will keep changes to a minimum, new units may be offered or existing units may be withdrawn, for example, in response to a change in staff. Applicants will be informed if any significant changes need to be made.
Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including coursework, examinations and a dissertation.
Taught modules will normally be completed by the end of the second term, with the dissertation occupying the summer.
The Research Training in Classics module is not assessed, but attendance is compulsory.
Part time students will take two taught modules in their first year, and a third taught module plus dissertation in their second year. Each of these elements will normally be examined in the year in which it is taken.
Graduates of classical degrees have much to offer potential employers having developed a range of transferable skills, both practical and theoretical, whilst studying with us. With up to 90% of our most recent graduates now working or in further study, according to the Complete University Guide 2015, it’s true to say our graduates are highly employable.
In recent years, PhD graduates, many of whom have progressed from our MA programmes, have taken up academic positions at Oxford, Bristol and Roehampton Universities. Outside of academia, our graduates have embarked on teaching careers in the UK and overseas, undertaken archaeological and museum work and pursued careers in journalism, finance, politics and the arts.
This programme studies the ancient Greek and Roman worlds from the Iron Age to the late Roman and early Christian period through their material remains including sculpture, funerary art, topography and visual cultures.
Focusing on the ancient Mediterranean world, broadly defined, you’ll explore not simply the archaeology of Greece and Rome but also the near east and north-western Europe.
Through our interdisciplinary approach, you’ll also be able to work with staff from all areas of the School. Several members of classics have ongoing excavations in Italy, Georgia and Macedonia, which students are welcome to attend.
The programme aims to familiarise you with the various methods used in the study of classics, enabling you to work in a manner that is theoretically and methodologically engaged.
We offer a range of courses, which has been designed to reflect the research interests of our lecturers and help you develop a particular topic of interest for your dissertation.
You will complete one compulsory course and select a further three skills courses and an additional two options from a wide range on offer, followed by a dissertation.
The compulsory course is:
Option courses previously offered include those listed below. Option courses change from year to year and those available when you start your studies may be different from those shown in the list:
The programme aims to:
Our students view the programme and a graduate degree from Edinburgh as an advanced qualification valued and respected by many employers. Those students interested in long-term academic careers consider the programme as preparation for a PhD.
The programme provides a toolkit of transferable skills in organisation, research and analysis that will be highly prized in any field of work. This programme can form the stepping stone to many career options, such as further academic research, museum and art curation, literary translation or analysis, education or public heritage. Recent Classics graduates are now putting their skills to use as tutors, archivists, writers and conference coordinators for a range of employers including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
The Mediterranean, the world' s largest inland sea and the interface of Europe, Africa and western Asia, is one of the major crucibles of cultural, economic and political change in world history, a focus of scholarship for all periods between the Palaeolithic and the present, and a place where the past plays a critical role in the present, as well as in the creation of a viable future.
Students will develop an understanding of Mediterranean societies from earliest times through Classical antiquity until the early medieval period, and of major interpretative paradigms and principal investigative techniques - including fieldwork and archaeological science - applied to the Mediterranean. One or more specific regions will be analysed in depth from a comparative perspective, and Mediterranean societies will be studied holistically.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of two core modules (30 credits), four optional modules (60 credits) and a dissertation/report (90 credits).
Core modules
All students are required to take the following:
Optional modules
From an outstanding range of Master's optional modules, students choose options to the value of 60 credits, at least one of which must be chosen from the following:
The remaining must be made up from the list below (Please note not all modules are available every year):
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000 words (90 credits). Approaches that explore new connections or comparisons are strongly encouraged, and students will be able to draw on the expertise of more than 50 members of the institute's staff.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of seminars and assessed through essays and the dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Mediterranean Archaeology MA
Graduates of this programme are expected to pursue further studies at PhD level or embark on a wide range of professional careers both within and beyond archaeology.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
Successful graduates will have been fully prepared to undertake research on ancient Mediterranean societies, from a comparative region/period/theme-specific perspective, and will also possess the expert background knowledge to move on to related professional work in or on the Mediterranean (subject to the particular requirements of the role). They will also have honed their transferable skills in critical analysis, debate, presentation and writing skills that are key to any future professional career.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
The UCL Institute of Archaeology is the largest and most diverse department of archaeology in the UK, and provides a stimulating environment for postgraduate study. Its own outstanding library is complemented by UCL’s Main Library, University of London Senate House and other specialist libraries.
This programme deploys the institute’s unparalleled research and teaching strengths in Mediterranean archaeology, which must constitute the largest single concentration of expertise anywhere in the UK.
UCL’s own museums and collections form a resource of international importance for academic research and students may work on material from the institute’s collection as part of their assessment. Regular interaction with the British Museum, its collections and staff offers a further invaluable opportunity to add to one's learning experience.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Institute of Archaeology
73% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
This course explores the way the Classical world has been reflected in the art, literature and culture of later periods, and how the ancient world has shaped the modern.
It is taught in the Department of Classics, by experts in the field of Classical reception. The Department's research and teaching strengths stretch from the Aegean Bronze Age and the ancient Near East, through Greece and Rome to Byzantine and Modern Greek literature and culture, giving the programme a breadth unmatched anywhere in the world.
The programme is interdisciplinary, and is open to students with no prior knowledge of ancient languages.
Our MA course focuses on the way the classical world has influenced the culture of later periods, and how it continues to do so. With a strong focus on research the course is taught in the Department of Classics by experts in the field of classical reception. Our Department’s research and teaching strengths stretch from the Aegean Bronze Age and the ancient Near East, through Greece and Rome to Byzantine and Modern Greek literature and culture. This means we can offer you a breadth of expertise that is unmatched anywhere in the world. Through this advanced course of study, we will develop your literary, historical and archaeological analysis skills, and provide you with the opportunity to learn ancient and modern languages to extend these skills.
Research seminars
In the Department of Classics we run a research seminar series (which MA students are encouraged to attend), where you will learn about the current research of our academic staff and PhD students. Further the Department regularly hosts major research conferences with guest speakers from around the world. There are also University of London research seminars organized through the Institute of Classical Studies, for example in Literature, Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, where you will be able to listen to and meet leading scholars from around the world. There is also the Late Antique & Byzantine Studies seminar, which is organized by the Centre for Hellenic Studies.
Personal tutor
You will be assigned a personal tutor in the Department of Classics, who will advise you and help you decide which modules to take, and can answer any questions or concerns you may have whilst at King's.
Dissertation supervision
During your first term at King's you will need to decide on your MA dissertation subject, if you have not done so before you arrive. The dissertation can be related to work you are doing for a taught module, or it can be in a completely different area. On the basis of your chosen subject area you will be assigned a supervisor within the Department of Classics who will discuss the topic with you, and oversee your work on it.
Greek Play
Every year (since 1953), students in the Department of Classics have produced and performed a Greek play - the only production in the UK to be performed annually in the original Greek. Read more about the Greek Play (and its history) at King's: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/classics/about/greek/index.aspx
Teaching
If you are a full-time student we will typically provide you with six to eight hours of teaching through lectures and seminars each week, and we will expect you to undertake 35 hours of independent study.
If you are a part-time student we will typically provide you with two to six hours of teaching through lectures and seminars each week, and we will expect you to undertake 17.5 hours of independent study.
For your dissertation, we will provide five hours of supervision, and we will expect you to undertake 575 hours of independent study.
Typically, one credit equates to typically 10 hours of work.
Assessment
We typically assess our modules through a combination of coursework and examinations, and the amount of coursework we expect you to produce will be greater for modules which are worth more credits. For your dissertation module you will write a 12,000-word thesis.
Regulating body
King’s College London is regulated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England
The advanced skills that we give you have proved very popular with employers in a wide range of professions, and many of our graduates use the skills and knowledge they develop with us to pursue further research in our Department. Others go on to excel in careers in teaching, journalism, cultural management or the financial sector.
This MA is unique in the UK in providing such a comprehensive overview of Asian archaeology and cultural heritage. The UCL Institute of Archaeology is one of the few places in the world with the expertise to deliver such a programme, encompassing not only India and China, but also South–East and Central Asia.
The aim of this programme is to develop a comparative appreciation of the cultural histories and heritage of Asia, moving chronologically from early human history, through movements towards the Neolithic, and the rise of cities and states, to the present day. It looks at current debates around conservation ethics, reconstruction and authenticity of archaeological remains.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of three core modules (45 credits), three optional modules (45 credits) and a dissertation/report (90 credits).
Core modules
All students are required to take the following:
Optional modules
Students take three further optional modules to the value of 45 credits. These can be selected from the outstanding range of Master's options available at the UCL Institute of Archaeology, but for this degree, the normal choices include:
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 15,000 words
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures and seminars. Assessment is through essays, PowerPoint presentations, supervised independent research project and dissertation, and an oral viva towards the end of the degree.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Archaeology and Heritage of Asia MA
Graduates of this programme are expected to pursue further studies at PhD level or embark on a wide range of professional careers in archaeology - in the archaeological servics or heritage organisations specialising in Asian countries - and beyond.
Employability
The experience and skills acquired depends on the optional modules selected, and how those skills are developed through assessed work, practical elements and dissertation, but in general we expect students to develop expertise in the archaeology of specific regions of Asia (in particular East Asia, South Asia, Central Asia and to some extent South–East Asia) and a broader comparative, international perspective on that specific region. Students gain knowledge of both current scholarly debates in archaeology as well as heritage management issues.
This programme is unique in training pan-Asian specialists – escaping traditional study area boundaries where China, India, South–East and Central Asia are studied on their own – and conducting inter-regional dialogue on the human past.
Students are given the opportunity to develop depth of expertise in a particular region in Asia while benefiting from an innovative macro-regional comparative perspective.
This MA focuses on the development of human societies and civilisations in a part of the world which is becoming increasingly influential in world affairs but has been under-represented in most general and regional archaeological programmes.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Institute of Archaeology
73% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
This programme offers you the opportunity to explore the ancient world from a multicultural and interdisciplinary perspective from the Near-East to North-Western Europe. It is based in Classics, with the participation of Archaeology, Egyptology, Celtic and Gaelic, and Theology and Religious Studies.
The ancient world was both multicultural and highly interconnected, with trade routes running from the Middle East through Greece and Italy to Celtic Britain, with peoples of diverse cultures, faiths, and ethnicities living together in bustling cities such as Athens, Rome, and Alexandria.
Both core courses include handling sessions with ancient objects taking advantage of the unique resources of the University of Glasgow in the shape of the university library, the Hunterian Museum, and the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre.
You must take courses from at least two subject areas. The course convener will offer guidance and approve your choices to ensure their feasibility and intellectual cogency.
Please note that you can only study one language at beginner’s level.
You will also complete a dissertation of 12,000-15,000 words on a research topic of your choice. Your dissertation will be supervised in individual subjects or jointly between subjects as appropriate.
You will enjoy the use of the excellent postgraduate facilities offered by Classics in Glasgow. There is a dedicated postgraduate study space, which makes available an extensive research collection, now augmented by a bequest from the late Professor Douglas MacDowell.
The subjects, Classics, Archaeology, Celtic and Gaelic, and Theology and Religious Studies, all run a programme of research seminars which provide Ancient Cultures students with a wide range of stimulating events to choose from.
The programme provides excellent technical and linguistic skills for further postgraduate study in any of the subjects involved. It is also well suited for those considering a career in heritage, teaching, archives, or libraries.
