Ancient History - MA

Our Ancient History MA offers you the opportunity to study Greek, Roman and near-Eastern history at an advanced level at the same time as learning and refining the techniques and skills that will enable you to analyse and interpret a variety of historical sources. This is an intercollegiate course that draws on the strengths of King’s, UCL and Royal Holloway and the Institute of Classical Studies. Leads to further research or careers in education, journalism, finance, politics and cultural sectors.

Key benefits

• One of the world's largest and most distinguished departments of Classics.
• Unrivalled location for the study of the ancient world thanks to London's unique range of specialist libraries, museums and galleries.
• Extraordinarily wide choice of modules, drawing on the resources of the whole of the University of London.
• King's graduates enjoy one of the best employment rates and starting salaries in the UK. King's was ranked 6th in the UK for graduate employment (Times and Sunday Times Good Universities Guide 2016)

Description

The Ancient History MA course is organised on an intercollegiate basis, so that the course combines the expertise of staff in all three of the participating colleges - King's, UCL and Royal Holloway. It centres on the University's Institute of Classical Studies, which not only contains a world-class research library, but also hosts the richest programme of seminars, conferences, and occasional lectures for this subject area in the UK. 

The course consists of a required module, Sources & Methods in Ancient History, two to four optional modules, and a dissertation. The first and last of these will provide you with concentrated training in research techniques and methodology. You will also study texts in the original languages as well as in translation. Besides purely ancient historical topics, modules may also be taken from our master's courses in Classics, Classical Archaeology & Art, and Late Antique & Byzantine Studies. You may also be able to take appropriate modules from other master's courses at King's. 

If you have ambitions to take your study of ancient history further, there are modules on this course that you will find especially valuable: Greek Papyrology, Greek & Roman Epigraphy, and Greek & Latin Palaeography. These will advance your technical skills in the handling of documentary evidence. You can also choose to take modules in Greek and Latin languages at beginners or intermediate level.

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. Our Department also regularly hosts major research conferences with speakers from around the world. 

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

Course purpose

This course offers the advanced study of the history of the Greek, Roman and Near Eastern worlds; it is intended either as a further year's study after a first degree or as training in the technical disciplines needed to undertake doctoral research in the field of ancient history.

Course format and assessment

Teaching

If you are a full-time student, we will provide six to eight hours of 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 provide two to six hours of lectures and seminars a 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.

 Assessment

We will assess your modules through a combination of coursework, essays and examinations, depending on your module choices. Typically, we assess 20-credit modules through a 5,000-word essay or a 3-hour examination, and 40-credit modules through approximately 10,000 words of coursework or a combination of coursework and examination, but this may vary. The dissertation is a 12,000-word essay.

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Visit the Ancient History - MA page on the King’s College London website for more details!