Masters degrees in Latin equip postgraduates with the skills to critically analyse and understand the origins and development of Latin, and its historical linguistic and literary uses.
Related postgraduate specialisms include Classical Greek and Ancient Languages. Entry requirements normally include an appropriate undergraduate degree such as Classics, History, or Languages.
This programme will give you the opportunity to study specific periods and regions of classical civilisation, analyse the literary significance of texts, and develop your language skills in Greek and Latin.
Drawing on the diverse interests of our academic staff (which number more than 20 in this area), the programme content is highly flexible, allowing you to choose a specialised path or a more interdisciplinary approach. We have specialists in the central areas of Greek and Latin literature and thought, Greek and Roman history, and Classical art and archaeology. We also take a broad view of the discipline with, for example, expertise in late antiquity, and reception history.
We provide opportunities for you to hear from distinguished speakers in the weekly classics research seminar series and to share your research with your peers at the classics graduate seminar.
Studying Classics in Edinburgh is the perfect marriage; known as the Athens of the North, Edinburgh is a stunningly beautiful city with a worldwide reputation as a cultural and academic capital.
You will complete one compulsory course and select a further three skills courses and an additional two options from a wide range on offer. The modular structure of the programme allows you to concentrate on areas of particular interest while still providing breadth of coverage. Your required course equips you with the independent skills you need to complete your 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:
Students who follow this programme will gain:
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 graduates in Classics 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).
Our PGCE provides a clear, thoughtful and critical introduction to teaching Latin with Classics, drawing on leading education research carried out at King's. We work in close partnership with schools in designing, delivering and assessing our programme in order to develop excellent, reflective classroom practitioners.
Our course combines the theory and practice of education. University based: you will work with other trainees and tutors in your subject area to consider the principles and practice of teaching your subject including curriculum design, the development of materials, classroom management and lesson planning. You will also work with trainees from other subjects in a programme of lectures and seminar groups to examine a broad range of educational issues.
During both secondary school placements there are additional days in college for tutorials to support and monitor progress towards the standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). There are cross-curricular research tasks and assignments. School based: for 24 of the 37 weeks the training takes place in schools, mainly in two complementary secondary schools but with one short primary school experience. This introduces you to recognising key constituents of good teaching, helps develop your own teaching skills and gain an understanding of how schools work and how children learn.
School Direct Route offered: The School Direct Non Salaried teacher training route is composed of a partnership between King’s College London and a Lead School. Students apply to the Lead School for admission to the programme. The academic components of the course are delivered by King’s College London whilst the secondary school teaching experience is organised by the Lead School.
For those wishing to train as teachers of pupils aged 11-18 in Latin with Classics. Our course will lead to the DfE Standards for QTS which are assessed through teaching practice observation, portfolios and written assignments.
Teaching
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. You can typically expect:
* This 120 day figure represents the standard number of placement days. In certain cases, following assessment by course tutors and mentors, students may be required to undertake a greater number of placement days to demonstrate their ability to meet the Teacher Standards.
** Typically each trainee will have a meeting with their mentor during each week they are on placement. In certain circumstances the frequency may vary.
The types of learning commitment encompassed within the course vary depending on modules. For this course one credit represents the equivalent of 10 hours of learning and engagement.
Assessment
Location
Students undertake placements in secondary schools that work in partnership with King’s College London. Partnership schools are located across central London and the Greater London area. Whilst every effort is made to place PGCE trainees in local schools, due to the changing nature of initial teacher education and limited availability of placements in certain subject areas, trainees should be prepared to travel to their placement schools throughout the Greater London area and beyond.
Students also organise their own short placement at a state primary school. Further information on this short placement is provided during the course.
School Direct Route: Students undertake teaching placements in secondary schools selected by their Lead School. Whilst every effort is made to place PGCE trainees in local schools, due to the changing nature of initial teacher education and limited availability of placements in certain subject areas, trainees should be prepared to travel to their placement schools throughout the Greater London Area and beyond.
The majority of trainees go into teaching or other areas of education; many become heads of departments or members of senior management teams; some take up careers in educational administration in the advisory or inspection services.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Classics at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
The Greek and Latin languages are the key to our knowledge of the ancient world, and the origin of many modern European languages. This MA in Classics allows students to develop advanced reading skills in the ancient languages, and to apply them to the study of a selection of some of the most important literary texts from the ancient world. In addition to developing their ability to read fluently in the ancient languages and to translate them accurately and sensitively, students are introduced to the critical and analytical methodologies that shape the study of Classical literature in the twenty-first century. Students in the MA in Classics should normally already have studied either Latin or Greek, and will have the opportunity to begin or continue the study of the other.
The MA Classics studies Greek and Latin language, literature and civilisation.
The MA in Classics allows students to develop advanced reading skills in ancient languages and to apply them to the study of a selection of some of the most important literary texts from the ancient world.
The College of Arts and Humanities has a Graduate Centre. The Graduate Centre fosters and supports individual and collaborative research activity of international excellence and offers a vibrant and supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught masters study. The Centre provides postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development and facilitates participation in seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences.
The full-time Classics MA is split across the year offering three modules in each academic semester (a total of six modules) and then a dissertation over the summer. The dissertation component is written on a specialist research topic of your choosing.
Part-time Classics MA students take three modules in the first year, three in the second year and write the dissertation in the third year.
To acquire advanced reading skills in ancient Greek and Latin.
To develop the ability to translate from ancient Greek and Latin accurately and sensitively.
To develop the theoretical and analytical skills relevant to the study of ancient texts in the original languages.
To prepare for further text-based research on any aspect of Greek or Roman history and culture.
Through the precision and awareness to detail entailed in the study of ancient languages, to acquire a range of transferable skills relevant to a range of employment opportunities, including those which involve language acquisition and translation.
Modules on the MA in Classics course typically include:
• Narrative Theory and Genres
• Ancient Greek or Latin Language
• Ancient Greek or Latin Texts
• Romance Refracted and Novels Renewed
• Explorers, Travel and Geography
• Saints and Sinners in Christian Late Antiquity
Staff research interests cover the core disciplines of culture, religion, language, history and archaeology.
Particular strengths include:
• Ancient Narrative Literature
• The Ancient Novel
• Plato and Platonism
• Greek Tragedy
• Ancient Technology
• The Archaeology of Roman Egypt
• Graeco-Roman Urbanisation
• Greek Social History
• The History and Archaeology of Asia Minor
• Late Antiquity
• Roman Military History
All staff in History and Classics are research active and publish books and articles in their areas of expertise. In addition, regular research seminars and lectures are run through the Research Institute for Arts and Humanities (RIAH) which students are
encouraged to attend.
Career expectations are excellent for Classics graduates. MA degree holders may move on to doctoral study or enter employment in such areas as museums, heritage and tourism; marketing, sales and advertising; business, art, design and culture; media and PR; social and welfare professions; humanitarian organisations; the civil service, and education.
The end of classical antiquity in the Mediterranean and the Middle East witnessed the formation of polities, institutions and ideologies which define and continue to influence our world to the present day.
By combining a diverse, yet cognate range of research interests, this programme offers an exceptional selection of linguistic and disciplinary expertise in the study of the late antique, Islamic and Byzantine worlds, embracing archaeology, art history, history, languages and literatures, and auxiliary disciplines such as palaeography, numismatics, and sigillography. It presently provides training in the following source languages: Greek, Latin, Arabic, and/or Hebrew.
This programme provides you with excellent preparation for graduate research in historical, archaeological, literary or art-historical topics focusing on the Mediterranean and western Asia from late antiquity into the early middle ages.
You will have access to the expertise of academics who are all passionate about their area of study. Drawn from several schools across the University and brought together in the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, the team comprises specialists in the various branches of late antique, Islamic and Byzantine studies.
The MSc comprises seminars, language classes and tutorials, which will include seminar discussion and debate, presentation to peers, directed and independent reading, as well as interactive language teaching. You will complete one compulsory course and select a further two language courses and an additional three options from a wide range on offer.
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 emphasises acquisition of essential language skills for original research and close work with key historical and/or literary sources of evidence and grounding in the issues surrounding them.
You will gain an appreciation of the associated material cultures, including issues surrounding its recovery, survival and curation, which will prepare you for future academic research and prospective careers in aspects of museums and heritage management.
Our students view the programme and a graduate degree from Edinburgh as an advanced qualification valued and respected by many employers. Those interested in long-term academic careers consider the MSc as preparation for a PhD.
The MSc provides a toolkit of transferable skills in organisation, research and analysis that will be highly prized in any field of work. It can form a stepping stone to many careers, such as further academic research, museum and art curation, literary translation or analysis, education or public heritage. Graduates of related programmes are putting their skills to use as tutors, archivists, writers and conference coordinators for employers including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).
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.
This programme gives you the opportunity to study ancient history at an advanced level, developing your interest in the ancient world and providing an excellent preparation for further graduate research.
Edinburgh is one of the leading centres in the UK for the study of ancient history, in the chronological, geographical and methodological scope of the research interests of our staff. The range and content of our courses reflect staff research strengths in Greek, Hellenistic, Roman and Late Antique topics. Greek and Latin language courses are always offered. Our particular strengths lie in the legal, institutional, social and economic history of the Greek and Roman worlds, as well as in political theory and practice, Hellenistic history, and late antique history.
As a student on this programme, you will develop your skills in critical thinking, clear writing and research, verbal presentation and critical analysis.
Most teaching takes place in small-group seminars and the programme is designed to allow both breadth of coverage and specialisation. The specialised compulsory course will provide you with the key methodological and practical skills required of researchers in all classical subjects, while the options offer a large degree of flexibility, allowing you to develop or consolidate your language skills and explore a diverse range of historical topics in depth. Independent research, in the form of a dissertation, forms a substantial component of the programme, challenging you to build on the material and approaches covered in the taught courses and develop your research skills.
You will complete one compulsory course and select a further three skills courses and an additional two options from a wide range on offer.
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:
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 graduates in Classics 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 MA in Classics and Ancient History is extremely flexible and wide-ranging. In this it reflects the broad, multidisciplinary nature of the subject, which includes Latin and Greek language, the history of Greek and Roman antiquity from archaic times to the beginning of the Middle Ages, and Greek and Roman literature, philosophy, and culture. The MA is designed to introduce students to advanced study in their chosen field and to equip them with the skills required for doctoral research. The programme and most modules within it allow students to tailor their advanced study and research-preparation to their interests, needs and existing knowledge. Apart from the thesis, the only compulsory unit is that devoted to research training. We also expect all students to study Latin and/or Greek as part of their MA. (No existing knowledge of Latin or Greek is required, and we are very well-equipped to support students beginning their study of either language; it is also possible to study one or both languages at more Advanced levels). Apart from these requirements, students are able to choose freely in constructing an MA course which best suits their interests and skills.
In addition, we offer one specialist route through the MA programme: namely the 'City of Rome' route. This route involves taking a course unit at the British School at Rome, for which students prepare by studying a course on Roman social and urban history.
On successful completion of the MA in Classics and Ancient History, students will:
i. demonstrate the enhancement of previously acquired skills at a more critical, reflective, and sophisticated level, especially skills involving synthesising information from a variety of sources, historical and/or literary interpretation, exercising independent and critical judgement.
ii. understand and respect the `otherness' of the past by developing specialist knowledge about one or more aspect of Graeco-Roman civilisation.
iii. be able to describe, analyse, and assess ancient sources, including (as appropriate) literary, non-literary, visual, and material evidence.
iv. be able to design and complete a substantial piece of independent research.
v. work effectively as autonomous scholars.
vi. be able to understand complex problems and communicate them clearly in oral and written form, with the help, where appropriate, of visual or graphic aids.
The MA in Classics & Ancient History is made up of a taught element (120 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits). Taught units are usually assessed by extended essay, but assessment might also include oral presentations, conference posters, commentary exercises and (particularly for language units) formal examinations.
In more detail, the structure of the course is as follows:
Research training . Our core course, 'Studying the Ancient World: Techniques and Approaches', introduces you to the key research questions and methods involved in advanced study of the discipline and, in the second semester, gives you experience in developing and presenting your own research project.
Language units. If you are a beginner, you will take one of our specially-designed `intensive' courses in Latin or Greek, which will put you in a position to start reading ancient texts in the original language before the end of your MA. If you have already studied Greek or Latin, you will continue your study of one or both languages at an appropriate level. If you are already at a very advanced stage in both languages you will take a specially-designed course unit which allows you further to develop your language skills in an area related to your research interests (for example: palaeography; papyrology; textual criticism; epigraphy).
Taught course-units . The remainder of your taught credits are selected from a range of taught units, chosen from a menu covering a range of topics in Greek and Roman history, literature, and culture. Most taught units are worth 15 credits, and usually involve 11 `classroom' hours, consisting of both student-led and tutor-led discussion, supported by additional guidance and planning sessions.
It is possible for one of these units to be an approved unit from another subject area (for example, History or Archaeology), or a Directed Reading course, in which you are free to pursue whatever avenue is of interest to you, by negotiation with a tutor and with the Postgraduate Programme Director. The usual pattern for a Directed Reading course is 6 to 8 hours of contact time, which may be individual or in a small group, or a mixture of the two.
A dissertation of between 12,000 and 15,000 words: 60 credits.
Course units vary from year to year, depending on staff availability and student enrolment, but you will find below details of the units which we are currently planning to offer in 2017/18. (If you are planning to take the MA part-time, over two years, please note that we cannot guarantee that all of these courses will definitely run in 2018/19: if you are particularly keen to take a specific course, you are advised to discuss your plans with the Programme Director: Dr. Jenny Bryan ([email protected] ).
Please note that we are also planning to offer a new 15-credit course in 2017/18: 'Approaching Women in Greek Tragedy': further details will be available here soon.
This non-vocational Masters degree teaches and develops a wealth of transferable skills, and thus enables students to keep open a very wide range of career options. Recent graduates have gone on to vocational MAs (e.g. in Gallery & Museum Studies), to PhDs in Classics or Ancient History, to teaching, to contract researching, or to work in local or central government, commerce or industry.
The MA in Classics is our core research training degree, suitable for anyone wishing to pursue doctoral work in a branch of Classics. The programme places a strong emphasis on language training, on theoretically informed approaches to Classical texts, and on practical engagement with your chosen specialism. 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 Classics 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 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). 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.
If you want to expand your understanding of, or research into, classical literature and language then this programme offers you the perfect opportunity to do just that. Our Classics MA also provides postgraduates with the ideal foundation for conducting research at doctoral level.
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 classical language, literature and thought we are particularly well equipped to supervise dissertations on: Homer, epic tradition, Greek drama, the ancient novel, Greek literature under the Roman Empire, ancient rhetoric and oratory, Latin epic and elegy, ancient myth, ancient philosophy (especially Neoplatonism) and classical reception.
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.
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 is a specialist programme geared towards preparing you for higher research in ancient philosophy - partly through direct research training, and partly through modules taught by experts in their field in small-group seminars. Durham has a longstanding tradition of international excellence in the field of ancient philosophy, with several recent doctoral students having gone on to take up academic positions in the UK and abroad. 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 20-credit undergraduate 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 Ancient Philosophy is principally conceived as a research training programme which aims to build on the skills in independent learning acquired in the course of the your first degree and enable you 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 your 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 ancient philosophy. All those 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 5 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.
Combining the best of traditional classics with innovative research, this new MRes allows you to engage critically with the texts and lived experience of Greek and Roman antiquity, as well as the ways in which later societies have received and used the classical past.
You’ll gain a foundation in Graeco-Roman culture to consolidate your skills and explore a variety of topics across the field of classics. From there, you’ll choose the periods, authors and disciplines you want to research until you focus on a single topic to produce a substantial piece of independent research in your dissertation.
Intensive research training will allow you to develop your skills under the supervision of leading researchers in the field, and you’ll have the chance to learn or develop your knowledge of Latin and/or ancient Greek. You’ll gain a range of skills and valuable experience for a career in academic or professional research.
You’ll study in a supportive and stimulating environment driven by research at the forefront of classical studies. You’ll have the chance to develop your knowledge and skills in a truly interdisciplinary subject.
We also have excellent facilities to support your studies, including our world-class Brotherton Library. Its Special Collections house a range of facsimiles of Latin and Greek manuscripts, texts of ancient classical literature from the seventeenth century onwards and the Brotherton Ovid Digital Resource.
The MRes begins with two core modules, Principles and Practices of Research in Classics and Using the Past, both taught in weekly lectures and seminars. The study of research principles and practices spans from the transmission of texts in early history to current questions of the shape and purpose of classical study in the 21st century and includes a practical introduction to digital research tools and resources in classics. Using the Past will give you a foundation in Graeco-Roman culture, the ways in which classical writers used their own past and how the classics have been received over time to the present day.
From there you’ll shape your own studies, selecting the classical eras, authors, and disciplines you want to focus on, and conduct supervised research in these areas to prepare for your dissertation.
Study of the classical languages is strongly encouraged: you’ll have the chance to learn Latin and/or Greek from beginners level, or at a more advanced level if you already have knowledge of either language. Supervised research modules allow for either linguistic or non-linguistic study of ancient literature, history and culture.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
For more information on typical modules, read Classics MRes Full Time in the course catalogue
For more information on typical modules, read Classics MRes Part Time in the course catalogue
You’ll be taught using a variety of teaching methods including lectures, seminars, tutorials and supervisions. Independent research is vital to this programme to develop your skills and help you develop your own ideas and interests.
In addition to your dissertation, which will account for half of the assessed work for the programme, a variety of other methods, such as commentaries, essays, examinations and oral presentations will be used to assess the full range of programme learning outcomes.
The heavy emphasis on research skills means this course is excellent preparation for PhD study and an academic career. However, you’ll also develop important transferable skills including oral and written communication, analysis and problem-solving which are valuable across a wide range of roles in different sectors, including education and the creative and heritage industries.
We run a full programme of events in the School to enhance the employability of our graduates.
We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.
The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website.
