Ancient History and Philosophy BA

Course overview

Ancient History offers you the chance to explore the Ancient Greeks and Romans and the people they envied and emulated, traded with and invaded through studying their literature, architecture, art, material culture and a range of other sources. You’ll study the civilisations of ancient Greece, Rome, Persia and beyond, and how they have been received and interpreted by other cultures. You’ll gain an understanding of life in these unique societies as they evolved, as well as developing your own interests through investigating the ‘Athenian empire’, Sparta and the Peloponnesian League, and Rome from Republic to Empire.

With Philosophy at Leeds, you can explore fundamental questions about how we understand the world, through studying key concepts and topics such as argument construction, moral and political philosophy, the history of modern philosophy, the nature of knowledge and reality, as well as applied philosophy in topics such as bioethics, race, gender, and the philosophy of war and terrorism.

In this degree you'll have the opportunity to combine an interest in the ancient world with the big ideas that we are still engaging with today.

Entry requirements

A-level: ABB

Other course specific tests:

Where an applicant is taking the EPQ in a relevant subject this might be considered alongside other Level 3 qualifications and may attract an alternative offer in addition to the standard offer. If you are taking A Levels, this would be BBB at A Level and grade A in the EPQ.

International Baccalaureate

Career opportunities

A degree in Ancient History and Philosophy crosses disciplines and gives you a wide range of knowledge and skills.

You’ll be capable of researching complex topics independently and thinking critically about information from different sources. You’ll be analytical and have highly developed communication skills. You’ll also have organisational and time-management skills. In addition, studying for a joint honours degree allows you to become intellectually versatile as you switch between different disciplines.

Graduates from the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures go on to a wide range of careers, including publishing, the armed forces, journalism, law, curatorship, the civil service, advertising and marketing, education, business and finance and the charity sector. Some of our graduates progress onto postgraduate study.

We do everything we can to help prepare you for your career. Student-run career groups allow you to get together with other students who share your career ambitions. At the same time, you could also become a peer mentor under our scheme or apply for one of the internships the School offers every year.

You can read more about the range of careers our Ancient History and Philosophy graduates progress into, as well as the support we offer you throughout your degree.

The School of Languages, Cultures and Societies careers and employability support includes promoting internships, providing opportunities to work for the School and employer-led workshops and events.