Classics and English

The Classics and English degree at Oxford gives students the opportunity to study the literature and culture of the ancient and modern world, both separately and in comparison; to trace ideas, forms, and genres across cultures and time; and to think about continuities and change in how people think, write, and imagine their world. All students study either Latin or Greek or both, so that they can encounter ancient literature in the original language(s). Course I is a three-year course for candidates with an A-level or equivalent in either Latin or Greek; Course II is for those who have not had the opportunity to study either language at school or college and includes a preliminary year, in which students learn Latin or Greek alongside some study of classical literature, making it a four-year course.

Classics IIOxford has a long and distinguished tradition of research and teaching in both Classics and English, and possesses remarkable library provision in both subjects. Oxford has the largest Classics department and programme of courses in the world, with outstanding teaching, library and museum resources, including the  Bodleian and Sackler Libraries, the Ashmolean Museum and a designated Classics Centre. The English Faculty is the largest English department in Britain. All Oxford colleges have tutors in English who are responsible for tutorial teaching (in groups of three students or fewer) in their own college. Many also give lectures to all students in the English Faculty. You therefore have the opportunity to learn from a wide range of specialist teachers. Library provision for English at Oxford is exceptionally good: all students have access to the Bodleian Library (with its extensive manuscript collection), the English Faculty Library, their own college libraries, and a wide range of electronic resources.