Classics,MA

Our MA in Classics combines language studies with an exploration of the philosophy, history and culture of the Greek and Latin-speaking world to provide you with the academic foundations on which to build a career in research.

You will take the course over one year full-time or two years part-time, starting with a language module of your choice. This is studied alongside a range of optional Classics and other Arts & Humanities modules covering a broad range of subjects including philosophy, history, literature, and visual culture.   

The course is taught through lectures, seminars and small group discussions and there is an emphasis on small-group teaching through the course, to encourage in-depth debate and enable you to fully engage with a range of perspectives. You will also complete a major dissertation on a subject of your choosing, supported by teaching experts with a wide range of specialisms in a department which has an established international reputation for the excellence of its academic standards.

This expertise has led us to develop academic centres that have become the focus for vital research activity including the Centre for Classical Reception; the Centre for the Study of the Ancient Mediterranean and the Near East; the Centre for Language and Writing Systems; the Durham Centre for Ancient and Medieval Philosophy; and the Centre for Classics Pedagogy Education and Didactics.

As well as being taught by subject-area experts in a diverse and exciting intellectual community, you will have unique access to our extensive collection featuring some 8,000 volumes of ancient texts in the original and in translation that will be ideal for research purposes.

Explore philosophy, history, culture and language and develop a strong academic foundation on which to build your research ambitions.

2.1 (or overseas equivalent) degree in any discipline.

A 500-word personal statement which should include the following:

• An outline of your interest in MA Classics
• Specific modules or areas of study that you are interested in
• What skills and knowledge you would bring to the course
• What skills and knowledge you would hope to acquire on the programme
• An indication of your planned area of research
• Evidence that you have previously studied another language, or other relevant experience that shows suitability for language study at Masters level

English language requirements

The Department's national and international reputation for academic quality provides an ideal grounding for postgraduates to either continue their research at a higher level or secure a stimulating and rewarding professional career.

Our postgraduate qualifications develop a set of transferable skills including logical thinking and the evaluation and communication of information that are not only applicable in an academic environment but also deliver the skills and abilities valued across a range of professions.

Some of these professions relate to the subjects studied such as the heritage sector, the arts, teaching, the civil service, publishing and journalism. Other options include banking, law, PR, third sector, consultancy, insurance and administration. Employers who have taken on postgraduates include the Home Office, Deloitte, Manchester United, CitiBank, the NHS and pollsters YouGov.