Classical Studies (BA)

Applicants come from a diverse range of backgrounds and we accept a broad range of qualifications. Examples of other qualifications we recognise include QAA-approved Access to HE courses, in which we expect students to receive a minimum Pass grade, and the Greek Apolyterion, for which our standard offer is 18/20.

Students from overseas should visit the International| pages for further information on the entry requirements from their country and English language requirements.  Royal Holloway International offers an International Foundation Programme and English language pre-sessional courses, allowing students the opportunity to develop their study skills and English language before starting their undergraduate degree.

We make decisions based on achieved or predicted grades, personal statements and references. More information on how your application will be assessed, and tips for your personal statement can be found on our Applying| pages.

Most applicants will also be invited for interview on a UCAS day before an offer is made. UCAS days offer you the opportunity to visit the College and the Department, to sit in on a first year lecture and to attend a presentation by the Admissions Tutor, as well as a friendly and informal individual interview with a member of academic staff. Some applicants will receive offers without interview, particularly those with high achieved/predicted grades and those who live a long way from Egham, including overseas applicants. Those with offers are still welcome to attend a UCAS day if they can, but rather than being interviewed, they can participate in a group question-and-answer session with academic staff and students

• The course offers a wide range of options including classical archaeology and ancient philosophy as well as classical literature and ancient history.
• The opportunity to study Latin and/or Greek at all levels – from beginner’s to advanced – for one, two or three years.
• A flexible course structure.
• The second year project option enables you to examine aspects of two of your second year courses in greater depth and prepares you for the dissertation in the third year.
• You will become part of a friendly and supportive Department with a tradition of good pastoral care.

This course is the Department's most popular and most flexible degree course, offering you the opportunity to study a wide range of topics connected with the ancient world: Latin and Greek literature, culture and philosophy as well as ancient history and classical archaeology. There is also the opportunity to learn Latin and/or Greek and to study language in all three years of the degree if you wish.

Throughout the course, you will:

• acquire interpretative and analytical skills in dealing with a variety of primary and secondary literary, philosophical, archaeological, documentary and legal source material
• develop a critical knowledge of methodologies deployed in the study of ancient literary, philosophical and historical texts
• learn to understand ancient cultural and social forms from a range of different source material.

All undergraduate degree courses at Royal Holloway are based on the course unit system. This system provides an effective and flexible approach to study, while ensuring that our degrees have a coherent and developmental structure.

See the Department’s website| for further information.

The course has a modular structure, whereby students take 12 course units at the rate of 4 whole units per year. The second year project unit and the third year dissertation are compulsory but all other course units are elective, thereby offering great flexibility and choice.

You will be taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars and individual tutorials, depending on the subjects studied. Outside classes, you will undertake group projects and wide-ranging but guided independent study, including completing language exercises and reading prescribed and open material. Private study and preparation are essential parts of every course, and you will have access to many online resources and the University’s comprehensive e-learning facility, Moodle. When you start with us, you are assigned a Personal Tutor to support you academically and personally.

Assessment takes place by a combination of ongoing language tests, written assignments for non-linguistic course units and end of year exams. Your final year dissertation will also count towards your degree award.

Choosing a Classical subject at Royal Holloway will equip you with a broad range of skills, such as the ability to analyse and summarise content, critically evaluate resources and construct coherent arguments in the written and spoken word. Studying an intellectually demanding discipline will demonstrate to employers that you enjoy being challenged and are able to understand complex issues. You will also develop the transferable skills valued by employers:  communication and presentation skills, teamwork, time management and critical thinking. From 2013 (subject to validation) we will be adding a new ‘skills’ module as part of the degree programme, as well as a competitive new work placement scheme – the only such scheme in a UK Classics department.

Our recent graduates have very successfully entered a wide range of careers including law, government, publishing, finance, teaching, marketing and the media. Many have also progressed to postgraduate study in a variety of fields. To find out more about what our students are doing now, please visit the department’s website|.