Ancient History (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.

You will learn about the history and society of antiquity, from the beginnings of Classical civilization in the seventh century BCE to the fall of the Roman empire in the seventh century CE. You will study politics, social developments, military history, cultural history, economics, and the history of personal relations, including gender and family. You’ll get a grounding in methodologies: how to read primary and secondary sources, how to balance evidence and ways of thinking about historical and social issues: key skills. Our courses bring you close to the primary material, the writings and artifacts from antiquity, and allows you to develop your knowledge and skills.

Throughout the course, you will:

•  learn to analyse different ancient institutions and societies
•  improve your knowledge of the histories of Greece and Rome 
• develop skills for study the structure and evolution of institutions and societies
• acquire interpretative methodologies in dealing with a variety of material.
• All undergraduate degree courses at Royal Holloway provide a flexible approach to study.

See the Department’s website| for further information.

View the full course specification for Ancient History (BA) in the Programme Specification Repository|.

The course has a modular structure, whereby students take 12 course units at the rate of 4 whole units per year. At least 7.5 units of Ancient History must be taken over the three years of the degree, three units at year 2 level, and three at year 3 level.

You will be taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars and tutorials, depending on the subjects studied. Much of your work will be outside class: reading in the library or via e-learning resources (we have a comprehensive e-learning facility, Moodle). You will also be preparing for seminars and lectures, working on essays, and undertaking group projects and wide-ranging but guided independent study.

Assessment takes place by a flexible combination of essays, projects, examinations, and tests, various methods being employed depending on the nature of the course unit and the intended learning outcomes. In the third-year, students completed a guided and extended piece of independent research, a 10,000 word dissertation, on a historical subject.

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|.