Classics

Classics at Cambridge isn’t just studied as a period in the past, it also looks at how classical culture, language and philosophy have affected the history of Western civilisation right up to the present day.

Classics at Cambridge

The Faculty of Classics is one of the most dynamic of its kind, with an exceptional reputation for teaching and research.

Our course encompasses the history, culture, archaeology, art, philosophy and linguistics of classical antiquity and the study of original texts and artefacts. You can either specialise in a particular field or retain the breadth with which the course starts. 

Facilities and resources

The Faculty’s facilities include a well-stocked library and our own Museum of Classical Archaeology. In addition, you have access to the holdings of the Fitzwilliam Museum, where some classes take place. There’s a thriving student society and the renowned Cambridge Greek Play, produced in the original language, is regularly staged by a professional director. We also offer various undergraduate prizes, bursaries and travel grants.

The courses

The three-year course is usually for students with A Level/IB Higher Level Latin (regardless of whether they have Greek). We offer an intensive Greek programme for those with little or no Classical Greek.

The four-year course is for those with little or no Latin, and offers a preliminary year which focuses on Latin language and Roman culture. Years 2, 3 and 4 are identical to the three years of the three-year degree.

If you have A Level/IB Higher Level Greek but not Latin, you may be advised to take the four-year degree (depending on circumstances – please contact the Faculty/a College admissions office for guidance).

Additional course costs

There are no compulsory additional course costs for Classics. However, the majority of students prefer to purchase their own copies of certain texts relevant to the papers they take. The Faculty estimates the cost of this is approximately £100 per year, and provides new students with a recommended list of texts. Please contact the Faculty (see fact file, right) for further advice and details.

Careers

Employers have a high opinion of Classicists because they’re hard-working, articulate, accurate and efficient, take new tasks in their stride and can master situations intelligently.

Some graduates go into research and teaching in schools and universities, or work in libraries and museums. But most go into other careers – in law, the media, accountancy, the Civil Service, industry and business. Our graduates include bankers, barristers, solicitors, actors, musicians and theatrical artistic directors.

During Part I, you have an average of 12 lectures a week, and two or more language classes (as needed). You also have at least two supervisions a week in which you discuss your work.

In Part II, you may have Faculty seminars as well as lectures, while your College supervisions give you the opportunity to research essay topics of your choice in depth.

Assessment is by end of year exams.

Preliminary Year (four-year course)

You learn to read Latin confidently through language study and the reading of texts from the Roman world. You also study Roman culture, submit essays for assessment, and undertake some preparatory work for taking up Ancient Greek at the beginning of the next year.

Year 1 (Part IA)

Written texts are a major source of evidence for classical antiquity, so you study texts in the original Greek and Latin from the most familiar periods of ancient literature by central authors such as Homer, Euripides, Plato, Virgil, Ovid and Cicero.

You also study elements of ancient history, archaeology, art, philosophy, philology and linguistics to build the broadest possible understanding of the ancient world and our relationship to it. Reading and language classes directed by specialist language teachers, as required, extend your knowledge of the ancient languages. End of year exams test your linguistic and literary comprehension and essay writing skills.

Year 2 (Part IB)

You take six papers, including a paper from each of the following four compulsory groups:

• Greek translation
• Latin translation
• Greek literature, eg Athens on Stage
• Latin literature, eg Roman Youth

The remaining two papers are chosen from four on other subjects:

• history
• philosophy
• art and archaeology
• philology

Further optional papers on prose or verse composition in both languages are available if you wish to develop your confidence and creativity in manipulating language.

Year 3 (Part II)

You can specialise within one discipline (eg archaeology) or construct a wide-ranging course particular to your individual strengths and interests. You choose four papers from a broad range of options, including:

• literature, eg Apollo and Dionysus
• philosophy, eg Aristotle’s World, from Turtles to Tragedies
• history, eg Popular Culture in the Roman Empire
• archaeology, eg The Poetics of Classical Art
• language, eg Greek from Mycenae to Homer
• a multidisciplinary paper, eg The Art of Care: the Body and the Self
• papers from another degree course

At the end of the year, you take exams in these subjects or you can substitute one paper with a dissertation on a subject of your choice within the field of Classics. Past dissertations have covered:

• cross-dressing in antiquity
• the phenomenon of Asterix
• classical influences on contemporary American poetry
• Homer and Virgil
• Greek tragedy and politics
• comparative linguistics
• the nature and role of pleasure in human life
• art and archaeology in Roman Egypt

• All applicants to the University of Cambridge must submit an application to UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) by the relevant deadline.
• The Attestat o (polnom) Srednem Obshchem Obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education) is not considered to be suitable preparation for a competitive application to the University of Cambridge. We strongly recommend that you undertake further study if you wish to apply for an undergraduate degree. Examples of the qualifications that would be considered suitable for admission to Cambridge are A Levels, the International Baccalaureate (IB), five or more Advanced Placement (AP) courses, or possibly the first year of an undergraduate degree at a university outside the UK. We recommend that you contact the College that you wish to apply to directly for further advice and guidance.
• IELTS – normally a minimum overall grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each element.
• Cambridge English: Advanced – grade A or B.
• Cambridge English: Proficiency – grade A, B or C.
• Required by all Colleges: A Level/IB Higher Level Latin (A Level/IB Higher Level Greek is accepted as a substitute at some Colleges)
• All applicants for Classics are required to take an assessment at interview, if interviewed.

• Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust

Your living expenses may be higher than for a Home student (eg if you stay in Cambridge/the UK during vacations). The minimum resources needed in Cambridge for the year (excluding tuition and College fees) are estimated to be approximately £10,080 in 2017-18 and £10,310 in 2018-19, depending on lifestyle (you should allow for increases in future years).