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Classical Civilisation

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,A

Specific subjects excluded for entry: General Studies and Critical Thinking. Information: Applicants taking Science A-levels that include a practical component will be required to take and pass this as a condition of entry. This refers only to English A Levels.

Access to HE Diploma

D:30,M:15

We require 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3 (or equivalent). Applicants may be required to meet additional subject-specific requirements for particular courses at Durham.

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

D3,D3,D3

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

37

18 points (6, 6, 6) in Higher Level subjects.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H2,H2

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

DDD

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDD

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,A,A

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,A,B

We will normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. If an applicant has not been able to take 3 Advanced Highers, offers may be made with a combination of Advanced Highers and Highers, or on a number of Highers.

At Durham we welcome applications from students of outstanding achievement and potential from all educational backgrounds.  We will consider applicants studying T level qualifications for entry to many of our courses.   Where a course requires subject specific knowledge and this is not covered within the T level being studied, you may need to supplement your T level studies with a suitable qualification to meet this requirement, for example at A level.  Where this is needed this will be clearly stated in our entry requirements.   Detailed entry requirements can be found on individual course entries on our courses database.

UCAS Tariff

144-168

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Classical studies

The Classical Civilisation degree offers a broad and varied exploration of the society and culture of Greece and Rome, and their importance for us today, as well as an opportunity to focus on particular areas which might interest you. The course includes the option of beginning to learn Greek or Latin language (or continuing, if you have studied the languages already).

**Year 1**
You’ll take two interdisciplinary modules that serve to give you grounding in the central periods of Greek and Roman culture:
Introduction to the Greek World
Monuments and Memory in the Age of Augustus

You’ll also take one module that introduces you to ancient philosophy. In previous years, this module has been offered:
Early Greek Philosophy.

You’ll also take a module that introduces you to the cultural, anthropological and literary implications of translation:
Language, Translation and Interpretation.

Other first-year optional modules have previously included:
Beginners’ Latin and Greek
Intermediate Latin and Greek (if you have an A level or equivalent)
Lives of Objects
The Craft of the Ancient Historian.

**Year 2**
You’ll take a module in which you study representative examples of Greek and Roman epic; you’ll be introduced to a wide range of approaches to the study of epic including its role as a device for memorialisation and you’ll also explore the ways in which the genre developed in Greek and Roman antiquity and beyond:
Traditions of Epic.

If you choose to study Latin or Greek you may continue these courses in your second year. It’s also possible to begin the study of Latin or Greek in your second year.

Many of the other modules in the second year are broad surveys, for example of a historical period or a literary genre.

Historical offerings have previously included:
The Hellenistic World
Crisis of The Roman Republic
Emperors and Dynasties.

Literary, philosophical and cultural topics have previously included:
Greek Literature and The Near East
Interpreting Greek Tragedy Today
Creation and Cosmology
Ancient Political Thought and Action
Stoicism
Dialogues with Antiquity
Classical Receptions & Contemporary Cultures
Theatre and Spectacle in Ancient Rome

*Year 3 (Year 4 if taking a Year Abroad) *
You’ll write a Dissertation on a topic at the end of your second year in consultation with an adviser, with who you will meet regularly for guidance throughout Year 3. Most other modules in the third year cover specific topics that arise out of the research interests of our members of staff.

Historical modules have previously included:
Greeks and Persians
Roman Syria
Writing Alexander
The Life and Times of Cicero
Urbs Roma
The Later Roman Empire

Literary, philosophical and cultural topics have previously included:
The Literature and Language of Ancient Babylon
Comedy and Tragedy, Laughter and Sorrow
Hellenistic Poetry: Theory and Practice
Roman Law and Latin Literature
Love and Sex in Ancient Poetry
Technologies of Knowledge in Antiquity
Knowledge and Doubt in Hellenistic Philosophy

For this course, the study of ancient languages is not required, though it is permitted as an option.

**Study Abroad**
This course includes an optional European Studies element, where you may spend the third year of a four-year course studying at a European university (for further details please see our website). We also participate in the University-wide overseas exchange programme, which offers the opportunity to spend your second year studying at one of our partner universities in North America or Australasia.

We review course structures and core content every year and will publish finalised core requirements for 2023 entry from September 2022. Please note the list of optional modules available in any year vary depending on available teaching staff. The lists above provide an example of the type of modules which may be offered. For more information on this course, please see our website.

Modules

Year 1
Core modules:
Introduction to the Greek World examines ancient Greek history, society and thought, by focusing on how the classical Athenians engaged with their past. It will introduce you to the central themes, topics and terminology in the study of Archaic and Classical Greece, and equip you to use the basic intellectual resources available to assist that study.

Monuments and Memory in the Age of Augustus provides you with an introduction to Roman history and culture and Latin literature, which will also serve as a basis for your further study in these areas. You will investigate a central, transitional epoch in the history of ancient Rome, from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Language, Translation and Interpretation helps you engage with Greek and Latin texts, and introduces you to the cultural, anthropological and literary implications of translation. You will learn to assess the role of translations in the study of the classical past by looking at detailed comparisons between different translations of classical texts.

Examples of optional modules:
Beginners Latin or Greek
Lives of Objects
The Craft of the Ancient Historian.

Year 2
Core modules:
Traditions of Epic enables you to study representative examples of Greek and Roman epic, including its role as a device for recording and remembering lives and events, and you will explore the ways in which the genre developed, in ancient Greece and Rome and beyond.

Examples of optional modules:
Interpreting Greek Tragedy Today
Ancient Political Thought and Action
Emperors and Dynasties
Alexandria
Classical Receptions and Contemporary Cultures
Dialogues with Antiquity
Living in the Classical World
The City of Athens
Crisis of the Roman Republic
Beginners or Intermediate Greek and/or Latin language.

Year 3 (Year 4 if taking a placement or year abroad)
Core modules:
Dissertation. The dissertation is a significant piece of work in which you research and analyse a topic in depth and write your findings and conclusions.

Examples of optional modules:
Greeks and Persians (c. 560-336 BC)
The Later Roman Empire
The Origins of Civilisation
Comedy and Tragedy, Laughter and Sorrow
Lives and Afterlives of The Greek and Roman Poets
Sing Me, O Muse
The History of Writing in the Ancient Mediterranean
Intermediate or Advanced Greek and/or Latin language modules.

Assessment methods

We use various types of assessment, designed to test the different skills you have gained through your studies: essays, commentaries, translations and (in some modules) presentations or projects.

In your final year, you will write a dissertation on a subject of your choice, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills in independent learning and research and your ability to tie together areas of learning from across the entire course.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£25,500
per year
International
£25,500
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course locations:

Durham City

College allocation pending

Department:

Classics

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What students say


How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Classical studies

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

93%
UK students
7%
International students
45%
Male students
55%
Female students
98%
2:1 or above
4%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A*
A

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Classics

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£25,000
high
Average annual salary
94%
med
Employed or in further education
50%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

25%
Business, research and administrative professionals
12%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
12%
Managers and proprietors in other services

This is a category for graduates taking a wide range of courses that don’t fall neatly into a subject group, so be aware that the stats you see here may not be a very accurate guide to the outcomes for the specific course you’re interested in. Management, finance, marketing, education and jobs in the arts are some of the typical jobs for these graduates, but it's sensible to go on open days and talk to tutors about what you might expect from the course, and what previous graduates did.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Classics

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

£29k

£29k

£40k

£40k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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