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Structures

Degree Structures

General Degree Rules

1. Classics modules with a numerical code beginning 000 (i.e. CLAS000X) are only available to first-year students.

2. Latin and Greek modules GREK0002, GREK0039, LATN0034 and LATN0003 are beginners level modules which are available to first-year students and some second-year students. These modules are not available to final-year students except with the specific permission of the relevant degree tutor.

3. Classics modules CLAS0011, CLAS0014, CLAS0017, CLAS0019, CLAS0020, CLAS0025, CLAS0036, CLAS0045, CLAS0047, CLAS0138, CLAS0147, CLAS0160, CLAS0162, CLAS0163 and CLAS0164 are available to second and final-year students (N.B. not all modules run every year).

4. Latin and Greek modules LATN0002, LATN0008, LATN0009, LATN0010, LATN0011, LATN0021, LATN0032, LATN0037, LATN0043, LATN0044, LATN0045, LATN0046, LATN0051, LATN0052, GREK0001, GREK0010, GREK0013, GREK0019, GREK0022, GREK0036, GREK0051, GREK0052, GREK0057, GREK0059, GREK0062, and GREK0065 are primarily intended for second and final-year students (N.B. not all modules run every year). Some are available to first-year students with A Level (or equivalent) in the relevant language (see below).

5. Modules CLAS0032, CLAS0043 / LATN0012 / GREK0012 are only available to third-year / final-year students.

6. Ancient Middle Eastern language modules AMEL0001, AMEL0003 and AMEL0005 are available to first- and second-year students (subject to pre-requisites). There modules are not usually available to final-year students except with the specific permission of the relevant degree tutor (N.B. not all modules run every year).

7. First-year students with a GCSE (or equivalent) in the relevant language must take Intermediate Latin and / or Greek (GREK0005 / GREK0040 and/or LATN0004 / LATN0035 ).

8. First-year students with an A Level (or equivalent) in the relevant language must take Advanced Greek A & B or Advanced Latin A & B (GREK0008 and/or LATN0005). They may also take the following language modules in addition to Advanced Greek A & B or Advanced Latin A & B:

GREK0010 Greek Translation

GREK0065 Introduction to the History of Greek

LATN0008 Latin Translation

LATN0010 Late and Medieval Latin

LATN0011 Latin Palaeography

LATN0032 History of the Latin Language

9. The following language modules are only available to second and final-year students (who meet the prerequisites). They may not be taken by first-year students:

GREK0001 The Greek Dialects

GREK0022 Greek Papyrology

GREK0035 Homer: Iliad

GREK0036 Homer: Odyssey

GREK0051 Aeschylus

GREK0057 Longus, Daphnis and Chloe

GREK0059 Sophocles

GREK0062 Plato

LATN0009 Latin Prose Composition

LATN0019 Latin Poetry and its Translations

LATN0043 Horace

LATN0044 Lucretius

LATN0045 Seneca

LATN0046 Petronius

LATN0051 Latin Poetry of Late Antiquity

LATN0052 Street Latin and the Romance Languages

10. The following modules are in translation and are open to any second-year or final-year students within or outside the Department of Greek and Latin, subject to space:

CLAS0011 Greek Tragedy

CLAS0014 Roman Epic

CLAS0017 Roman Love Poetry

CLAS0019 Subverting the Canon: Marginal Latin Authors

CLAS0025 The Dialogues of Plato

CLAS0036 Stoics, Epicureans and Sceptics

CLAS0045 Xenophon: Politics, Identity and Text in Classical Greece

CLAS0047 Roman Satire and its Reception

CLAS0136 Greek Comedy

CLAS0138 Greek Authors: Homer

CLAS0147 Classical Poetry and its Reception in English Literature

CLAS0160 Race: Antiquity and its Legacy

CLAS0162 Archaic Greece, 800-479: A Cultural History

CLAS0163 Augustan Culture

CLAS0164 Greeks and Jews: Antiquity and the Modern World

BA Ancient World

Candidates must normally pass at least 45 credits of either Greek or Latin during Years 1 and 2 (together). A candidate who fails to pass any of the modules taken towards the 45 credit language requirement will have to retake the failed modules in the following year (except in Year 3).

Candidates who take a Beginners Level module in either language in Year 1 will normally proceed to an Intermediate module in Year 2.

Exceptionally, candidates who pass 30 credits of Greek or Latin in Year 1 at Intermediate Level or above may satisfy the language requirement by passing a further 45 credits of another language (such as Egyptian or classical Hebrew) with the Ancient World field of study.

Beginners Language modules will not normally be taken in the final year except by the special permission of the Ancient World Degree Tutor.

YEAR 1

  • COMPULSORY

    CLAS0004 Approaches to the Ancient World (15 credits)
    GREK* or LATN* modules at the appropriate level (30 credits) e.g. Beginners Latin/Greek A and B
    At least 15 credits from the modules offered by the History Department for Year 1 students within the Ancient World* field of study.
    At least 15 credits from the modules offered by the Institute of Archaeology for Year 1 students within the Ancient World* field of study.

  • 45 credits of modules either within the Ancient World* field of study or outside of it1

YEAR 2

  • COMPULSORY
    GREK* or LATN* modules to the value of at least 15 credits
  • OPTIONAL
    up to 105 credits of modules (for a total of 120 credits for the programme for the year) either within the Ancient World* field of study or outside of it2

YEAR 3

  • COMPULSORY

    CLAS0043 Extended Essay (15 credits) OR a 30 credit dissertation module from the History Department (as part of the Special Subject Group 3 modules worth 60 credits) OR ARCL0047 'A Detailed Study of a Selected Topic (Dissertation)' in Archaeology (worth 30 credits), taken by special permission of the Ancient World Degree Tutor, OR an Extended Essay in Greek (GREK0012) OR in Latin (LATN0012), given the requisite skills in Greek or Latin, and by special permission of the Ancient World Degree Tutor.

    It is not normally permitted to write two dissertations, but that this may be allowed on a discretionary basis with the permission of the Ancient World Degree Tutor.

  • OPTIONAL
    up to 105 credits of modules (for a total of 120 credits for the programme for the year) either within the Ancient World* field of study or outside of it

The Ancient World field of study is defined at UCL as including all modules that relate to any aspect of the ancient Mediterranean world and its cultures, including connections to cultures outside the Mediterranean, from the Bronze Age down to late Antiquity (c. 3000 BC - 600 AD). Geographically, it naturally covers the entire territory of the Roman Empire, but extends to those more distant cultures that engaged in dialogue and exchange with the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean. Taken thematically, the field focuses first of all on the literatures, cultures, religions, history, and archaeology of Graeco-Roman antiquity and its precursors and successors, including ancient Italy and Anatolia as well as Northern Europe and North Africa, but it also covers the Ancient Near East, Ancient Egypt, Persia, and so on. The literature and culture of early Christianity is included. Languages that can be studied within the Ancient World field include the ancient languages of the Mediterranean and other relevant Indo-European and Semitic languages as well (languages recognized thus include Latin and Greek, Sanskrit, Sumerian and Akkadian, Hittite, Persian, Egyptian, Hebrew, Aramaic and Classical Arabic). It also includes ancient philosophy and related disciplines, and studies that focus on the reception and cultural impact of ancient Mediterranean civilisations in later times, up to and including our own. All courses given by the Department of Greek and Latin naturally qualify. The above list is not intended as exhaustive: please consult the Ancient World Tutor (p.agocs@ucl.ac.uk) if you wish to discuss whether or not a given course offering or research topic will satisfy the Ancient World area requirement.

1. In Year 1, candidates may take up to 30 credits of modules entirely outside the Ancient World field of study.

2. In Year 2 and Year 3 together, candidates may take up to 30 credits (in total, not per year) of modules entirely outside the Ancient World field of study.

BA Classics

Candidates must normally pass at least 30 credits of Greek (GREK-) and 30 credits of Latin (LATN) each year. A candidate who fails to pass any of the modules taken towards the language requirement will have to retake the failed modules in the following year (except in Year 3/4).

Beginners Language courses will not normally be taken in the final year except by the special permission of the Classics Degree Tutor.

In order to progress to Year 2, candidates must normally have passed at least 15 credits of Greek and 15 credits of Latin. In order to progress to Year 3, candidates must normally have passed at least 45 credits of Greek and 45 credits of Latin (across both years).

YEAR 1    

  • COMPULSORY
    CLAS0005 Interpreting Greek Literature (15 credits)
    CLAS0006 Interpreting Latin Literature (15 credits)
    30 credits of Latin (LATN*) modules
    30 credits of Greek (GREK*) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    30 credits of modules either within the Classics† field of study or outside of it

YEAR 2

  • COMPULSORY
    CLAS0020 Classics and Literary Theory (15 credits)
    30 credits of Latin (LATN*) modules
    30 credits of Greek (GREK*) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    45 credits of modules either within the Classics† field of study or outside of it1

YEAR 3/4 

  • COMPULSORY
    30 credits of Latin (LATN*) modules
    30 credits of Greek (GREK*) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    60 credits of modules either within the Classics† field of study or outside of it1

†The Classics field of study is defined as including all modules that relate to any aspect of Graeco-Roman antiquity, the Ancient Near East, Ancient Egypt, the ancient languages of this area, and other Indo-European languages.

1. In Year 2 and Year 3 together, candidates may take up to 30 credits (in total, not per year) of modules entirely outside the Classics field of study.

BA Greek with Latin / BA Latin with Greek

Candidates taking a Greek with Latin degree must normally pass at least 30 credits of Greek (GREK-) and at least 30 credit of Latin (LATN-) at the appropriate level in Year 1. Candidates may then drop Latin in Year 2, but must normally pass at least 45 credits of Greek in Year 2 and at least 60 credits of Greek in Year 3.

The rules for the Latin with Greek degree are the same, substituting 'Latin' for 'Greek'.

Greek with Latin

YEAR 1

  • COMPULSORY
    CLAS0005 Interpreting Greek Literature (15 credits)
    CLAS0006 Interpreting Latin Literature (15 credits)
    GREK0008 Advanced Greek A & B (30 credits)
    30 credits of Latin (LATN*) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    30 credits of modules either within the Classics* field of study or outside of it

YEAR 2

  • COMPULSORY
    CLAS0020 Classics and Literary Theory (15 credits)
    45 credits of Greek (GREK*) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    60 credits of modules either within the Classics* field of study or outside of it1

YEAR 3/4

  • COMPULSORY
    At least 60 credits of Greek (GREK*) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    60 credits of modules either within the Classics* field of study or outside of it1

Latin with Greek

YEAR 1    

  • COMPULSORY
    CLAS0005 Interpreting Greek Literature (15 credits)
    CLAS0006 Interpreting Latin Literature (15 credits)
    LATN0005 Advanced Latin A & B (30 credits)
    30 credits of Greek (GREK*) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    30 credits of modules either within the Classics* field of study or outside of it

YEAR 2    

  • COMPULSORY    
    CLAS0020 Classics and Literary Theory (15 credits)
    45 credits of Latin (LATN*) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    60 credits of modules either within the Classics* field of study or outside of it1

YEAR 3/4

  • COMPULSORY
    At least 60 credits of Latin (LATN*) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    60 credits of modules either within the Classics* field of study or outside of it1

 *The Classics field of study is defined as including all courses that relate to any aspect of Graeco-Roman antiquity, the Ancient Near East, Ancient Egypt, the ancient languages of this area, and other Indo-European languages.

1. In Year 2 and Year 3 together, candidates may take up to 30 credits (in total, not per year) of modules entirely outside the Classics field of study.

Study/Year Abroad Rules

There are different academic requirements during the Year Abroad for students who began their degrees in 2015/16 and earlier, and for students beginning their degrees in 2016/17 and afterr. The differences will be noted where relevant below.

a) These degrees have the same rules as three-year Classics and Ancient World degrees (respectively) in Year 1, Year 2 and Year 4 (where the rules for Year 3 of three-year degrees apply), except that, in Years 1 and 2, candidates must study at the appropriate level the language of the country they intend to visit in Year 3.

b) Progression to Year 3 Study/Year Abroad is subject to satisfactory performance in Years 1 and 2, especially in relevant modern language courses. Students must be of good academic standing, and requirements for progression must be met. Additionally, students must have completed the 'Preparation for Study Abroad Programme' in the spring of Year 2.

c) Candidates who began their degrees in 2015/16 or earlier must take CLAS3902 Year Abroad Dissertation (30 credits) and 2 'shell-course units' in Year3.

d) For these candidates, progression to Year 4 is conditional on completion and passing of CLAS3902 and on the completion of the 2 'shell-course units'.

e) For candidates who began their degrees in 2015/16 or earlier, assessment of the degree as a whole is as for the 3-Year Classics and Ancient World Degrees, except that CLAS3902 counts as fifth Year 4 unit.

f) Candidates beginning their degrees in 2016/17 or later must take 2 'shell-course units' in Year 3, CLAS0144 and CLAS0145. For these candidates, progression to Year 4 is conditional on the completion of CLAS0144 and CLAS0145.

g) For candidates beginning their degrees in 2016/17, assessment of the degree as a whole is as for the 3-Year Classics and Ancient World Degrees.

h) Candidates who have not previously studied the modern language of the country they intend to visit must complete at least 45 credits of this language during Years 1 and 2 (i.e. 45 credits across the two years, not 45 credits each year) or provide satisfactory documentation of an equivalent engagement with this language outside of the UCL course units at the end of each academic year (e.g. via external language classes or tutoring). Where the Year/Study Abroad placement is taught in English, the equivalent number of credits must be completed in the language and/or culture of the country offering that placement.

i) Candidates who have a GCSE or A-Level in the modern language of the country they intend to visit must complete at least 30 credits of this language during Years 1 and 2 (with at least 15 credits in Year 2) or provide satisfactory documentation of an equivalent engagement with this language outside of the UCL course units at the end of each academic year (e.g. via external language classes or tutoring). Exceptionally, by the permission of the Year Abroad Tutor this requirement can be reduced to 15 credits in Year 2 (or equivalent) for those who have an A-Level (or equivalent).

j) Subject to the approval of their Degree Tutor, candidates may be permitted to take 30 credits of the language (or literature taught in the original language) of their Year 3 Host country at an appropriate level in Year 4 (in addition to selection of modules outside the Classics/Ancient World field of study permitted under the degree rules).

Joint Degree: Ancient Languages

These rules refer to the GREEK AND LATIN side of your degree:

YEAR 1    

  • COMPULSORY
    CLAS0009 Introduction to the Study of Language (15 credits)30 credits of Latin (LATN-) or Greek (GREK-) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    up to 45 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy)

YEAR 2    

  • COMPULSORY
    30 credits of Latin (LATN-) or Greek (GREK-) modules
  • OPTIONAL
    30 credits of Latin (LATN-) or Greek (GREK-) modules TAKEN AS A THIRD LANGUAGEup to 30 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy)

YEAR 3/4    

COMPULSORY    30 credits of Latin (LATN-) or Greek (GREK-) modules
OPTIONAL    up to 60 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy)

Joint Degree: Philosophy and Greek

These rules refer to the GREEK side of your degree:

YEAR 1    

COMPULSORY    CLAS0005 Interpreting Greek Literature (15 credits)30 credits of Greek (GREK-) modules15 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy)
YEAR 2    

COMPULSORY    CLAS0020 Classics and Literary Theory (15 credits)30 credits of Greek (GREK-) modules
OPTIONAL    up to 15 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy)
YEAR 3    

COMPULSORY    30 credits of Greek (GREK-) modules
OPTIONAL    up to 30 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy)

SELCS Language (French/German/Italian and Latin etc.) degree

These rules refer to the LATIN side of your degree:

YEAR 1    
COMPULSORY    
CLAS0006 Interpreting Latin Literature (15 credits)

30 credits of Latin (LATN-) modules

15 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy) - this may be substituted with a 15 credit ELCS module (in which case a further ELCS elective can only be taken from the modern language side of your degree in Year 2)

YEAR 2    
COMPULSORY    
CLAS0020 Classics and Literary Theory (15 credits)

30 credits of Latin (LATN-) modules

15 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy) - this may be substituted with a 15 credit ELCS module (only if you did not take an ELCS elective from the Latin side of your degree in Year 1)

YEAR 3    
COMPULSORY    
30 credits of Latin (LATN-) modules

30 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy)

BA Languages and Culture

These rules refer to the GREEK/LATIN side of your degree:

YEAR 1    

COMPULSORY    30 credits of Latin (LATN-) or Greek (GREK-) modules Plus, if Latin/Greek is your main language15 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy)
YEAR 2    

COMPULSORY    30 credits of Latin (LATN-) or Greek (GREK-) modules15 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy) (this is optional if Latin/Greek is your second language.)
YEAR 4    

COMPULSORY (only if Latin/Greek is your main language)    30 credits of Latin (LATN-) or Greek (GREK-) modules15 credits of modules from Greek and Latin (GREK-, LATN-, CLAS- and approved modules from History, Archaeology or Philosophy)

    If Latin/Greek is your second language, you may take up to 60 credits of modules from the relevant language (LATN- or GREK-)

BA Latin or Greek and English

These three-year degree programmes offer students the opportunity to study Latin or Greek and English in parallel, and to gain knowledge of two diverse bodies of language, literature and culture, and the relations between them. The programmes allow students to develop their skills in criticism and expression, cultural self-awareness and comparison. The degree is administered by the Department of Greek and Latin, with teaching shared equally between Greek and Latin and the English Department.

YEAR 1    
COMPULSORY    
30 credits of Latin or Greek at a level appropriate to your experience (LATN**** / GREK****);

CLAS0005 Interpreting Greek Literature or CLAS0006 Interpreting Latin Literature; 15 credits from Greek and Latin courses at the appropriate level, either in the original or in translation ENGL0047 Narrative Texts and ENGL0052 Intellectual and Cultural Sources

YEAR 2    
COMPULSORY    
30 credits of Latin or Greek at a level appropriate to your experience (LATN**** / GREK****); CLAS0020 Classics and Literary Theory (15 credits).

60 credits at level 5 or above from the wide range of second- and third-year modules available in UCL English (excluding Critical Commentary and Analysis) OR 30 credits from English and CLAS0147 Classical Poetry and its Reception in English Literature (if running). Students on this degree programme may not take elective modules in other departments.

OPTIONAL    15 credits from all Greek and Latin modules, either in the original or in translation; 60 credits of modules from the wide range of second- and third-year courses available in UCL English (excluding Critical Commentary and Analysis). Students on this degree programme may not take elective modules in other departments.
YEAR 3    
COMPULSORY    
30 credits of Latin or Greek at a level appropriate to your experience (LATN**** / GREK****); 15 credits Latin or Greek and English extended essay (GREK0012/LATN0012). 

CLAS0147 Classical Poetry and its Reception in English Literature (30 credits) may also be taken as part of the 30 classics credits, in cases where students’ extended essay (GREK0012 or LATN0012) has a significant element of analysis of Greek or Latin texts in the original language, and therefore is deemed to fulfil the requirement for 15 of the 30 compulsory GREK****/LATN*** credits

OPTIONAL    15 credits from all Greek and Latin modules, either in the original or in translation, at level 5 or above; 60 credits at level 5 or above from the wide range of second- and third-year modules available in UCL English (excluding Critical Commentary and Analysis) OR 30 credits from English and CLAS0147 Classical Poetry and its Reception in English Literature (if running). Students on this degree programme may not take elective modules in other departments.

Recommended modules outside of Department of Greek and Latin

ALL modules offered in the Department of Greek and Latin qualify as belonging to the 'ancient world' and 'classic' fields.

Any modules outside the Ancient World or Classics subject areas must be taken as elective options.

Please note; 

  • that in every category appropriate intercollegiate modules will also be considered for credit within the 'ancient world' or 'classics' subject area. The same rules for substitution apply to intercollegiate as to UCL modules.
  • the below list is indicative and not all modules are guaranteed to run every year. Please use the UCL module catalogue where you can search for the wide range of available modules by Department, level, term and keyword. 
LANGUAGE 
all languages of the Ancient Mediterranean world (broadly defined in terms of space as from the Atlantic to India, and in time from the third millennium BCE to c. 800 CE), e.g.

· Ancient Greek and Latin (Ancient, Mediaeval, Neo-Latin)

· Egyptian

· Biblical Hebrew

· Classical Arabic

· Ancient Near Eastern Languages (Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite, Ugaritic, Old Persian, etc.)

· Sanskrit

LITERATURE AND CULTURE IN TRANSLATION 

modules on the literatures of any of the mentioned languages (or other languages/cultures of the same geographic/chronological span). Modules on Mediaeval or Modern literature (in translation or in the original) will be considered as 'ancient' only if they have a significant 'ancient world' component. Courses in Hebrew and Jewish studies will also qualify if they concentrate primarily on Jewish culture of the ancient world.

 
HISTORY 
Primarily for first-year students:

HIST0010 Sources for Greek History (module suspended for 2020-21)

HIST0009 The Romans and Their Past

HIST0152 The Roman empire from Augustus to Theodosius I

HIST0154 The Hellenistic World from Alexander to the end of the Attalid Kingdom

HIST0164 Bronze Age States in the Ancient Middle East

For second-year students

HIST0019 An Economic History of Ancient Greece

HIST0023 Asia, the Aegean, Europe: Dividing the World in Ancient Greece

For second- and third-year students

HIST0221 Slavery in the Classical World

HIST0224 Ancient Youth

HIST0228 Ancient Greek Religion of the Archaic and Classical Period

PHILOSOPHY 
(* appropriate to 1st-year students)

PHIL0001* Introduction to Ancient Philosophy

PHIL0017 Topics in Greek Philosophy: Plato

PHIL0030 Topics in Aristotle

PHIL0044 Aristotle's Moral Psychology

ARCHAEOLOGY 
(most Mediterranean modules are acceptable, but some world archaeology modules on comparable cultures elsewhere are also permitted. Technical archaeological modules e.g. Fieldwork or Archaeometallurgy, can be taken, but should be taken as options outside the Ancient World field. NB * appropriate to 1st-year students).

ARCL0001* Introduction to Roman Archaeology

ARCL0004* World Archaeology (ii): From early states to globalization

ARCL0005* Introduction to Greek Archaeology

ARCL0007* Introduction to Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology

ARCL0008* Introduction to European Prehistory

ARCL0009* Texts in Archaeology

ARCL0042 Theory and Method for the Archaeology of the Ancient World

ARCL0028 The Prehistoric Mediterranean

ARCL0075 Economy and Trade in the Mediterranean Iron Age

ARCL0066 The Emergence of Bronze Age Aegean States

ARCL0033 Archaeology of the Near East from prehistory to 2000 BC

ARCL0020 Archaeology of Ancient Egypt

Language

ARCL0044 Introduction to Ancient Egyptian

ARCL0080 Old and Middle Egyptian Texts

ARCL0017 Greek Art and Architecture

ARCL0018 Roman Art and Architecture

ARCL0015 Roman Coinage

ARCL0028 The Prehistoric Mediterranean

ARCL0064 Selected topics in the archaeology of the Later Roman Empire

ARCL0066 The Emergence of Bronze Age Aegean States