Ancient History BA
London, Bloomsbury
This is the programme information for 2026 entry
If you require details of the previous year's programme, Ancient History BA (2025), click here
How have events and developments in the distant past shaped our world? Dive into topics spanning ancient Greece, the imperial might of Rome and the history of the Middle East and Egypt from the third millennium BC to late antiquity. Working with UCL’s renowned historians, you’ll develop sought-after research and analytical skills relevant to careers in academia, law, journalism, media, creative arts, politics, health and education.
Study mode
Duration
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
Programme starts
September 2026Application deadline
14 Jan 2026UCAS course code
Entry requirements
- Grades
- AAA
- Subjects
- History, Ancient History or Classical Civilisation required.
- GCSEs
- English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
Contextual offer information
- Grades
- ABB more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- A in History, Ancient History or Classical Civilisation required.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
- Points
- 38
- Subjects
- A total of 18 points in three higher level subjects including grade 6 in History, with no higher level score below 5.
Contextual offer
- Points
- 34 more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- A total of 16 points in three higher level subjects including grade 6 in History, with no higher level score below 5.
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 33 credits at Distinction and 12 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units. Level 3 units must include elements of History or clearly demonstrated modules with historical approach.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
D3,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, including History.
AAA at Advanced Highers (or A,A at Advanced Higher and A,A,A at Higher), including History at Advanced Higher.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
International applications
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
Access and widening participation
UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates
The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.
Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.
For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.
English language requirements
The English language level for this programme is: Level 4
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Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.
A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Course overview
The Department offers modules that span over 5,000 years of history, with specialisms in the history of the ancient Middle East and the Mediterranean, the Americas, Europe's cultural and intellectual history, and imperial and transnational history.
Our modules involve project work, essay writing, and active engagement with historical resources to encourage creative lateral thinking about the past. You study key developments in the discipline of history from the ancient to the modern world, develop an understanding of the practice of history, and study the evolution of the discipline from Herodotus and Thucydides to the twenty-first century.
The flexible programme structure allows you to tailor the degree to match your intellectual interests. You can choose from various modules in ancient history, archaeology, anthropology, ancient languages (notably Greek and Latin, Sumerian, Akkadian, or Hittite) and their literature. Explore a complete list of Ancient History modules.
You learn in a supportive and inclusive environment. Our Year 1 curriculum supports your transition into higher education, introducing fundamental historical approaches and giving you the tools to write, analyse, and communicate history.
London is ‘the world’s best city for students' (QS Best Student Cities 2024). In addition to UCL's museums, including the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, you have access to some of the world's premier cultural institutions and collections, such as the British Library and British Museum. As part of the degree, you use these resources as primary source materials, participating in a public history group project in Making History.
What this course will give you
UCL's exceptional strength and formidable range of expertise in ancient history, ranging from ancient warfare to religion, epigraphy and law, means you have great scope for choice.
Our renowned academics bring their research expertise into their teaching, so you benefit from a dynamic curriculum informed by cutting-edge historical research. In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework assessment, our research was ranked first in London and fourth in the UK.
You benefit from small class sizes and receive detailed assignment feedback in one-to-one tutorials.
This degree provides excellent preparation for many diverse careers. You build a portfolio of desirable, transferable skills and have access to a dedicated careers support programme, industry connections and an alum network.
You may also apply to study abroad in your third year, but only if you have taken the 'Approaching History' module in Year 1.
Teaching and learning
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BA (Hons) in Ancient History.
Modules
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.
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In Year 1, you take two compulsory modules to develop critical skills and bridge the gap between school and university-level study. You may take a third core module or choose to substitute it for an ancient language, provided you also select an ancient language for your elective modules. You take at least one Ancient History survey module focused on a large geographical region and/or a time period, and, subject to availability and eligibility, you may be able to take a module from another department.
In Year 2, you take a compulsory Ancient History research seminar module, at least one Ancient History survey module and a module focused on a particular theme. You may also choose a further survey or thematic module or, subject to availability and eligibility, a module from another discipline.
In your final year, you complete an Ancient History dissertation and take an Ancient History special subject module based on a study of original source materials. You also take two advanced seminar modules and may take a further thematic module or, subject to availability and eligibility, a module from another department.
Optional modules
Optional modules
Optional modules
Your learning
We teach via lectures, seminars, and one-to-one tutorials. Our approach to learning emphasises active student participation in seminar discussions. Some modules, particularly in Year 1, will also include lectures. We always return your essays with constructive, personal feedback in face-to-face tutorials. We cap all our seminar groups at a maximum of 16 students and final-year dissertation subjects at 12.
Typical contact hours vary between 8 and 12 hours per week, depending on the year of study and module choice, and include lectures, seminars, practicals, and workshops. Students also undertake independent study of approximately 20-25 hours per week, for example, by engaging with key topics and required readings in preparation for the discussions promoted in the programme and for assessments and e-learning activities.
Assessment
Your work is assessed by a mixture of examinations, written coursework and other outputs. Significant weight is given to an extended essay based on original sources produced in your final year.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.
The foundation of your career
UCL Ancient History graduates have gone on to postgraduate study and diverse careers, including in the arts, museums, libraries, heritage, IT and technology, health and social care. (Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of graduates in the 2017-2021 cohorts.)
Employability
We have designed our programme to teach many transferable skills, including:
- How to gather, organise and analyse evidence,
- How to persuade an audience using a structured argument and clear written and oral communication, and
- How to deploy a global outlook and intercultural awareness to collaborate with diverse people.
You graduate with skills that are extremely desirable to employers across various sectors.
Fees and funding
Fees for this course
| Fee description | Full-time |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees (2025/26) | £9,535 |
| Tuition fees (2025/26) | £29,800 |
Fees are for Undergraduate 2025/26 entry and are for the first year only. Fees for subsequent years may be subject to increase: Student Terms and Conditions. UK fees are in line with the Government announcement on fee cap increases and are subject to the passing of secondary legislation. Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2025/26 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.
Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.
Additional costs
There are no programme-specific additional costs for this programme.
However, if you wish to study abroad during your programme at UCL, this will incur additional costs. Studying abroad may cost between £200–£1,000 per month depending on where you choose to study. You also need to pay a percentage of your tuition fee to UCL (15% Home students and 50% OS students). The cost of studying abroad can be difficult to predict as it will depend on your priorities and choices. There is more information available on the UCL Study Abroad website.
For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).
Funding your studies
Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.
Scholarships
The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.
Next steps
Your application
We seek intellectually ambitious applicants who express a genuine interest in studying history and can evidence independent engagement with the subject. We are interested in hearing about your opinions and experience. For instance, if you have undertaken additional reading, tell us what you thought about the topic discussed. Relevant skills include communication, critical evaluation and creative thinking.
How to apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Selection
For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.
We are keen to attract students from a wide range of backgrounds as this helps us to maintain an intellectually and socially stimulating community. Applicants will typically have studied History, Ancient History, Classics, English and related subjects. Studying a language at a higher level is also an advantage.
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