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Classics and the Ancient World BA

London, Bloomsbury

Study the ancient world and develop expertise in at least one ancient language through this degree that nurtures key transferable skills. UCL's three-year Classics and Ancient World BA is taught by expert academics in small groups, and you’ll also be within walking distance of many of London’s unrivalled resources on the ancient world. Graduates go on to work in a wide range of sectors, including education, financial services, publishing and hospitality.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
3 academic years
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£9,790
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£32,000
Programme starts
September 2026
Application deadline
14 Jan 2026
UCAS course code
Q802

Entry requirements

A levels IB Diploma Other qualifications
Grades
AAB
Subjects

Language and Literature route: Ancient/Classical Greek or Latin at grade A required

Literature, History, Archaeology route: no subject requirements

Ancient Middle Eastern Studies route: no subject requirements.

GCSEs
English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4.

Contextual offer information

Grades
BBB more about contextual offers
Subjects
Language and Literature route: Ancient/Classical Greek or Latin required; Literature, History, Archaeology route: no subject requirements; Ancient Middle Eastern Studies route: no subject requirements.
GCSEs
English Language at grade B or 6 and Mathematics at grade C or 4.
Points
36
Subjects
A total of 17 points in three higher level subjects with no higher level score below 5. Language and Literature route: Ancient/Classical Greek or Latin at higher level grade 6 required; Literature, History, Archaeology route: No subject requirements; Ancient Middle Eastern Studies route: No subject requirements.

Contextual offer

Points
32 more about contextual offers
Subjects
A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects including Greek or Latin at grade 6, with no higher level score below 5. Language and Literature route: Ancient/Classical Greek or Latin at higher level grade 6 required; Literature, History, Archaeology route: No subject requirements; Ancient Middle Eastern Studies route: No subject requirements.

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 30 credits at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units. Please note, where subject specific requirements are stipulated at A level we may review your Access to HE syllabus to ensure you meet the subject specific requirements prior to a final decision being communicated.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

D3,D3,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, including Latin or Greek at D3

A,A,B at Advanced Highers (or A,A at Advanced Higher and B,B,B at Higher), including Latin or Greek at grade A 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. Access UCL is our contextual offer scheme for applicants from groups that are underrepresented at UCL. We assess your eligibility for Access UCL based on the information contained within your UCAS application. We review and update our Access UCL eligibility criteria and datasets every year, so please check the requirements for the year you plan to apply.
Check your Access UCL Scheme eligibility

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 3

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 main focus of this programme is the study of ancient languages and literature in the context of all aspects of the ancient world, in its full chronological, geographical and methodological range. 

You develop a sophisticated approach to the ancient world, expressing your own ideas in essays for individual modules and a final-year dissertation.

The compulsory modules ensure a broad understanding of the ancient world and familiarity with at least one ancient language, and some involve research skills training.

The wide range of optional modules includes ancient language and literature, philosophy and science, ancient history and the various branches of archaeology.

There are three specialist routes that you can take: the Language and Literature route involves the study of ancient Greek and Latin, including the great works of classical literature and all aspects of the ancient world. The Literature, History, Archaeology route explores the history, culture and archaeology of the ancient world including the lesser-known but impressive ancient Middle Eastern cultures as well as ancient Greece and Rome. You also learn at least one ancient language. Finally, the Middle Eastern Studies route provides an in-depth study of the ancient Middle East, covering the languages, history and archaeology of the area, where you may concentrate on specific languages and cultures.

The programme also allows you to take modules from outside the area of Classics and the Ancient World, for example in medieval or modern history, history of science or computing. 

What this course will give you

UCL is ranked in the top seven universities in the UK for Classics by the Guardian University Guide 2025. Classics and the Ancient World is run by the Department of Greek and Latin. We are a collaborative department, working closely with our colleagues in History and Archaeology, as well as other departments, including Hebrew and Jewish Studies, Philosophy, and English.

You join a large cohort of students who share your interest in the ancient world and will have access to an unparalleled range of options, from Roman Love Poetry to Greek Palaeography, from Ancient Greek Religion to Roman Epic, from Hittite to Egyptian Archaeology.

UCL has excellent library facilities, and is ideally situated close to world-renowned resources such as the British Museum, the British Library and the Institute of Classical Studies.

The lively student-run Classics Society organises an annual Classical play (a Greek or Latin drama in translation), which is performed at the Bloomsbury Theatre, as well as other events.

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 Classics and the Ancient World.

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.

In the first year, all students on this degree programme take the compulsory module ‘Approaches to Studying Classics and the Ancient World’, which introduces you to all the sub-disciplines of study of the Ancient World: the term ‘Classics’ and its definition, the history or scholarship, methods and approaches in each subfield, key reference works and databases as well as research skills.

Across all years of study, you take a certain number of modules in the areas of language and literature. In the final year, supported by a tutor, you write a final-year dissertation on a topic of your choice and in line with the specialism of your programme route.

Please see the Greek and Latin departmental page for specific details about the compulsory modules for each specialist route.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Compulsory modules





Optional modules

Introductory Hittite A

Introductory Sanskrit


Greek Comedy







The Emergence of Bronze Age Aegean Civilisation

The Archaeology of Etruscan Italy

Language and Script in the Archaeology of Egypt and Sudan

Introduction to the Study of Judaism


Biblical Aramaic

Syriac


Roman Democracy: Myth or Reality?

An Economic History of Ancient Greece

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

The Greek World from the end of the Persian wars to the Battle of Chaeronea (479-338 BC)

King's College: Augustus: Power and Propaganda (Essay)

King's College: Homer


Compulsory modules



Your learning

You are taught through lectures, seminars and small-group work. Some modules involve direct study of artefacts (in the collections of the British Museum, for example).

Typical contact hours vary between 8-12 hours per week, depending on the year of study and module choice, and include lectures, seminars, practice-based activities and e-learning activities. Students will also pursue independent study (25-30 hours per week), for example, by engaging with key topics and required readings in preparation for class discussion.

Assessment

Most modules are assessed by a combination of in-course assessments (usually essays) and end-of-year written examinations. Some modules are assessed solely by one of these methods. 

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Visit us

All open days and events

Archaeology G6 LT, Gordon Square (31-34) & (14) Taviton Street, WC1H 0PY - Open day

UCL Classics and the Ancient World Taster Day

—

This event is designed for school students who would like to find out more about studying ancient Greece, Rome and the ancient Middle East at university. Learn about our degree structures and module choices. Chat with students from our Department about their experiences studying at UCL. There will be a Q&A session with both staff and students. Our academic specialists will deliver two sample lectures to give you a taste of what to expect during your degree.

Online - Open day

Greek and Latin information video

Watch this video to find out more about Greek and Latin at UCL, including entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.

Watch on demand event

The foundation of your career

The Classics and the Ancient World BA is a rigorous and broad-ranging degree which qualifies you for a remarkably wide variety of jobs. The department and the Classics Society host regular talks from former students, which may help guide you in your future career choices.

Approximately 70% of UCL Greek and Latin graduates went on to postgraduate study or graduate level work in a variety of fields including: teaching, law, IT, accountancy, marketing, financial services, the creative arts, the media, the voluntary sector, policy and government.*

*Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017 - 2022 cohorts.

Employability

This BA develops keys skills in critical reflection on foreign cultures, in language acquisition, and in creative thinking. You leave with a training in research, including the ability to engage with and evaluate large bodies of complex evidence; to apply appropriate methodologies in the selection of relevant material; and to marshal arguments clearly in written form. These skills equip you with a rich multidisciplinary foundation on which to build a career, and are greatly valued by a wide range of employers. 

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £9,790
Tuition fees (2026/27) £32,000

UK undergraduate fees for 2026/27 are subject to parliamentary approval 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.

International undergraduate students benefit from a cohort guarantee unless indicated below, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

International fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2026/27 entrants.

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

The department strives to keep additional costs low, within the range of £50-£100. There may be site visits within central London, incurring travel and entry costs. Some modules may require specific books, but purchase is not mandatory as copies are also available in the library. Module descriptions and recommended texts are outlined each year on the Greek and Latin website, normally from February of the preceding academic year.

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.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

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 to select candidates who, in addition to academic achievement, demonstrate intellectual curiosity about the ancient world and are open to new ideas; who are committed to language learning and textual analysis; and who are interested in the reverberations of the ancient world in the modern world.  

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.

Each application is carefully assessed. Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants will be asked to specify their preferred route on receipt of application. Offer holders will be invited to an open day, which will include a Q&A with staff and current students where applicants can discuss the degree programme, studying at UCL, living in London, and take a tour of the campus.

Download prospectus

Got questions? Get in touch

Greek and Latin
Greek and Latin

classics.office@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.