Classics BA (Hons)

Our BA Classics immerses you in the Ancient Greek and Roman worlds and offers you a wealth of fascinating areas of study, including history, literature, archaeology and philosophy.<br/><br/>This classics degree enables you to develop a high level of competence in Ancient Greek and/or Latin. You can make the language and literature the main focus of your degree or use these skills to enrich your study of a wide range of complementary option modules across not only classics, but also history, archaeology, politics and philosophy. You will develop your skills in one or both languages at a range of levels and you will also have the chance to read ancient texts in depth in the original.<br/><br/>In studying for this classics degree, you will examine the nature of our understanding of the classical past and its literature. We encourage you to engage with textual material and to question accepted traditions about the past, so that you develop the ability to construct and present a convincing argument.<br/><br/>As a full-time classics student, you must have at least an introductory-level knowledge of either Greek or Latin, which can be acquired, for example, at a summer school immediately before starting the programme. Without this level of preparation, absolute beginners are encouraged to take the four-year part-time version of this course.<br/><br/>**Highlights**<br/><br/><br/>- Birkbeck was ranked in the top eight universities in the UK for its History research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.<br/><br/><br/>- Situated in historic Bloomsbury, we are at the heart of academic London with access to unparalleled research resources. Situated very close by are: the Institute of Historical Research and the Institute of Classical Studies, with their specialist libraries, training facilities and seminars; the British Museum and other world-class galleries and museums; and the British Library, the largest national library in the world.<br/><br/><br/>- In history, classics and archaeology, Birkbeck is home to thriving student societies and a number of affiliated research centres that actively run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the worlds best scholars present their latest research.<br/><br/><br/>- Get a flavour of our teaching and research in this area through the wide range of free online and in-person seminars, workshops and tasters; check out our Discover the Past and taster courses as well as events at the Raphael Samuel History Centre, a leading centre for public history which the department co-directs.<br/><br/><br/>**Careers and employability**<br/><br/>Graduates can pursue career paths in museums and galleries, research and archiving, or education. Possible professions include:<br/><br/><br/>- archivist<br/><br/><br/>- editorial assistant<br/><br/><br/>- higher education lecturer<br/><br/><br/>- museum/gallery curator.<br/><br/><br/>We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.