Classics BA (Hons)

Our BA Classics immerses you in the cultures and languages of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. The deep knowledge you will gain of ancient Greek and/or the Latin language will enrich your study of a wealth of options in ancient history, literature, archaeology and philosophy.<br/><br/><strong>Why choose this course?</strong><br/><br/><br/>• This course enables you to combine advanced study of ancient Greek and/or Latin with wide-ranging study of Greek and Roman culture and society.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• You will develop specialist knowledge as well as transferable skills in analysing a wide range of complex and ambiguous evidence to develop nuanced and persuasive arguments. These are attractive to employers seeking graduates who can build, defend and adapt complex arguments, for example, in law, business or the civil service.<br/><br/><br/><br/>• You will learn from dedicated and experienced lecturers pursuing their own original research into the ancient world and its impact.<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>What you will learn</strong><br/><br/>You will acquire an advanced knowledge of one or two ancient languages, giving you new insights into the complex workings of language, grammar and rhetoric in the modern world.<br/><br/>You will also compare ancient Greek and Roman culture and society, gaining a subtle understanding of the interconnections between language, identity, knowledge and literature. You will connect these ancient civilisations and their literatures with other periods of history. <br/><br/><strong>How you will learn</strong><br/><br/>You will learn through interactive classes and seminars. Our ancient Greek and Latin teaching is flexible so that you study at the appropriate level for you each year. We have a supportive environment with teaching in small groups tailored to your needs and priorities.<br/><br/>In your final year, you will devise your own dissertation project supervised by one of our subject specialists. <br/><br/>This course is available to study full- or part-time. <strong>It has an evening timetable with classes taking place in the evening.</strong><br/><br/>If you decide to study full-time, you must have at least an introductory-level knowledge of either Greek or Latin. If you are a beginner you should take the four-year part-time course.<br/><br/><strong>Highlights</strong><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/><br/>• Situated in historic Bloomsbury, we are at the heart of academic London with access to unparalleled research resources. 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/><br/>• The School of Historical Studies at 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/><br/><strong>Careers and employability</strong><br/><br/>On successfully graduating from this BA Classics, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including: <br/><br/><br/>- a sophisticated use of written and spoken English<br/><br/><br/>- an advanced critical ability in understanding and applying complex theories, both ancient and modern<br/><br/><br/>- facility and precision in the use of analytical tools<br/><br/><br/>- strong skills and initiative in collecting and organising complex materials and writing up clear, well-presented reports or fluent critical arguments.<br/><br/><br/>You may go on to work in research, archiving, law, or academia. Possible professions include:<br/><br/><br/>- archivist<br/><br/><br/>- editorial assistant<br/><br/><br/>- higher education lecturer<br/><br/><br/>- museum or gallery curator.<br/><br/><br/>Graduates from this course have also gone on to further studies at Master’s level, or are now pursuing career paths in:<br/><br/><br/>- the civil service<br/><br/><br/>- arts, heritage and museums<br/><br/><br/>- teaching in primary or secondary schools<br/><br/><br/>- libraries<br/><br/><br/>- city firms<br/><br/><br/>- recruitment firms<br/><br/><br/>- self-employed entrepreneurship. <br/>