Classical Studies and English Literature Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

With our BA Classical Studies and English Literature degree, explore the extraordinary legacy of the classical world and its enduring influence on modern literature and culture.

Choose BA Classical Studies and English Literature at the University of Reading

* 95% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4\*, 3\* and 2\* submissions – Classics).

* 97% of our students saying that teaching staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2025, 97.4% of responders from the Department of Classics).

* 100% of our research is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4\*, 3\* and 2\* submissions – English Language and Literature).

* 97% of our students saying that teaching staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2025, 97.4% of responders from the Department of English Literature).

* 92% of graduates from the Department of Classics and 95% of graduates from the Department of English Literature are in work and/or further study within 15 months of graduation. (Based on our analysis of HESA data, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2022/23; Department of Classics all levels of study; Department of English Literature first degree responders.)

Study texts written in every era, from ancient Greece to the Renaissance, and contemporary writing in English from across the globe.

In classical studies, you will learn about the literature, history and culture of ancient civilisations. Through the study of translated texts you can explore genres and themes like poetry, tragedy and love in classical literature, and their influence on the modern world. You can also enhance your knowledge of the ancient world through Latin and Greek language modules or gain an understanding of the period through different media, for example through drama and films from Ben-Hur to Gladiator.

In English literature, you will read more of authors and genres that you may already know (from tragedy to Gothic, from Shakespeare and Dickens to Plath and Beckett). But you will also encounter aspects of literary studies that may be less familiar to you. This may include studying topics such as children’s literature, publishing and the history of literature.

For more information, please visit our course page: https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study/study/subject-area/classics-ug/ba-classical-studies-and-english-literature