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Classics at Durham University - UCAS

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Our MA in Classics combines language studies with an exploration of the philosophy, history and culture of the Greek and Latin-speaking world to provide you with the academic foundations on which to build a career in research. You will take the course over one year full-time or two years part-time, starting with a language module of your choice. This is studied alongside a range of optional Classics and other Arts & Humanities modules covering a broad range of subjects including philosophy, history, literature, and visual culture. The course is taught through lectures, seminars and small group discussions and there is an emphasis on small-group teaching through the course, to encourage in-depth debate and enable you to fully engage with a range of perspectives. You will also complete a major dissertation on a subject of your choosing, supported by teaching experts with a wide range of specialisms in a department which has an established international reputation for the excellence of its academic standards. This expertise has led us to develop academic centres that have become the focus for vital research activity including the Centre for Classical Reception; the Centre for the Study of the Ancient Mediterranean and the Near East; the Centre for Language and Writing Systems; the Durham Centre for Ancient and Medieval Philosophy; and the Centre for Classics Pedagogy Education and Didactics. As well as being taught by subject-area experts in a diverse and exciting intellectual community, you will have unique access to our extensive collection featuring some 8,000 volumes of ancient texts in the original and in translation that will be ideal for research purposes. Course Structure All the MA programmes offered by the Faculty of Arts & Humanities consist of three components:

  • a Major Research Project to the value of at least 60 credits
  • Core Modules to the value of 0-90 credits, depending on the programme
  • Elective Modules, making up the total number of credits to 180; some of these modules will be defined as Recommended Electives for particular programmes.
For students studying the MA in Classics, the Dissertation (your Major Research Project (60 credits)) will be on a subject decided in consultation with your supervisor according to your research interests. It will feature an agreed framework of supervision that will build key skills for graduate research in classics and will bring together the research skills acquired through taught modules. Students can opt for the standard Dissertation in Classics and Ancient History or can choose from one of two specialisms focusing on either Greece, Rome and the Near East or Ancient Philosophy. You will also choose one or two core original language modules from the list below:
  • Latin Text Seminar (30 credits)
  • Greek Text Seminar (30 credits)
  • Latin for Research (30 credits)
  • Ancient Greek for Research (30 credits)

Modules

You will choose either 60 or 90 credits (depending on how many core modules you have selected) of elective modules from across the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, so that your total number of credits adds up to exactly 180.

Assessment method

Assessment is rigorous and includes a 15,000-word dissertation. Other forms of assessment include essays, and in some modules, examinations or oral presentations. You may also be asked to produce commentaries, which are based on independent research into a particular text and are around 5,000 words in length.


How to apply

International applicants

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

Entry requirements

A 2.1 (or overseas equivalent) degree in any discipline. A 500-word personal statement.


English language requirements

Durham University welcomes applications from all students irrespective of background. We encourage the recruitment of academically well-qualified and highly motivated students, who are non-native speakers of English, whose full potential can be realised with a limited amount of English Language training either prior to entry or through pre-sessional and/or in-sessional courses. It is the normal expectation that candidates for admission should be able to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency before the start of a programme of study, whether via the submission of an appropriate English language qualification or by attendance on an appropriate pre-sessional course. Acceptable evidence and levels required can be viewed by following the link provided.

English language requirements

https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/


Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £6900 Year 1
Northern Ireland £6900 Year 1
Scotland £6900 Year 1
Wales £6900 Year 1
Channel Islands £6900 Year 1
EU £15600 Year 1
International £15600 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase and are expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only.

Sponsorship information

For further information see the course listing.

Classics at Durham University - UCAS