Join the likes of former classics students Tom Hiddleston and J.R.R. Tolkien, on an educational odyssey through ancient Greek and Roman culture.
Classics is a diverse and multidisciplinary degree – you’ll be covering the languages, literatures, history, and philosophy of ancient Greece and Rome. Graduates have a reputation for being intelligent, analytical, and articulate.
Career paths for classics students are varied, and can include writing, law, heritage, arts, academia, business, finance, marketing, the public sector and more. You could also decide to go into teaching or study for a master’s or PhD.
15 months after studying, 56.1% of classics graduates are employed, and 15.4% are in further study (JISC).
The impact you could make
- Become a museum curator and oversee the acquisition and display of Greek or Roman artefacts.
- Use your linguistics and written skills as a marketing executive, developing campaigns for a product you love.
- Join the civil service and make a difference, whether in human resources, commercial, or the diplomatic service.
What you could study
- Latin language
- Greek language
- Greek drama: tragedy and comedy
- The ancient novel
- Metamorphosis
- Iliad
- Aeneid
- Sculpture
- Ancient Greek philosophy: the pre-Socratic to Aristotle, and beyond
- Greek and Roman mythology
Example module
“I loved studying Seneca and his philosophy, The Artistic Mind – Graeco-Roman art and its reception, as well as Greek Epic Poetry and Greek Tragedy.”
Third year classics student, University of Manchester
Example assignment
"A research essay exploring the positive and negative aspects of Ostracism in ancient Athens.”
First year ancient history student, Swansea University
Latin
Ancient Greek
English literature
History
Philosophy
Sociology
Hard skills you'll develop
- Data analysis
- Project management
- Language skills
- Marketing
Soft skills you'll develop
- Research
- Communication
- Presentations
- Self-motivation
Available jobs
14.146 vacancies in the past year
4.17% growth over next eight years
Average salary
£28,024
Up to £51,874
What is a… heritage manager?
You may be able to guess but a heritage manager looks after sights of historic interest, like museums, buildings, gardens, and monuments. As well as overseeing the maintenance and conservation of these sites, they’re responsible for running them efficiently, including managing staff and budgets, attracting visitors, and advocating for the site publicly. Your knowledge of Greek and Roman history and culture could play a useful role at a relevant museum or historical site.
Getting in: Entry requirements
Find out more about what you'll need to study classics at university or as an apprenticeship.
Average requirements for undergraduate degrees
Entry requirements differ between university and course, but this should give you a guide to what is usually expected from classics applicants.
A levels
ABB
Scottish Highers
AABBB
Vocational
BTEC DDD
Other Level 3/Level 6 qualifications (e.g. Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma or SQCF Level 6) may be accepted as an alternative
Other subjects you may be interested in
- Archaeology
- History
- History of art
- Languages
- Law
- Philosophy
- Politics
- Psychology
- Religion and theology
- Sociology
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The ENTIRE story of Greek Mythology explained
If you want to sound like you know what you’re talking about, try these YouTube explainers from The Life Guide on all things Greek mythology. -
Satura Lanx - beginner-friendly Latin
If you’re not already studying Latin, try these beginners’ speaking guides to give a flavour of this ancient language. -
Greek Sculpture: Painted Marble, not White!
The World History Encyclopedia on YouTube has all sorts of videos on ancient Greece and Rome, but why not start with this one about Greek sculpture. -
You're Dead to Me
You’ll find several episodes of this amusing podcast relevant to studying classics, starting with this one about Atlantis.
85% of students
are highly likely to recommend Classics to others
(UCAS subject guide survey 2023)
Skills, experiences, and interests to mention
- Give admissions tutors a reason why you want to study classics. Are there books that inspired you as a child? Do you love history, or a certain aspect of ancient Greek or Roman culture? What do you hope to learn on this course?
- You’ll need to be self-motivated and able to work independently to deadlines. Give an example of when you’ve done this, whether for your exams or teaching yourself a skill like guitar or coding.
- You’ll also need to read a lot and critique texts – think of how you can show this, through acclaim you’ve had for schoolwork or mentioning books you’ve enjoyed reading and why.
- Show your aptitude for languages. If you haven’t studied Latin or Greek, maybe you’ve learned French, Spanish, or German. Have you spent any time studying abroad or using your languages regularly?
- You’ll also need to be articulate and learn good presentation skills. Have you been a member of a drama club or debating club? Have you given a speech before, or a presentation at college or a local youth group?
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