Classical Civilisation BA (UCAS Q820)
Discover more about our Classical Civilisation degree at Warwick
Fascinated by the ancient world? Searching for a Classics degree that develops advanced skills in critical analysis, communication and creative thinking? Our flexible Classical Civilisation degree is devoted to studying the literature, history, philosophy, languages, art and archaeology of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds.
General entry requirements
A level typical offer
AAB. You will also need grade C or grade 4 in GCSE Mathematics (or equivalent).
A level contextual offer
We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is BBB. See if you're eligible.
General GCSE requirements
Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
IB typical offer
34. You will also need grade C or grade 4 in GCSE Mathematics (or equivalent).
IB contextual offer
We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is 30. See if you're eligible.
General GCSE requirements
Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
We welcome applications from students taking BTECs alongside A levels.
General GCSE requirements
Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
International qualifications
English Language requirements
All applicants have to meet our English Language requirements. If you cannot demonstrate that you meet these, you may be invited to take part in our Pre-sessional English course at WarwickLink opens in a new window.
This course requires: Band B
Learn more about our English Language requirementsLink opens in a new window
Frequently asked questions
Warwick may make differential offers to students in a number of circumstances. These include students participating in a Widening Participation programme or who meet the contextual data criteria.
Differential offers will usually be one or two grades below Warwick’s standard offer.
All students who successfully complete the Warwick IFP and apply to Warwick through UCAS will receive a guaranteed conditional offer for a related undergraduate programme (selected courses only).
Find out more about standard offers and conditions for the IFP.
We welcome applications for deferred entry.
We do not typically interview applicants. Offers are made based on your UCAS form which includes predicted and actual grades, your personal statement and school reference.
Course overview
This wide-ranging, flexible degree is devoted to the study of the literature, history, philosophy, languages, art and archaeology of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds.
The course allows you to choose from a wide range of topics - such as gender and sexuality in antiquity, democracy and imperialism, ancient Greek theatre, Roman laughter, or the history of medicine - and to develop skills in literary criticism and historical analysis as well as in theoretical and interdisciplinary approaches to the subject.
Teaching is varied, innovative and interactive, and our students benefit from many hands-on learning experiences, including recreating the experience of a Greek symposium, visiting historical sites and museums in the UK, and taking part in our annual classical play.
Core first-year modules provide a grounding in approaches to Greek and Roman culture and society, and the opportunity to delve into the wide range of ancient literature and thought. You also have the option to learn an ancient language or take an external module.
Study abroad
Our Classical Civilisation with Study in Europe degree enables you to spend your third year studying classical subjects at one of our partner universities, before returning for your final year at Warwick.
Currently, placements are available in Bologna, Padua, Rome or Venice, with recent confirmation of new placements in Berlin and Tübingen, Germany. Confirmation of available placements will be made in your second year.
Alternatively, you may choose to spend a year at a partner university which teaches in English, at the end of your second year. The Study Abroad Team based in the Office for Global Engagement offers support for these activities, and the Department's dedicated Study Abroad Co-ordinator can provide more specific information and assistance.
Core modules
All our degrees involve core modules in your first year, alongside a choice of optional modules, which broaden your knowledge of the ancient world and also allow you the chance to acquire knowledge in Greek or Latin, if desired. In subsequent years, you build on what you have learnt through a choice of modules, which allow you to engage in your own way with the civilisations of the Ancient Mediterranean.
Each year students may take one 30-CAT module or two 15-CAT modules from outside the department. For example, you might choose an interdisciplinary module from the Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning or another academic department.
Year One
Greek Culture and Society/Roman Culture and Society
You will study both these modules, which explore the central features of Greek and Roman culture, including aspects such as religion and festivals, political institutions, women and the family, and death. This grounding will allow you to delve further into specific topics in your Honours modules, as well as encouraging you to consider the degrees of continuity and difference between ancient Greek and Roman culture and our own beliefs and practices.
Read more about these modules, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022/23 year of study):
You will also have a choice of optional modules, including the following:
Encounters with Greek Texts
This module, taught in translation, introduces students to many different kinds of ancient Greek texts across a wide variety of genres and forms, including epic, drama, lyric, historiography, rhetoric. The module will also allow students to explore critically the range of methodologies and approaches used in the interpretation of ancient texts both within and beyond original cultural and political contexts.
Read more about the Encounters with Greek Texts moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022/23 year of study).
Encounters with Latin Texts
This module, taught in translation, introduces students to many different kinds of Latin texts written in a variety of genres and forms, including historiographical, epigraphic and rhetorical texts, and literary texts in poetry and prose, from the canonical to the marginal and ‘sub-literary’. As well as expanding awareness of the Latin texts classicists study across different sub-fields (for instance, philology, archaeology, ancient history), the module will explore critically the range of methodologies and approaches used in the interpretation of ancient texts in their cultural and political contexts, and allow students to test out these skills in their own responses to texts.
Read more about the Encounters with Latin Texts moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022/23 year of study).
Ancient Thought: Philosophy, Politics, Science
This module introduces students to the breadth and variety of ancient thought – investigating the ways in which the ancient Greeks and Romans articulated their thinking and their beliefs, about themselves and the worlds around them. We survey the cultural and intellectual contours of the ancient Graeco-Roman world from the presocratics through to late antiquity, and investigate not just the origins and development of philosophical thinking, but also developments in scientific investigation.
Read more about the Ancient Thought: Philosophy, Politics, Science moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022/23 year of study).
Other options include:
Encounters with Material Culture: Objects and Archaeology
This module provides you with the tools you need to approach and interpret the material culture of the ancient world, including buildings, art-works, inscriptions and everyday objects. We look at objects and buildings from their creation to their use and rediscovery, considering issues such as the materials used, production and consumption; style, form and iconography, and contexts of discovery and use. We explore the many questions we can ask of material culture, and the insights it provides into the history and society of the ancient Mediterranean.
Read more about the Encounters with Material Culture: Objects and Archaeology moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022/23 year of study).
Latin at appropriate level
Students entering with Latin A Level will take the module Latin Literary Texts. This allows you to develop your understanding of Latin by further reading of significant works by authors and in genres which, for the most part, you will not have previously studied. As well as developing your ability to read Latin more fluently and to translate from Latin, the module also teaches you advanced grammar, and offers an ambitious introduction to literary criticism and philological analysis at degree level. Students without A-level Latin will take the accelerated modules Latin Language I and II.
Read more about our modules, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022/23 year of study):
or
Greek at appropriate Level
Students with A-level Greek will take Greek Literary Texts:
The purpose of this module is to build upon your prior study, to allow you both to broaden and deepen your understanding of Greek by further reading of significant works in major genres of archaic and Classical Greek literature, and to hone skills of critical interpretation. Additionally, the module will consolidate knowledge of grammar and syntax through work in class on classical Greek prose-writing.
Students without a qualification in Greek will take Greek Language I and II:
These accelerated modules will teach you the fundamental elements of Ancient Greek in a clear and accessible way. By the end of the year you will be able you to read and translate passages of original Greek with accuracy and confidence, will have a firm knowledge of Greek vocabulary and syntax, and will be able to begin to appreciate pieces of Classical Greek prose in their original unadapted form.
Read more about our modules, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2022/23 year of study):
An approved external option, e.g. Introduction to Ancient Philosophy (taught by the Philosophy Department).
Year Two
Hellenistic World
The campaigns of Alexander the Great transformed the Greek world, creating an empire that stretched from the Adriatic to the Himalayas. Through this module, you will explore the political histories, power structures, cultural developments and ideologies of the period, and gain critical insight into the evidence from which our understanding of Hellenistic culture and history is constructed. This will lead to an increased appreciation of how the Hellenistic world helped shape the Roman world and beyond.
Read more about the Hellenistic World moduleLink opens in a new window, including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021/22 year of study).
Year Three
Optional modules
Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:
- Ancient Greek Theatre
- Greek Myth: Narratives, Sources, Approaches
- The Vulnerable Body in Roman Literature and Thought
- Africa and the Making of Classical Literature
- Roman Laughter
- Metamorphosis in Latin poetry
- Rhetorics: from Classical Rhetoric to Modern Communication
- Sexuality and Gender in Antiquity
- The Transformation of Roman Society under Augustus
- Politics and Poetics in Greek and Latin Literature
- The History of Medicine in the Ancient World
- Songs, Texts, Theories: Greek Lyric Poetry
- Horace, Authority and Authoritarianism
Assessment
You will take 120 CATS each year (through a combination of 15 and 30 CAT modules). Assessment methods include coursework submitted during the year (e.g. essays, blog posts, learning logs) and exams in the summer (100% exam for language modules).
Your second and final years contribute equally to your final degree classification.
Teaching
You will study Classics in a variety of ways through lectures, seminars, and language classes. In your final year you will write a dissertation on a topic of your own choice, with guidance from your departmental supervisor.
Class sizes
Your class sizes will vary from 6 to 80 students. Honours modules are capped at 60.
Typical contact hours
You will take four modules per term, each with 2-3 contact hours per week.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees cover the majority of the costs of your study, including teaching and assessment. Fees are charged at the start of each academic year. If you pay your fees directly to the University, you can choose to pay in instalments.
Undergraduate fees
If you are a home student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be £9,250. In the future, these fees might change for new and continuing students.
How are fees set?
The British Government sets tuition fee rates.
Undergraduate fees
If you are an overseas or EU student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be as follows:
- Band 1 – £24,800 per year (classroom-based courses, including Humanities and most Social Science courses)
- Band 2 – £31,620 per year (laboratory-based courses, plus Maths, Statistics, Theatre and Performance Studies, Economics, and courses provided by Warwick Business School, with exceptions)
Fees for 2025 entry have not been set. We will publish updated information here as soon as it becomes available, so please check back for updates about 2025 fee rates before you apply.
Fee status guidance
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.
Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?
If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.
Find out more about how universities assess fee status.Link opens in a new window
Additional course costs
As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.
For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on this web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module CatalogueLink opens in a new window (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).
Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:
- Core text books
- Printer credits
- Dissertation binding
- Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Further information
Find out more about tuition fees from our Student Finance team.
Scholarships and bursaries
Learn about scholarships and bursaries available to undergraduate students.
We offer a number of undergraduate scholarships and bursaries to full-time undergraduate students. These include sporting and musical bursaries, and scholarships offered by commercial organisations.
Find out more about funding opportunities for full-time students.Link opens in a new window
If you are an international student, a limited number of scholarships may be available.
Find out more information on our international scholarship pages.Link opens in a new window
You may be eligible for financial help from your own government, from the British Council or from other funding agencies. You can usually request information on scholarships from the Ministry of Education in your home country, or from the local British Council office.
Warwick Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarship
We believe there should be no barrier to talent. That's why we are committed to offering a scholarship that makes it easier for gifted, ambitious international learners to pursue their academic interests at one of the UK's most prestigious universities.
We provide extra financial support for qualifying students from lower income families. The Warwick Undergraduate Bursary is an annual award of up to £3,000 per annum. It is intended to help with course-related costs and you do not have to pay it back.
As part of the 'City of Sanctuary' movement, we are committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for those seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. We provide a range of scholarships to enable people seeking sanctuary or asylum to progress to access university education.
Further information
Find out more about Warwick undergraduate bursaries and scholarships.
Eligibility for student loans
Your eligibility for student finance will depend on certain criteria, such as your nationality and residency status, your course, and previous study at higher education level.
Check if you're eligible for student finance.
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your tuition fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you can receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won’t have to set up any payments.
Maintenance Loan for living costs
You can apply for a Maintenance Loan towards your living costs such as accommodation, food and bills. This loan is means-tested, so the amount you receive is partially based on your household income and whether you choose to live at home or in student accommodation.
If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you usually must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement SchemeLink opens in a new window to get student finance.
Tuition Fee Loan
If you are an EU student and eligible for student finance you may be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you may receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won't have to set up any payments.
Help with living costs
For the 2024 academic year, you may be eligible for help with your living costs if both of the following apply:
- You have lived in the UK for more than 3 years before the first day of the first academic year of your course
And
- You have Settled Status (see further details on Settled Status)Link opens in a new window
If you are coming to the UK from 1st January 2021, you may need to apply for a visaLink opens in a new window to study here.
Please note: Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Find out more about government student loans for EU studentsLink opens in a new window
Repaying your loans
You will repay your loan or loans gradually once you are working and earning above a certain amount. For students starting their course after 1 August 2023, the repayment threshold is £25,000. Repayments will be taken directly from your salary if you are an employee. If your income falls below the earnings threshold, your repayments will stop until your income goes back up above this figure.
Find out more about repaying your student loanLink opens in a new window.
Your career
Graduates from Classics courses have gone on to work for employers including:
- Acturis
- Cancer Research UK
- Comic Relief
- English Heritage
- EY
- John Lewis and Partners
- KPMG
- Teach First
- The British Museum
- Waitrose and Partners
They have pursued roles such as:
- Business and related associate professionals
- Conference and exhibition managers and organisers
- Finance and investment analysts and advisors
- Legal associate professionals
- Management consultants and business analysts
- Marketing associate professionals
- Teaching and other educational professionals
Helping you find the right career
Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant. They offer impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:
- What can you do with a Classics and Ancient History degree?
- Careers in the Creative Industries
- Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
- Next steps after your classics degree ... hear from alumni
- Networking for Classics students
Classics and Ancient History at Warwick
Take your fascination with the ancient world further.
Our Classics and Ancient History department is tailor-made for a community of curiosity. Work closely with award-winning academics while carving your own path through the varied disciplines we study - from literature and history, to philosophy and art.
Share your observations, opinions and developing interests. Develop critical and creative thinking that will prove valuable for your future – wherever in the world this might take you.
Find out more about us on our websiteLink opens in a new window
Explore our new Faculty of Arts building
The department recently moved into the brand new £57.5 million Faculty of Arts building.
This means, as an Arts student at Warwick, you’ll find your home amongst brand new teaching, learning and social spaces, including specialist facilities, all designed to support collaborative working and to enable your creativity and innovation to flourish.
The sustainably built, eight-storey building is located next to the newly refurbished Warwick Arts Centre in the heart of the University’s creative and cultural arts quarter.
Explore our new Faculty of Arts building further.
Our courses
- Ancient History and Classical Archaeology (BA)
- Ancient History and Classical Archaeology with Study in Europe (BA)
- Classical Civilisation (BA)
- Classical Civilisation with Study in Europe (BA)
- Classics (BA)
- Classics (Ancient Greek) with Study in Europe (BA)
- Classics (Latin) with Study in Europe (BA)
- Classics and English (BA)
- English and Classical Civilisation (BA)
Related degrees
Life at Warwick
Within a close-knit community of staff and students from all over the world, discover a campus alive with possibilities. A place where all the elements of your student experience come together in one place. Our supportive, energising, welcoming space creates the ideal environment for forging new connections, having fun and finding inspiration.
Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.
Warwick Accommodation
Finding the right accommodation is key to helping you settle in quickly.
We have 12 self-catering undergraduate halls of residence on campus.
Our student property management and lettings agency manages more than 8,000 rooms both on and off campus, and provides advice to all full-time undergraduates.
Our campus
You won't be short of ways to spend your time on campus - whether it's visiting Warwick Arts Centre, using our incredible new sports facilities, socialising in our bars, nightclub and cafés, or enjoying an open-air event. Or if you need some peace and quiet, you can explore lakes, woodland and green spaces just a few minutes’ walk from central campus.
Food and drink
We have lots of cafés, restaurants and shops on campus. You can enjoy great quality food and drink, with plenty of choice for all tastes and budgets. There is a convenience store on central campus, as well as two supermarkets and a small shopping centre in the nearby Cannon Park Retail Park. Several of them offer delivery services to help you stay stocked up.
And don't miss our regular food market day on the Piazza with tempting, fresh and delicious street food. Soak up the atmosphere and try something new, with mouth-watering food for all tastes.
Clubs and societies
We currently have more than 300 student-run societies.
So whether you’re into films, martial arts, astronomy, gaming or musical theatre, you can instantly connect with people with similar interests.
Or you could try something new, or even form your own society.
Sports and fitness
Staying active at Warwick is no sweat, thanks to our amazing new Sports and Wellness Hub, indoor and outdoor tennis centre, 60 acres of sports pitches, and more than 60 sports clubs.
Whether you want to compete, relax or just have fun, you can achieve your fitness goals.
Studying on campus
Our campus is designed to cater for all of your learning needs.
You will benefit from a variety of flexible, well-equipped study spaces and teaching facilities across the University.
- The Oculus, our outstanding learning hub, houses state-of-the-art lecture theatres and innovative social learning and network areas.
- The University Library provides access to over one million printed works and tens of thousands of electronic journals
- Three Learning Grids offering you flexible individual and group study spaces.
Travel and local area
Our campus is in Coventry, a modern city with high street shops, restaurants, nightclubs and bars sitting alongside medieval monuments. The Warwickshire towns of Leamington Spa and Kenilworth are also nearby.
The University is close to major road, rail and air links. London is just an hour by direct train from Coventry, with Birmingham a 20-minute trip. Birmingham International Airport is nearby (a 20-minute drive).
Wellbeing support and faith provision
Our continuous support network is here to help you adjust to student life and to ensure you can easily access advice on many different issues. These may include managing your finances and workload, and settling into shared accommodation. We also have specialist disability and mental health support teams.
Our Chaplaincy is home to Chaplains from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. We provide regular services for all Christian denominations and a Shabbat meal every Friday for our Jewish students. There is also an Islamic prayer hall, halal kitchen and ablution facilities.
How to apply
Learn more about our application process.
Key dates
Key dates for your application to Warwick.
Writing your personal statement
Make an impression and demonstrate your passion for your course.
After you've applied
Find out how we process your application.
Our Admission Statement
Read Warwick's Admission Statement
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Talk to us
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Warwick Experience
Take a virtual, student-led campus tour. Then join an interactive panel session, where you can hear from and chat to our current students and staff.
Student blogs
Explore our student blogs in OurWarwick. You can read about campus life from students themselves, and register to post questions directly to students.
Explore campus with our virtual tour
Our 360 tour lets you:
- Watch student videos
- View 360 photography and drone footage
- Learn about facilities and landmarks
Explore our campus virtually through our 360 campus tour now
Come to an Open Day
Don’t just take it from us, come and see for yourself what Warwick is all about. Whether it's a virtual visit or in-person, our University Open Days give you the chance to meet staff and students, visit academic departments, tour the campus and get a real feel for life at Warwick.
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