Classics and Ancient History, MA

Using the Past to Inform Your Future

Swansea University students at Messene Odeon

Course Overview

The MA in Classics and Ancient History is a research-led and dynamic course that offers modules covering the cultures, histories, and literatures of ancient Greece, the Roman world, the Levant, and the Near East, drawing on the expertise of internationally recognised scholars.

The programme also allows you to explore how many aspects of the modern world have their roots in the languages, literatures, histories and cultures of the Classical world.

Throughout your studies, you are encouraged to build a methodological awareness as you are introduced to key concepts and interpretative techniques, which have shaped the modern study of ancient civilisations.

You will hone the specialist research skills needed for high-level work in a variety of fields related to the subjects of Classics and Ancient History.

Why Classics and Ancient History at Swansea?

You will study on our stunning Singleton Park campus, overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula.

The programme is delivered within the School of Culture and Communication, home to the Graduate Centre, which is designed to promote individual and collaborative research activity of an international standard, providing a supportive environment for students pursuing postgraduate research and taught master’s study.

We also offer postgraduate training to enhance academic and professional development, and facilitate seminar programmes, workshops and international conferences through our research centres; OLCAP (the Research Group for Object and Landscape Centred Approaches to the Past), KYKNOS (the Centre for Research on the Narrative Literatures of the Ancient World), and our award-winning on-campus museum, The Egypt Centre, which is home to over 5,000 Egyptian artefacts.

You’ll be joining a leading department, with renowned research and expertise:

  • 100% of Classics Research Impact is Rated as World-leading or Internationally Excellent (REF 2021).
  • Classics & Ancient History at Swansea University is ranked in the Top 51-150 in the World (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)

Your Classics and Ancient History Experience

This programme is designed to offer the flexibility for you to select modules around your own personal interests and future goals. The module pathways reflect the different disciplinary sub-branches into which the study of the Classical world is conventially divided.

If you have literary interests, you will be able to undertake modules such as ‘Creations of Egypt in the Greco-Roman World’, ‘Ancient Narrative Literature’, and ‘Saints and Sinners in Christian Late Antiquity’. You will also be able to pursue the study of ancient languages as part of the programme.

If you have historical or material culture interests, you will be able to undertake modules such as ‘Heritage, Law, and Conflict’, ‘Creations of Egypt in the Greco-Roman World’, and ‘Ancient Landscapes’. You will also be able to pursue the study of ancient languages as part of the programme.

The modules offered reflect a variety of approaches to the study of the ancient world and its heritage. Through both these optional modules, as well as modules on ‘Research Methodologies’ and ‘Advanced Research Project Preparation’, you will develop skills that build towards the dissertation that you will write under the direction of a specialist supervisor.

The full-time course structure is split across the year with three modules offered in each academic semester, and a dissertation completed over the summer.

If you study the course part time, one compulsory and two optional modules are usually taken in each of the first and second years, with a dissertation also completed over the summer of the second year.

Your study resources will include a main library that is particularly well stocked with ancient literary and documentary sources, archaeological, epigraphic, and papyrological publications, and relevant modern scholarship. Library collections include a wide range of general and specialist periodicals, and an increasing number of specialist digital resources.

You will also have access to the collections and resources in the Egypt Centre on campus, benefitting from being an active part of the thriving and supportive academic community in Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology with the Department of History, Heritage and Classics

Classics and Ancient History Employment Opportunities

You will develop excellent communication and writing skills, and learn to present your ideas in a range of formats. Strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills will all boost your employment prospects.

Graduates from this course enter a range of sectors including:

  • Education, museums and heritage, libraries and archives, journalism and media, marketing and business, and government and civil service.

Modules

You study a total of 180 credits, consisting of six 20-credit modules, before undertaking a 60-credit dissertation, as detailed below.