Ancient History with a Foundation Year, BA (Hons)

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Key Course Details

UCAS Code: V111
Mode of Study: Campus Based
Typical Offer (view equivalents): CDD / DDD
Location: Singleton Park Campus

Start Date	Tuition Fees - Year 1
Sep 2025	£ 9,250

4 Year Full Time With a Foundation Year

UCAS Code: V111
Mode of Study: Campus Based
Typical Offer: CDD / DDD - More Information
Location: Singleton Park Campus

Start Date	Tuition Fees - Year 1
Sep 2025	£ 18,400

Ancient History with a Foundation Year, BA (Hons)

Course Overview

Ancient History explores and examines the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, and their interactions with the world beyond. Such civilisations may appear distant but remain influential even today.

This programme, with a Foundation Year, gives you an exciting introduction to Higher Education, setting you up with the skills, confidence, and knowledge that you’ll need to be successful on your undergraduate degree. It’s ideal if you need a little more support after Further Education or are returning to education after a gap.

The programme will introduce you to theories, methodologies, and sources (including archaeology) to help you grasp the variety of lived experience in the ancient world. Studying this four-year BA degree opens up a range of exciting career opportunities by helping you develop skills which are highly valued by employers.

You’ll also have the chance to get to grips with Greek and Roman history and society, architecture and archaeology, warfare and empire, gender, religion, politics and economics, or to learn about ancient Egypt. You can also choose to learn ancient Greek or Latin.

Why Ancient History with a Foundation Year at Swansea?

Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula,

Classics and Ancient History at Swansea is ranked:

2^nd in the UK for Student Experience (Times Good University Guide 2025)
2^nd in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2025)
3^rd in the UK for Teaching Quality (Times Good University Guide 2025)
Top 20 in the UK for Graduate Outcomes (Complete University Guide 2025)
Top 51-100 in the World (QS World Rankings by Subject 2024)

Your degree programme will be delivered through lectures, tutorials and seminars and you will have the option to study a semester abroad in either USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong or Singapore.

If you prefer to stay closer to home, and you want to enhance your student experience and career prospects, you can gain teaching experience by leading workshops for the South West Wales Reaching Wider Partnership.

Your Ancient History with a Foundation Year Experience

During your Foundation Year, you will learn the key skills you’ll need to make your degree a success while developing knowledge of your subject area and how it relates to the humanities and social sciences.

You will start the degree course in your second year, after progression from the foundation year, you will focus on the political, social and cultural history of the Greek and Roman world as well as the transition from Classical antiquity to the Medieval world.

During your four-year Ancient History degree you will have an personal tutor for any pastoral and academic support you may need, and The Society of Ancient Studies and History student society organises social and cultural events.

To enhance your employability prospects we offer work placements through the Literacy to Latin Project to Universities. These placements are within Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and charities only.

In your second year you can choose to take the module, Ancient and Historic Places, and you get the opportunity to go on a study trip or field project focusing on a specific region or place.

Ancient History with a Foundation Year Employment Opportunities

Students on this course typically develop excellent oral and writing skills and you will also learn to develop your ideas in a wide range of formats, along with strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Our graduates enter careers in a wide range of sectors including:

Heritage and Tourism
Teaching
Media and Public Relations
Business and Management
Politics and Civil Service

Modules

Your first year will be spent on your Foundation, preparing you for Higher Education. Topics on this foundation including skills development and introductions to key themes on your degree, including Academic Writing and Skills Development, Critical Reflection and Problem Solving, and History, Memory and the Creation of Identity.

After successfully completing your Foundation, you’ll move on to your BA degree. You’ll study two compulsory modules and four optional modules, with topics including Greek, Latin, Gods and Heroes, Ancient History, Society and Culture, and a Field Trip.

Year 3 consists entirely of optional modules, allowing you to shape your own learning, with topics typically including Archaic Greece, Gender in the Roman World, Plato’s Republic, and a Schools Work Placement, teaching ancient history and languages.

Your degree with culminate in year 4, with a wide range of optional modules that can include Culture and Control in Roman Britain, advanced levels of Greek or Latin, Ancient and Medieval Monarchy, and a compulsory Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology Dissertation.

Year 0 (Level 3)

Entry Level 3 / Foundation Year

Compulsory Modules

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Research Essay	September-January (TB1)	20	FY-016
Academic Writing and Skills Development	January-June (TB2)	20	FY-011
Introduction to Being Human	January-June (TB2)	20	FY-012
Critical Reflection and Problem Solving	January-June (TB2)	20	FY-014
Introduction to Research	January-June (TB2)	20	FY-015
History, Memory and the Creation of Identity	January-June (TB2)	20	FY-018

Year 1 (Level 4)

FHEQ 4 Undergraduate / HECert

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Greek History and Society	September-January (TB1)	20	CLH100
Rome from Village to Empire: An Introduction to Roman History	January-June (TB2)	20	CLH150

Optional Modules

Compulsory Selective Modules

Choose Minimum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Choose AT LEAST TWO AND UP TO FOUR of the following modules. To enrol in a TB2 Latin or Greek module, you should normally enrol in the corresponding TB1 module. If you intend to pursue a pathway in Latin, you should take two Latin modules. If you intend to pursue a pathway in Greek, you should take two Greek modules. Staff can advise on the appropriate level of Latin or Greek modules on request. Students should not take modules in more than one beginning ancient language in the year.

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Of Gods and Heroes - Greek Mythology	September-January (TB1)	20	CLC101
Introduction to Ancient Egyptian History, Society and Culture	September-January (TB1)	20	CLE120
Beginning Greek 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG101
Intermediate Greek 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG105
Further Greek 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG125
Beginning Latin 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL101
Intermediate Latin 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL105
Further Latin 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL125
Ovid's Metamorphoses: The Transformations of Mythology	January-June (TB2)	20	CLC102
Introduction to Ancient Philosophy and Rhetoric	January-June (TB2)	20	CLC103
Age of Empire: Ancient Egypt and her Neighbours	January-June (TB2)	20	CLE115
Beginning Greek 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG102
Intermediate Greek 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG106
Further Greek 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG126
Beginning Latin 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL102
Intermediate Latin 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL106
Further Latin 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL126
Fieldtrip: The Past in its Place	January-June (TB2)	20	HHC100

AND

Optional Modules

Choose Maximum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : You may, but do not need to, select one or two of these modules to make a total of 120 credits for the whole year (after your compulsory modules

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Medieval Europe: An Introduction	September-January (TB1)	20	HIH117
The Early Modern World, 1500-1800	January-June (TB2)	20	HIH118

Year 2 (Level 5)

FHEQ 5 Undergraduate / HEDip

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

None found.

Optional Modules

Compulsory Selective modules

Choose Minimum Of 80 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select AT LEAST FOUR AND UP TO SIX of the following 20 credit modules: Select at least one module with a CLH code in each semester. To enrol in a TB2 Latin or Greek module, you should normally enrol in the corresponding TB1 module. Staff can advise on the appropriate level of Latin or Greek modules on request. Students should not take modules in more than one beginning ancient language in the year. Students must select three modules per semester

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Intermediate Greek 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG203
Beginning Greek 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG221
Further Greek 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG225
Advanced Greek 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG227
Marbles, Slaves and Mines, Oils Grains and Wine: Roman Economy and Society	September-January (TB1)	20	CLH2007
Guided Research Project	September-January (TB1)	20	CLH2009
Archaic Greece	September-January (TB1)	20	CLH215
The Heirs of Rome: The Making of Christendom, Byzantium, and Islam in the Early Middle Ages, 400-800	September-January (TB1)	20	CLH230
Intermediate Latin 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL203
Beginning Latin 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL221
Further Latin 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL225
Advanced Latin 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL227
Intermediate Greek 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG204
Beginning Greek 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG222
Further Greek 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG226
Advanced Greek 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG228
Gender in the Roman World	January-June (TB2)	20	CLH267
Alexander and the Hellenistic world	January-June (TB2)	20	CLH297
Intermediate Latin 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL204
Beginning Latin 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL222
Further Latin 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL226
Advanced Latin 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL228
Schools work placement: Teaching ancient history and ancient languages	January-June (TB2)	20	CLP202
The Past in the Present: Exploring Heritage Practice and Debates	January-June (TB2)	20	HHC200
History, Heritage and Classics Study Trip	January-June (TB2)	20	HHC2001

AND

Optional Modules

Choose Maximum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students may but do not need to select one or two of these modules to complete a total of 120 credits for the year. Students must select three modules per semester

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
The Greek Romance: Sea, Sun and Sex	September-January (TB1)	20	CLC203
Reading Classical Civilisation	September-January (TB1)	20	CLC206
Roman Love Poetry	January-June (TB2)	20	CLC200
Plato's Republic	January-June (TB2)	20	CLC211

Year 3 (Level 6)

FHEQ 6 Undergraduate / Honours

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Classics, Ancient History, Egyptology Dissertation	September-June (TB1+2)	40	CLD300

Optional Modules

Compulsory Selective Modules

Choose Minimum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Select at least two and up to four of the following 20 credit modules: To enrol in a TB2 Latin or Greek module you should normally enrol in the corresponding TB1 module. Staff can advise on the appropriate level of Latin or Greek modules on request. You must select 60 credits per teaching block.

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Intermediate Greek 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG321
Further Greek 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG325
Advanced Greek 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG327
Advanced Greek 3	September-January (TB1)	20	CLG329
Culture and Control in Roman Britain	September-January (TB1)	20	CLH381
Archaic Greece	September-January (TB1)	20	CLH393
Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius	September-January (TB1)	20	CLH394
Intermediate Latin 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL321
Further Latin 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL325
Advanced Latin 1	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL327
Advanced Latin 3	September-January (TB1)	20	CLL329
Monarchy: Ancient and Medieval	September-January (TB1)	20	HHC372
Intermediate Greek 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG322
Further Greek 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG326
Advanced Greek 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG328
Advanced Greek 4	January-June (TB2)	20	CLG330
Pagans, Christians, and the "Falls" of Rome	January-June (TB2)	20	CLH374
Alexander and the Hellenistic world	January-June (TB2)	20	CLH397
Intermediate Latin 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL322
Further Latin 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL326
Advanced Latin 2	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL328
Advanced Latin 4	January-June (TB2)	20	CLL330
Schools work placement: Teaching ancient history and ancient languages	January-June (TB2)	20	CLP309

AND

Optional Module choices

Choose Maximum Of 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : You may select one or two these 20 credit modules to complete a total of 120 credits spread equally across the year. Students must not pursue more than 60 credits in any one teaching block

Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
The Greek Romance: Sea, Sun and Sex	September-January (TB1)	20	CLC303
Roman Love Poetry	January-June (TB2)	20	CLC300
Plato's Republic	January-June (TB2)	20	CLC312

Entry Requirements

Our standard entry requirement is CDD-DDD at A-level or equivalent. We require a minimum of 5 passes at Grade A*-C, including Welsh/English Language. Entry requirements are flexible and all offers are made following a review of the application form, predicted/achieved grades and subjects, the reference and personal statement. The course is also a widening access programme and developed to support those who may not have been able to otherwise gain access to HE.

How You're Taught

We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Apart from a small number of online-only courses, most of our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

Practical skills sessions, lab work seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group working and demonstrations. We also operate virtual labs and Simulated Learning Environments which will facilitate greater access to training opportunities in the future. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching.

Online learning may take place ‘live’ using software such as Zoom, allowing you to interact with the lecturer and other students and to ask questions. Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit material, to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.

Welsh Provision

Some provision

There are opportunities for Welsh speakers to study some elements of this course through the medium of Welsh but there is not yet enough provision to reach 40 credits in each year.

Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you throughout your time at Swansea University. We can offer you:

Access to generous Welsh-language study scholarships or bursaries.
Access to modules taught wholly or partly in Welsh.
Access to the Arwain mobile app for the latest information about Welsh-medium courses and modules available to download free on the App Store and Google Play.
An interview through the medium of Welsh when applying for a place.
The option to receive your personal correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually.
The option to write and submit your coursework or exams through the medium of Welsh (even if you have chosen to study in English), and your work will be marked in Welsh.
A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
One-to-one support to improve your academic Welsh language skills.
An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
Opportunity to be a member of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To learn more about the above and all the opportunities available to you through the medium of Welsh, visit Academi Hywel Teifi's undergraduate pages.

If you study at least 5 credits in Welsh and it is listed as an eligible course on the webpage, you can apply for the Academi Hywel Teifi Bursary (£100 for 1 year) at the beginning of term (after registration).

Meet Your Lecturers

Our degrees are taught by experts, who have a wealth of knowledge to pass on to our students.

You can find out more about our academic expertise on our staff pages.

Tuition Fees

Start Date	UK	International
September 2024	£ 9,000	£ 17,500
September 2025	£ 9,250	£ 18,400

Fees for full time Undergraduate UK students may be increased in subsequent years of study by an inflationary amount determined by Welsh Government.

Fees for full time Undergraduate EU/International students will increase by 3% for each subsequent year of study.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

Funding and Scholarships

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Additional Costs

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

Travel to and from campus
Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
Purchase of books or texts
Gowns for graduation ceremonies

Careers and Employability

Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
Advice and guidance on postgraduate study and funding
Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

Academic Support

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

Academic writing
Maths and statistics
Critical thinking
Time management
Digital skills
Presentation skills
Note taking
Revision, memory and exam techniques
English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

We care about our students and our aim is to ensure that you achieve the best degree classification. We have a personal mentoring system where you will be allocated a personal tutor. We also have an “open door” policy where our academic teachers are available to talk to you at any time about any queries or academic concerns you may have.

Study Abroad and Global Opportunities

To learn more about study abroad, visit our Go Global webpages. Enrolment on a programme with a semester/year abroad does not guarantee you a semester/year abroad placement. Spaces are limited and subject to a competitive selection process. In the event you do not secure a semester/year abroad placement, you will be transferred to the standard variant of your degree scheme without a semester or year abroad.

International summer programmes are open to students from all schools. Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as Sri Lanka, South Korea, Fiji, Bali, the USA and across Europe. For more information about programmes and eligibility visit our Summer Abroad webpages.

How to Apply

Apply now – UK, EU and international students.

For further guidance please visit our how to apply pages.

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

Application Deadlines

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.