MA Ancient History

The MA in Ancient History has a focus on research training that will place you in a strong position for further study for a PhD or for careers outside academia that require research skills.

The major civilisations of the ancient world, including those of Egypt, Greece and Rome, still shape global culture today. Our MA in Ancient History enables you to gain an advanced understanding of ancient culture, whether you focus on literature, thought, art or religion. The MA gives you an opportunity explore the history, political and social organisation, or material artefacts of ancient cultures, to demonstrate a critical engagement and develop an informed sense of the similarities and differences between them and our own culture.

The programme allows you to develop your research skills and to become by the end of the degree an independent researcher, well equipped for future work for a PhD or to undertake research outside academia. The programme begins by focusing on research skills, which you study alongside either an option module or a language module (in ancient Greek or Latin). For the Spring Term, you choose two option modules that reflect the research interests of staff within the Department of Classical and Archaeological Studies.

In the summer, you write a dissertation of up to 15,000 words with advice from one of our experts to demonstrate the skills that you will have gained during your 12 month MA.

This is an ideal programme for graduates of history, ancient history, classics or the wider humanities, wanting to gain practical experience in applying their expertise.

This programme is taught at our Canterbury campus. There is also a version of this programme which allows you to spend a term in Rome. This gives you direct access to Roman sites, museums and architecture, in order to see how the Roman Empire has shaped the city to this day.

Teaching and assessment

The programme is assessed by coursework for each of the modules, an examination in Latin or ancient Greek, if these modules are taken, and by the dissertation.

Careers

Our MA programmes include much scope for vocational training, skills acquisition and guided project work, often with use of our extensive facilities. These aspects of our programmes have been praised by external assessors in recent years. Recent graduates have progressed to careers in a wide range of related professional and leadership areas, including national and local museums, teaching and senior roles with archaeological organisations (national government institutions, contracting units and trusts). A large proportion of completing Master’s students have progressed onto PhD study.