Ancient History/Philosophy

Ancient history and philosophy is a combination that connects the study of the ancient Mediterranean world with the foundational questions of philosophy, many of which were first formulated by Greek and Roman thinkers. Ancient history involves the study of the history and culture of Greece, Rome, and the wider Mediterranean between the eighth century BC and the fifth century AD, with the opportunity to learn Latin and ancient Greek if you wish. Philosophy asks what we can know, what exists, how we ought to live, and what the nature of mind and language is, drawing on a tradition in which ancient thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics remain central.

At the University of Glasgow, this four-year full-time programme develops your historical and philosophical understanding in parallel, engaging with primary sources from the ancient world alongside the major texts of philosophical tradition. You will study the political, social, and cultural history of Greece and Rome, and have the opportunity to develop your skills in classical languages, while also engaging with ethics, epistemology, metaphysics, logic, and the history of philosophy. A year abroad is built into the programme.

Entry typically requires around 200 UCAS tariff points.

Graduates of ancient history and philosophy work in academia, education, law, the civil service, journalism, publishing, cultural institutions, and a very wide range of professions in which deep reading, rigorous argumentation, and the ability to engage with complex ideas are valued. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in philosophy, ancient history, or classics.