Archaeology/Classics

Archaeology and classics are disciplines that together address the ancient world through its material and textual remains. Archaeology investigates how people in the past interacted with their environments through the objects, sites, monuments, and landscapes they left behind, developing methods for excavation, artefact analysis, and the interpretation of physical evidence. Classics engages with the literary, philosophical, and historical texts of ancient Greece and Rome, which together represent one of the most influential intellectual traditions in the history of Western civilisation.

Studying them in combination gives you two distinct but complementary ways of understanding the ancient world.

At the University of Glasgow, this part-time programme allows you to study both disciplines while managing other commitments, spreading the academic content across a longer period than full-time study would require. You will develop skills in archaeological field methods and material culture analysis alongside engagement with classical texts in translation or in the original languages, depending on your background and the options you choose. A year abroad is part of the programme, giving you the opportunity to study in a different academic environment and, for many students, to engage directly with ancient sites and collections in the Mediterranean world.

Graduates from archaeology and classics programmes work in professional archaeology, museums and galleries, heritage conservation, education, academic research, journalism, and cultural organisations. The analytical and research skills both disciplines develop are valued across many professional contexts. Postgraduate study in archaeology, classical studies, ancient history, and heritage management is available for those who wish to specialise or pursue research careers.