Classical Studies and English

Classical studies and English is a degree that brings together two traditions of literary and cultural analysis, one rooted in the ancient Mediterranean world and one in the English literary canon, creating a genuinely distinctive education in how texts work, how cultures construct meaning, and how stories, arguments, and images have shaped human experience across millennia. Classical studies engages with the literatures, histories, philosophies, and material cultures of ancient Greece and Rome, while English develops your skills in reading and interpreting the rich and varied body of writing in the English language from the medieval period to the present. The two disciplines share a commitment to close textual analysis and critical argument, and each brings new perspectives to the other.

At the University of Exeter, this three-year, full-time degree develops your analytical and interpretive skills across both fields, working with primary sources in translation and in English, and engaging with the theoretical frameworks that classical and literary studies have developed to understand their material. The programme includes a sandwich placement year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, giving you professional and international experience that complements and enriches your academic studies.

Graduates from classical studies and English degrees work in publishing, journalism, education, the civil service, law, arts administration, communications, and the cultural sector. The depth of analytical and written skills the degree develops is valued across many professional contexts, and the combination of classical knowledge with English literary training produces graduates with an unusually broad intellectual perspective. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in classics, English literature, ancient history, or related disciplines, building specialist expertise for research or academic careers.