Classical Studies and English
Classical studies and English brings together two disciplines that both place the close reading and interpretation of texts at their centre, while opening very different historical and cultural perspectives. Classical studies engages with the literature, history, philosophy, art and society of ancient Greece and Rome, working with texts in translation as well as the original languages where appropriate, and asking what these ancient worlds can teach us about our own. English literature develops your ability to read, analyse and write about texts across the British and wider literary tradition.
Together they cultivate exceptionally strong reading, thinking and writing skills across a remarkably long span of human expression.
At Newcastle University, this three-year full-time programme offers a well-rounded set of practical and international opportunities. It includes a sandwich year for extended professional or research experience, a year abroad at a partner institution overseas, and work placement experience built into the programme. You will engage with epic, tragedy, comedy, lyric poetry, historiography and philosophical writing from the ancient world alongside novels, poetry, drama and essays from the English tradition, developing your capacity to situate texts in their contexts and to construct sophisticated arguments about what they mean and how they work.
Graduates from classical studies and English programmes are valued in publishing, journalism, education, the law, the civil service, museums and cultural organisations, broadcasting and the creative industries. The combination of linguistic precision, historical breadth and critical thinking that the programme develops is transferable across virtually any profession that values clear reasoning and communication. Postgraduate study in classical studies, English literature, comparative literature, ancient history, teacher education or law is a well-travelled route for graduates who wish to develop their expertise in a particular direction.