Classical Studies and French

Classical Studies and French is a combination that brings together two disciplines each concerned, in its own way, with the power of language and the complexity of cultural inheritance. Classical studies is a field of remarkable range and depth, encompassing Greek and Roman literature, the social and cultural history of the ancient world, philosophy, religion, art, and the long afterlife of classical culture in the modern world. French, as a major European language, opens access to a rich literary, philosophical, and cultural tradition alongside the contemporary world of French-speaking societies across Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time programme gives you the opportunity to explore both fields at a serious intellectual level, discovering and debating the power of Greek tragedy, the beauty of Roman sculpture, and the twists of Platonic dialogue alongside the major texts and cultural currents of French literature and thought. The programme encourages new ways of seeing both the classical world and the present, asking how the ideas and forms that originated in ancient Athens or Rome continue to shape contemporary culture and how French-speaking culture both draws on and departs from classical inheritance. The year abroad allows you to develop your French language skills through immersion, adding direct cultural and linguistic depth to your academic study.

Graduates of this combination go on to careers in education, journalism, law, publishing, translation and interpreting, cultural diplomacy, the civil service, heritage and museum work, and international organisations. The analytical rigour of classical studies and the linguistic competence of French together produce graduates who are unusually well equipped for roles that require both intellectual depth and practical communication across cultural contexts. Postgraduate study in classical studies, French, European studies, translation, or literature is a well-established route for those who wish to develop their expertise further.