Classical Studies and Italian

Classical studies and Italian is a combination that places you at two of the richest points in the Mediterranean cultural tradition. Classical studies examines the literature, history, philosophy, religion, and art of ancient Greece and Rome, civilisations whose influence on Western thought, institutions, and aesthetic culture has been fundamental. Italian connects you to the modern inheritor of that tradition, a language of extraordinary literary richness, from Dante and Petrarch through the Renaissance to contemporary literature and cinema, and the vehicle of one of the world's great musical and artistic cultures.

At St Andrews this four-year MA (Hons) programme allows you to develop significant depth in both fields. In classical studies you will explore the power of Greek tragedy, the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle, the political and literary culture of Rome, and the reception of classical culture in later periods, including the Renaissance and modernity. In Italian you will develop linguistic proficiency alongside engagement with the literature, history, film, and cultural thought of Italy across the centuries.

A year abroad is embedded in the programme, giving you the opportunity to study Italian in its cultural and linguistic context and to deepen both your language competence and your appreciation of the Italian tradition.

The combination is intellectually distinctive, allowing you to trace the long conversation between antiquity and the Italian tradition, from Virgil's influence on Dante through the Renaissance recovery of classical texts to the role of classical mythology in contemporary Italian culture.

Graduates pursue careers in academia, heritage, education, publishing, journalism, translation, cultural institutions, and the creative industries. Many go on to postgraduate study in classics, Italian, or comparative literature.