Classics and Italian

Classics and Italian is a combination of remarkable cultural depth, linking the ancient world that gave birth to Rome with the Italian civilisation that emerged from its ruins and carried its legacy forward. Classical studies brings you into contact with the literature, history, philosophy, and material culture of ancient Greece and Rome, the foundations on which much of European thought is built. Italian literature and culture, from Dante and Petrarch through the Renaissance and risorgimento to the twentieth century and beyond, represents one of the great continuations and transformations of that classical inheritance.

At Oxford, this four-year full-time degree immerses you in both traditions at the same time, developing Latin and ancient Greek alongside modern Italian to levels that allow genuine scholarly engagement with texts in their original languages. The tutorial system means your progress in each language and your engagement with literary and historical questions is closely supervised by leading scholars, and the resources available, from the Bodleian Library to Oxford's collections of classical and Italian material, are exceptional. You will study classical languages, literature, and history alongside Italian language, literature, and cultural history, tracing the connections between the ancient world and the Italian tradition while engaging with each on its own terms.

Graduates from classics and Italian programmes at Oxford go on to work in academia, law, the civil service, journalism, publishing, heritage, arts administration, education, and the full range of careers that Oxford's tutorial-trained analytical and communicative skills support. The depth of classical and Italian cultural knowledge the degree provides is valued in roles requiring engagement with European culture, history, and intellectual life at the highest level. Many graduates continue to doctoral research in classical studies, Italian literature, or the history of humanism and the Renaissance.