Classics

Classics is the study of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds in all their dimensions, from the languages, literature, and philosophy that shaped Western thought to the history, art, archaeology, and material culture that tell us how people actually lived. It is one of the oldest academic disciplines in European universities, and it remains one of the most intellectually demanding and rewarding, requiring students to master ancient languages, to engage with texts of extraordinary depth and complexity, and to think across the full range of what it means to study a civilisation. The influence of Greece and Rome on law, political theory, science, architecture, literature, and much of what we consider Western culture makes classics not merely a historical curiosity but an education in the roots of the modern world.

At the University of Edinburgh, classics is studied over four years of full-time study, with a year abroad included in the programme. You will develop proficiency in ancient Greek and/or Latin alongside a wide-ranging engagement with the literature, history, philosophy, and material culture of the ancient world. Edinburgh has a distinguished tradition in classical scholarship, and the programme benefits from a research-active academic community with expertise across the full range of classical disciplines.

The year abroad provides the opportunity to study in a different academic environment, whether in another UK institution, a European university, or further afield, and to engage with classical material in different scholarly traditions and, potentially, at the actual sites of the ancient world.

Classics graduates develop a combination of skills, linguistic precision, analytical depth, critical argumentation, and wide reading in a very long tradition, that is valued across many careers. Law, in particular, draws on classicists, who are recognised as some of the most rigorous analytical thinkers in the humanities. The civil service, journalism, publishing, finance, and management consultancy are all common destinations.

Teaching classical subjects at secondary and higher education level is another route. Academic research in classics, ancient history, classical philosophy, or classical archaeology is the path for those who want to pursue the discipline professionally, and Edinburgh's research environment is a strong foundation for postgraduate study.