English and Classical Civilisation

English and classical civilisation is a combination that spans more than two and a half thousand years of literary and cultural history, bringing together the great traditions of ancient Greece and Rome with the breadth and richness of English literature from the medieval period to the present. Classical civilisation encompasses not just literature but art, philosophy, material culture, history, and the social and intellectual worlds of antiquity, offering a wide-ranging engagement with the ancient world that complements close literary study. English and comparative literature, meanwhile, develops your analytical and critical skills across a vast range of texts, periods, and cultural contexts.

At the University of Warwick this three-year full-time programme develops your ability to study classical antiquity alongside English and comparative literature, making connections across languages, traditions, and historical periods. You will engage with the art, material culture, and thought of the ancient world alongside the literary traditions of English writing, developing both the close reading skills of literary criticism and the interdisciplinary thinking that engaging with antiquity demands. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at an international institution and bring a comparative perspective to both the classical and the English literary traditions you are studying.

Graduates from English and classical civilisation programmes are well placed for careers in teaching, publishing, journalism, law, the civil service, the cultural sector, and any professional context where close reading, clear writing, and the ability to engage with complex ideas are valued. The classical dimension of the degree is particularly valued in academic contexts and in professions, such as law, that have deep roots in the intellectual traditions of antiquity. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in English, classics, comparative literature, or ancient history.