Latin and English

Latin and English is a combination that connects two of the most significant literary traditions in Western culture, giving you access to the roots of the European literary heritage and to its most richly developed modern expression in the English language. Latin is the language of Roman civilisation, the medium through which philosophy, poetry, history, and rhetoric were transmitted across centuries and cultures, and the foundation on which so much of European literature, science, and legal thought was built. English, as a literary discipline, encompasses centuries of writing in one of the world's most widely spoken languages, from Chaucer and Shakespeare through the Romantics and Victorians to contemporary fiction and poetry.

At University College London, this three-year full-time programme develops both linguistic competence in Latin and critical engagement with English literature alongside a deep understanding of the classical and literary traditions they represent. UCL is one of the UK's leading universities for both classical studies and English, and students benefit from teaching by scholars who are active in research across ancient and modern literary culture. You will read Latin texts in the original, studying authors such as Virgil, Ovid, Cicero, and Tacitus, and engage closely with English literary texts across a range of periods, genres, and critical perspectives.

The two traditions illuminate each other: understanding the classical sources that English writers have drawn on, translated, imitated, and argued with deepens your reading of English literature, and the study of English literary method enriches your engagement with ancient texts.

Graduates from Latin and English go on to careers in education, publishing, journalism, the civil service, law, academia, heritage and cultural organisations, and the arts. The combination of linguistic precision, critical depth, and cultural breadth that this degree develops is valued across many fields. Some graduates pursue postgraduate study in classical studies, English, comparative literature, or linguistics, while others move directly into professional roles that draw on their analytical and communication skills.