Classics and the Ancient World BA

Key Information

Course type: Single honours Delivery mode: In person Study mode: Full time Required A-level: AAB Full entry requirements, including contextual requirements Duration: Three years Application status: Open Start date: September 2025 Application deadline: 29 January 2025 Optional study abroad Optional internships Apply via UCAS

Course Essentials

This Classics and the Ancient World BA is an exciting Classics degree that will teach you the skills and knowledge to apply contemporary questions to ancient cultures. You’ll get the space to explore Greece and Rome, Persia, Egypt, the Near East and North Africa, as well as the influence of the ancient world on later history and culture, including the contemporary world. You also get to decide whether you want to learn an ancient language or to study ancient sources in translation only. If you decide to learn Ancient Greek or Latin, you can either start as a beginner, with the possibility to join the accelerated language pathway at the end of your first year or continue your ancient language studies at an intermediate or advanced level. There are no compulsory modules if you don’t choose the accelerated language route. This gives you the freedom to follow your interests and shape your own curriculum with a series of multidisciplinary modules.

Base Campus

Strand Campus Located on the north bank of the River Thames, the Strand Campus houses King's College London's arts and sciences faculties.

Special Features

Optional study abroad On this programme, you will have the opportunity to apply to study abroad, supported by the Study Abroad Tutor in your department and King’s Global Mobility Office. Together with partner organisations around the world, you will be supported in navigating your international, educational journey, developing new skills and competences and learning to apply different perspectives to your chosen discipline.

Optional internships Students will be supported through innovative digital education tools to discover meaningful work experience for themselves, including internships, insight programmes, which you can undertake alongside your studies.

Awarding Institutions

King's College London and Affiliates

Regulating Bodies

King's is regulated by the Office for Students

Entry Requirements

Subject Requirements

Required subjects: No required subjects. Preferred subjects: Classical Civilisation, Ancient History or History preferred.

A-Levels

Required grades: AAB Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels.

Contextual A-Level Information

BBB Please note that A Level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A Levels.

International Baccalaureate Diploma

35 points overall or an aggregate score of 17 from three Higher Levels. Note: The total point score of 35 includes TOK/EE.

Contextual International Baccalaureate Information

32 points overall or an aggregate score of 15 from three Higher Levels. Note: The total point score of 32 includes TOK/EE.

Alternative Accepted Qualifications

Select an alternative accepted qualification Access to HE Diploma BTEC Nationals/CTECs Cambridge Pre-U European Baccalaureate Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers

Standard Requirements

The Access to Higher Education Diploma must be 60 credits in total. Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits overall: 33 credits must be from units awarded at Distinction, with 12 at Merit.

Contextual Requirements

The Access to Higher Education Diploma must be 60 credits in total. Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits overall: 30 credits must be from units awarded at Distinction, with 12 at Merit and 3 at Pass.

International Applicants

Equivalent International Qualifications

Select a country Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Anguilla Antigua & Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australasia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Comoros Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote d'Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czechia (Czech Republic) Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands Fiji Finland France Gabon Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Home Fee Status Students Honduras Hong Kong SAR Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Korea North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of the Congo Romania Russia Rwanda Samoa San Marino São Tomé and Príncipe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka St Kitts and Nevis St. Helena St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent & the Grenadines Sudan Suriname Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand The Gambia Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Türkiye Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Wales Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe

Course specific subject requirements are indicated in subject requirements above

English Language Requirements

English language band: B Please note that nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries (as defined by UKVI) who have successfully completed high school in the respective country, are not required to complete an English language test. For information on our English requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.

Selection Process

Contextual consideration We make contextual offers for this programme, which can be found in the entry requirements. As part of the assessment process, we take into account contextual information to gain a more complete picture of each application. More information can be found on the Contextualised admissions website.

Deferrals Applications can be submitted for deferred entry by choosing the appropriate year of entry on the UCAS application.

If your circumstances change and, therefore, you need to request a deferral after an offer has been made, then we can generally permit these for this programme. However, each deferral request will be considered on a case-by-case basis and we reserve the right to decline any post-offer deferral request. Requests should be submitted via a message on King’s Apply with an explanation of the reason for making the request.

Please note, second deferral requests will only be considered where the request is due to extreme unforeseen extenuating circumstances, for example, health reasons. We are unable to permit deferral requests that go beyond two years and you would need to apply again. This is with the exception of deferrals which are due to military
ational service.

Foundation courses Applicants studying Foundation Year programmes in the UK are welcome to apply for this programme. Foundation programmes from other universities and further education providers in the UK are considered on a case-by-case basis. Whether or not we can consider a particular foundation year as suitable for study at King's depends on the content of the syllabus and modules studied. In the past we have accepted foundation programmes from a number of other institutions.

We are unable to accept Foundation programmes that are integrated as part of a main degree at another institution. These may be called Year 0 or Integrated Foundations. We are also unable to accept non-UK Foundation courses.

Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your qualification, such as a list of modules and course specifications.

The King's International Foundation Programme has guaranteed pathways available for progression onto our King's undergraduate degree programmes, and information can be found on the website.

Graduates Our general entry requirements are based on A-level or equivalent. However, where an applicant is completing/has completed a degree, we are able to consider the degree study as part of the assessment of the application.

Generally, we would consider a minimum of a UK Bachelor degree with a 2:1 grade profile (or overseas equivalent) as meeting the entry requirements for our undergraduate degrees. However, those who have achieved/are predicted a high 2:1 or a First may be considered more competitive.

Once you have submitted an application, the Admissions Office may contact you via King's Apply to ask for further details on your degree study.

Personal Statement Your personal statement is one of the many factors in the overall assessment of your application, and is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the university and inform us of your commitment to the programme and how the programme fits into your career plans, as well as any work experience or extracurricular activities you have done.

Resits We are able to consider applicants who have retaken or are retaking their qualifications.

Transfers We are able to consider applications for transfer into Year 2 of this programme. Please see our Transferring to King’s website for more information.

Help for International Applicants

Recommended pathways Liberal Arts + Social Sciences Liberal Arts + Global Politics Liberal Arts + Economics

Eligible pathways Business & Economics Pathway Health, Life & Biosciences Pathway STEM & Natural Sciences Pathway Social Sciences + Economics Social Sciences + Global Politics Global Politics + Economics

International Foundation Year If you don't have a suitable qualification for direct entry to a UK university, we can help with our Foundation year courses.

Pre-sessional courses If you have an offer from King's, but English isn't your first language, we have courses to help you.

Teaching & Structure

Teaching methods - what to expect Lectures Seminars Group Tutorials Independent Study Personal Tutor

We use lectures, seminars and tutorials to deliver the modules on the course. You will also be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study.

At King’s all students on a taught programme are allocated a personal tutor who will play a key role in helping you get the most of your studies, providing support and encouragement for your time at university.

Personal tutors provide you with the opportunity periodically to take stock of your learning, academic progress and general wellbeing as you progress through your studies, offering guidance on how to seek further support if you need it, and how to access the range of opportunities available to you as a King’s student.

Year | Percentage of time in scheduled learning and teaching activities | Percentage of time in guided independent study | Percentage of time on placements ---|---|---|--- 1 | 19% | 81% | — 2 | 13% | 87% | — 3 | 11% | 89% | —

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

Coursework Written/Practical Examinations Individual or group presentations Coursework essays

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework and written/practical examinations. Forms of assessment may typically include coursework essays, written examinations and individual or group presentations. In your first year, you will be assessed by coursework essays (and written examinations if you are taking an ancient language). The contribution of coursework and examinations to your final mark will depend on your choice of modules.

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.

Structure

Courses are divided into modules. Each year you will normally take modules totalling 120 credits.

This is a three-year degree course in which you will take a combination of required and optional modules to total 360 credits.

Select a year of study Year 1 Year 2 Year 3

Required modules You are required to do the following modules

BA in Classics and the Ancient World (standard route): There are no required modules in Year 1 for the standard route.

BA in Classics and the Ancient World (accelerated language route): This route allows students to take both Ancient Greek and Latin and reach an advanced language level by the end of their programme.

Students must take 30 credits from: Beginners Greek Language (30 credits) Beginners Latin Language (30 credits)

Summer following year one Students must take 15 credits from: Intermediate Greek (15 credits) Intermediate Latin (15 credits)

Optional modules In addition, you are required to take modules from a range of optional modules, which may typically include:

BA in Classics and the Ancient World (standard route): You are required to take 120 credits, from a range of optional modules which may typically include: Art and Archaeology of Greece & Rome (30 credits) Introduction to Ancient History (c 1200 BC- AD 600) (30 credits) Greek and Latin Literature and Thought: An Introduction (30 credits) Introduction to the Byzantine world (15 credits) Receptions of the Past: The Hellenic World from Antiquity to Today (15 credits)

Students may also study ancient languages. Typically, students are not permitted to start two ancient language modules at beginner’s level in Year 1. With departmental approval, if a student has experience in either Greek or Latin (for example GCSE or equivalent) and wishes to continue this at intermediate or advanced level, and also wishes to start beginner’s Latin or Greek in Year 1, they may do so. With the approval of the course convenor, you may also choose to substitute one Classics module from any of the appropriate 15-credit Level 4 (Year 1) modules offered by the Faculty of Arts & Humanities and Global Institutes.

BA in CLASSICS and the ANCIENT WORLD (accelerated language route) Students must take the remaining 90 credits of modules from Classics level 4 modules, which may typically include: Art and Archaeology of Greece & Rome (30 credits) Introduction to Ancient History (c 1200 BC- AD 600) (30 credits) Greek and Latin Literature and Thought: An Introduction (30 credits) Introduction to the Byzantine world (15 credits) Receptions of the Past: The Hellenic World from Antiquity to Today (15 credits)

15 credits can be substituted for any level 4 module in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Employability

Graduates of this Classics & The Ancient World BA go on to work in a range of professions, including law, banking, the civil service, information technology, librarianship, education, heritage industries, the media, journalism and the performing arts.

This degree also provides a solid grounding for further postgraduate study at King’s and other institutions.

Destinations

Recent graduates have found employment within the following job roles and companies: Assistant Tax Advisor, Ernst & Young Human Resources Administrator, Health Resources International Web Administrator, Intrico Products Ltd Illustrator, Self Employed Illustrator Marketing and Publishing Graduate Scheme, The Telegraph Media Group Research Intern, Environment Agency Sales Operations Admin, Associated Press TV News Latin Teacher, at a university Client Relations Associate, Fidelity Investment Senior Course Support Assistant, Coventry University

Tuition Fees

Full time tuition fees UK: The UK tuition fee for the academic year is currently £9,535 per year. This is based on the UK Government's cap.

Full time tuition fees International The International tuition fee for the academic year is £27,100 per year.

Please note that the International tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King's terms and conditions.

All International applicants to Undergraduate programmes are required to pay a deposit of £2000 against their first year's tuition fee. This deposit is payable when you firmly accept an unconditional offer to study with us, and will be offset against your tuition fees when you join King's.

If you choose the study abroad option with one of King’s partner universities, you will not be charged tuition fees by the host university (although some partners do charge a small administration fee for applying). King’s will continue to invoice for a proportion of King's tuition fees. You should also budget to pay for the associated subsistence costs, such as travel, visas, accommodation and food as well as any vaccination/immunisations required by the country to which you are travelling. Please see the Study Abroad web pages for details of the relevant partner universities and detailed information on the fees that apply under the Course Essentials tab.

In addition to the costs above, you can also expect to pay for: books if you choose to buy your own copies clothing for optional course related events and competitions library fees and fines personal photocopies printing course handouts society membership fees stationery graduation costs travel costs for travel around London and between campuses

Funding

To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.

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Degree Overview:

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Program Objectives:

• Explore themes such as people versus elites, minority rights, sexual diversity and gender politics, empire and multiculturalism, ethnicity and race, religious identity and experience, consensus and conflict, art, philosophy, the meaning of justice, and much more.
• Benefit from a multidisciplinary curriculum that allows you to follow your interests as you study classics and the ancient world.
• Gain hands-on access to collections at the British Museum and other London cultural institutions.
• Experience an expenses-paid field trip to an ancient site.
• Enjoy extracurricular opportunities like joining the famous Greek Play or experiencing how classical topics are taught in local primary schools.
• Benefit from King's Classics research ranked first in the UK (REF 2021).
• Join one of the largest classics departments in the UK and benefit from a wide-ranging specialism that covers the Bronze Age to Modern Greece.

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Key benefits:

• Study ancient sources in their translation or learn Ancient Greek and/or Latin.
• Study the influence of Greece and Rome on later history and culture, including the contemporary world.
• Participate in the King’s Greek Play, the only production in the country to be performed every year in the original Greek.

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Outline:

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First Year:

• Provides a general background to the subject.
• Covers topics like the art and archaeology of Greece and Rome, the Byzantine world, Greek and Latin literature and thought, and the reception of the Hellenic world.

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Second Year:

• Explores options like early Greece, Near Eastern history, or Athenian democracy.
• Covers topics like the fall of the Roman Republic, society and history of Pompeii, Roman Britain, ancient stories and modern meanings, and art and power in the age of Alexander.

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Third Year:

• Offers a wide range of modules across various topics.
• Includes topics like the rise of Rome, Rome in the age of Cicero, power and propaganda of Augustus, Pagans, Christians and Jews in the Roman Empire, and the classical art of the body.

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Optional elements:

• Research project in the form of a dissertation.
• Extracurricular activities like field trips and volunteering opportunities.
• Participation in the King’s Greek Play.
• Study abroad opportunities.
• Internship opportunities.

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Assessment:

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Forms of assessment may include:

• Coursework essays
• Written examinations
• Individual or group presentations

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Teaching:

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Teaching methods include:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Group tutorials
• Independent study

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Careers:

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Graduates go on to work in various professions, including:

• Law
• Banking
• Civil service
• Librarianship
• Education
• Heritage industries
• Media
• Journalism
• Performing arts

• Human Resources Administrator
• Web Administrator
• Illustrator
• Marketing and Publishing Graduate Scheme
• Research Intern
• Sales Operations Admin
• Latin Teacher
• Client Relations Associate
• Senior Course Support Assistant

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Other:

• Students run the Classics Society, which publishes a newsletter, organizes lectures, outings, parties, museum tours, and trips abroad.
• The department promotes teaching Latin in disadvantaged schools through the Iris Project.
• Students can attend summer schools at the British Schools in Athens and Rome and participate in archaeological excavations.

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Full time tuition fees UK: The UK tuition fee for the 2024-25 academic year is currently £9,250 per year. This is based on the UK Government's cap. Full time tuition fees International The International tuition fee for the 2024-2025 academic year is £24,786 per year. Please note that the International tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King's terms and conditions. All International applicants to Undergraduate programmes are required to pay a deposit of £2000 against their first year's tuition fee. King’s will continue to invoice for a proportion of King's tuition fees. You should also budget to pay for the associated subsistence costs, such as travel, visas, accommodation and food as well as any vaccination/immunisations required by the country to which you are travelling. In addition to the costs above, you can also expect to pay for: · library fees and fines · personal photocopies · printing course handouts · society membership fees · stationery · graduation costs · travel costs for travel around London and between campuses