BA Classical Studies and English Literature
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UCAS code
QQ38 -
Typical offer
BBB -
Year of entry
2023/24 -
Course duration
Full Time: 3 Years
-
Year of entry
2023/24 -
Course duration
Full Time: 3 Years
With our BA Classical Studies and English Literature degree, explore the extraordinary legacy of the classical world and its enduring influence on modern literature and culture.
Study texts written in every era, from ancient Greece to the Renaissance, and contemporary writing in English from across the globe.
In classical studies, you will learn about the literature, history and culture of ancient civilisations. Through the study of translated texts you can explore genres and themes like poetry, tragedy and love in classical literature, and their influence on the modern world. You can also enhance your knowledge of the ancient world through Latin and Greek language modules or gain an understanding of the period through different media, for example through drama and films from Ben-Hur to Gladiator. For more information visit the Department of Classics website.
In your English literature modules, you will read more of authors and genres that you may already know (from tragedy to Gothic, from Shakespeare and Dickens to Plath and Beckett). But you will also encounter aspects of literary studies that may be less familiar to you, from children’s literature to publishing studies and the history of the book. Our academics have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary American fiction.
As you progress through your degree, your module choices become more diverse and specialised: you can do archive work on Studying Manuscripts, or look at the politics of literature in Class Matters. Everyone in the Department of English Literature, from new lecturers to professors, teaches at every level of the degree: this gives you the benefit of our expertise and makes you part of the conversation about our research and its impact outside the classroom. We place a strong emphasis on small-group learning within a friendly and supportive environment. In your first and second years, you will have a mix of lectures and seminars.
You will receive careers and employability training in your first and second years and you can also study a modern language as part of your degree.
We encourage all our students to gain direct experience of ancient sites through independent travel, for which scholarships are available. You can also apply to study at the British School at Athens and the British School at Rome, which both offer summer school opportunities to University of Reading students.
Overview
With our BA Classical Studies and English Literature degree, explore the extraordinary legacy of the classical world and its enduring influence on modern literature and culture.
Study texts written in every era, from ancient Greece to the Renaissance, and contemporary writing in English from across the globe.
In classical studies, you will learn about the literature, history and culture of ancient civilisations. Through the study of translated texts you can explore genres and themes like poetry, tragedy and love in classical literature, and their influence on the modern world. You can also enhance your knowledge of the ancient world through Latin and Greek language modules or gain an understanding of the period through different media, for example through drama and films from Ben-Hur to Gladiator. For more information visit the Department of Classics website.
In your English literature modules, you will read more of authors and genres that you may already know (from tragedy to Gothic, from Shakespeare and Dickens to Plath and Beckett). But you will also encounter aspects of literary studies that may be less familiar to you, from children’s literature to publishing studies and the history of the book. Our academics have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary American fiction.
As you progress through your degree, your module choices become more diverse and specialised: you can do archive work on Studying Manuscripts, or look at the politics of literature in Class Matters. Everyone in the Department of English Literature, from new lecturers to professors, teaches at every level of the degree: this gives you the benefit of our expertise and makes you part of the conversation about our research and its impact outside the classroom. We place a strong emphasis on small-group learning within a friendly and supportive environment. In your first and second years, you will have a mix of lectures and seminars.
You will receive careers and employability training in your first and second years and you can also study a modern language as part of your degree.
We encourage all our students to gain direct experience of ancient sites through independent travel, for which scholarships are available. You can also apply to study at the British School at Athens and the British School at Rome, which both offer summer school opportunities to University of Reading students.
Entry requirements A Level BBB
Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.
Typical offer
BBB, including grade B in A level English Literature or related subject.
Related subjects include English Literature and Language, Drama and Theatre Studies, and Creative Writing.
International Baccalaureate
30 points overall including 5 in English at higher level
Extended Project Qualification
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.
BTEC Extended Diploma
DDM (Modules taken must be comparable to subject specific requirement)
English language requirements
IELTS 7.0, with no component below 6.0
For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.
Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students
For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.
International Foundation Programme
If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.
Pre-sessional English language programme
If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.
Structure
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
CL1SO | Ancient Song | PROF Ian Rutherford |
CL1TR | Texts, Readers, and Writers | PROF Eleanor Dickey |
EN1GC | Genre and Context | DR Chloe Houston |
EN1PE | Poetry in English | PROF Steven Matthews |
EN1RC | Research and Criticism | DR Nicola Abram |
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
CL1G1 | Ancient Greek 1 | PROF Amy Smith |
CL1GH | Greek History: war, society, and change in the Archaic Age | PROF Amy Smith |
CL1L1 | Latin 1 (C) | MRS Jackie Baines |
CL1RH | Roman History: the rise and fall of the Republic | DR Andreas Gavrielatos |
EN1SL | Shelf Life | DR John Scholar |
EN1TCL | Twentieth-Century American Literature | PROF David Brauner |
AP1SB1 | Introduction to Management | PROF Julian Park |
AR1EMP | Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt & Rome | PROF Roger Matthews |
AR1EMP10 | Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt & Rome [10 credits] | PROF Roger Matthews |
AR1FOR | Forensic Anthropology and the Archaeology of Death | DR Ceri Falys |
AR1FOR10 | Forensic Anthropology and the Archaeology of Death [10 credit] | DR Ceri Falys |
AR1REV | Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present | PROF Steve Mithen |
AR1REV10 | Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present [10 credits] | PROF Steve Mithen |
AR1SOC | Contemporary world cultures: an introduction to social anthropology | DR Alanna Cant |
AR1SOC10 | Contemporary world cultures: an introduction to social anthropology [10 credits] | DR Alanna Cant |
EC110 | The Economics of Climate Change | DR Stefania Lovo |
FT1ATF | Approaches to Film | DR Adam O'Brien |
FT1ATP | Analysing Theatre and Performance | DR Matt McFrederick |
FT1CSS | Comedy on Stage and Screen | DR Simone Knox |
IL1GICC | Intercultural Competence and Communication | MS Joan McCormack |
LA1PK1 | IWLP Modern Greek 1 | PROF Timothy Duff |
LS1GL | Globalization and Language | DR Tony Capstick |
MC1HPE | Museum History, Policy and Ethics | DR Rhi Smith |
MC1PP | Presenting the Past | DR Rhi Smith |
ML1IL | Introduction to Linguistics | MR Federico Faloppa |
MT1CC | The Science of Climate Change | PROF Nigel Arnell |
PO1INE | Inequality | DR Jonathan Golub |
PO1IPI | Introduction to Political Ideas | DR Andrew Reid |
PO1WAR | War and Warfare | DR Vladimir Rauta |
PP1GJ | Global Justice | DR Shalini Sinha |
PP1ML | The Meaning of Life | DR George Mason |
PP1RP | Radical Philosophy | PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford |
TY1WTF | What the font? Making and using typefaces | DR Rob Banham |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
CL2AE | Ancient Epic | DR Christa Gray |
CL2AEL | Ancient Egyptian Language and Hieroglyphs | DR Hana Navratilova |
CL2AF | Ancient World on Film | DR Dimitra Tzanidaki-Kreps |
CL2AGW | Ancient Greek Warfare | DR Emma Aston |
CL2APL | Academic Work Placement | DR Emma Aston |
CL2CGH | Greek History: Persian Wars to Alexander | DR Emma Aston |
CL2DR | Ancient Drama | PROF Barbara Goff |
CL2EGR | Egypt and the Greco-Roman World | PROF Ian Rutherford |
CL2G2 | Ancient Greek 2 (I) | MRS Doukissa Kamini |
CL2G3 | Ancient Greek 3 (I) | DR Dimitra Tzanidaki-Kreps |
CL2JP | The Justinianic Plague | DR Arietta Papaconstantinou |
CL2L2 | Latin 2 (I) | MRS Jackie Baines |
CL2L3 | Latin 3 (I) | DR Andreas Gavrielatos |
CL2PR | Prospects for Classicists and Ancient Historians | DR Emma Aston |
CL2RME | Rome's Mediterranean Empire; A World of Cities | DR Andrew Souter |
CL2RO | Roman History: From Republic to Empire | PROF Annalisa Marzano |
EN2BB | The Business of Books | DR Nicola Wilson |
EN2CF | Contemporary Fiction | PROF Bryan Cheyette |
EN2CMN | Chaucer and Medieval Narrative | DR Aisling Byrne |
EN2CRI | Critical Issues | DR Stephen Thomson |
EN2MOD | Modernism in Poetry and Fiction | DR Mark Nixon |
EN2OEL | Introduction to Old English Literature | DR Eleni Ponirakis |
EN2RP | The Romantic Period | DR Matthew Scott |
EN2RTC | Renaissance Texts and Cultures | PROF Michelle O'Callaghan |
EN2SH | Shakespeare | PROF Lucinda Becker |
EN2VIC | Victorian Literature | DR Lucy Bending |
EN2WA | Writing America | DR Sue Walsh |
EN2WGI | Writing, Gender, Identity | DR Cato Marks |
EN2WPS | Writing in the Public Sphere | DR Mary Morrissey |
ED2TS1 | Development of transferable skills through a school placement 1 | DR Caroline Foulkes |
LS2LLE | Literature, Language and Education | MRS Suzanne Portch |
MC2CCM | Curatorship and Collections Management | DR Rhi Smith |
MC2LE | Museum Learning and Engagement | DR Rhi Smith |
MM2101 | Founder Dilemmas | DR Norbert Morawetz |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Optional modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
CL3AA | Anatolia and the Aegean in the Late Bronze Age. The Context for the Trojan War | PROF Ian Rutherford |
CL3AB | Ancient Biography | PROF Timothy Duff |
CL3AEL | Ancient Egyptian Language & Hieroglyphs | DR Hana Navratilova |
CL3AP | Greek & Roman Painting | PROF Amy Smith |
CL3BSR | British School at Rome Undergraduate Summer School | DR Andreas Gavrielatos |
CL3DN | Dissertation in Classics | DR Emma Aston |
CL3DP | Preparation for Dissertation in Classics | DR Emma Aston |
CL3EGY | History and Culture of New Kingdom Egypt | DR Hana Navratilova |
CL3FCC | From Classroom to Courtroom: Mastering the Art of Persuasion in the Ancient World | DR Christa Gray |
CL3G4 | Ancient Greek 4 (H) | DR Dimitra Tzanidaki-Kreps |
CL3G5 | Ancient Greek 5 (H) | DR Dimitra Tzanidaki-Kreps |
CL3INP | Independent Third Year Project | DR Emma Aston |
CL3L3 | Latin 3 (I) | DR Andreas Gavrielatos |
CL3L4 | Latin 4 (H) | DR Andreas Gavrielatos |
CL3L5 | Latin 5 (H) | DR Andreas Gavrielatos |
CL3LAE | Late Antique Egypt | DR Arietta Papaconstantinou |
CL3MT | Modern Tragedy | PROF Barbara Goff |
CL3RA | ‘Race’ in the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds | PROF Barbara Goff |
EN3AGN | American Graphic Novels | PROF David Brauner |
EN3AH | Hitchcock | DR Neil Cocks |
EN3BBF | Black British Fiction | DR Cato Marks |
EN3CL | Children's Literature | PROF Karin Lesnik-Oberstein |
EN3DD | Decadence and Degeneration: Literature of the 1880s and 1890s | DR Lucy Bending |
EN3DIC | Dickens | PROF Andrew Mangham |
EN3DIS | Dissertation | DR Stephen Thomson |
EN3HT | Holocaust Testimony: Memory, Trauma and Representation | PROF Bryan Cheyette |
EN3LMH | Literature and Mental Health | DR John Scholar |
EN3MAT | Margaret Atwood | DR Madeleine Davies |
EN3MCP | Modern and Contemporary British Poetry | PROF Steven Matthews |
EN3MO | Medieval Otherworlds | DR Eleni Ponirakis |
EN3OW | Oscar Wilde and the World of Art | DR John Scholar |
EN3PC | Publishing Cultures: Writers, Publics, Archives | DR Nicola Wilson |
EN3PSY | Psychoanalysis and Text | PROF Karin Lesnik-Oberstein |
EN3RF | From Romance to Fantasy | DR Mary Morrissey |
EN3SHF | Shakespeare on Film | PROF Lucinda Becker |
EN3TBS | The Bloody Stage: Revenge and Death in Renaissance Drama | DR Chloe Houston |
EN3UTD | Utopia and Dystopia in English and American Literature | DR Chloe Houston |
EN3VW | Virginia Woolf and Bloomsbury | DR Madeleine Davies |
EN3WWP | Writing Women: Nineteenth Century Poetry | DR Lucy Bending |
AR3HCP | The Anthropology of Heritage and Cultural Property | DR Alanna Cant |
AR3R9 | Archaeology of the City of Rome | DR Philippa Walton |
These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
Fees
New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250*
New international students: £20,300
* UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes
UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.
EU student fees
With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.
Additional costs
Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
Flexible courses (price per 10 credit module)
UK/Republic of Ireland students: £750
International students: £1275
Careers
A degree in Classical Studies and English Literature will help you develop a range of transferable skills, including critical thinking; research and writing; ability to analyse a diverse range of materials; time-management; adaptability; independence; and a high degree of cultural literacy.
Previous graduates have gone on to a wide variety of careers, including work in accountancy and banking, government and the civil service, law, heritage and museums, teaching, publishing, public sector management, libraries and archives, and media research and production. Recent employers include GCHQ, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Oxford University, the British Museum, the NHS, the Environment Agency, and Sotheby's.