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BA Classical Studies and English Literature

  • UCAS code
    QQ38
  • A level offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2024/25
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  3 Years
  • Year of entry
    2024/25
  • 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 English literature, 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. This may include studying topics such as children’s literature, publishing and the history of literature. Our academics have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary American fiction.

94% of students in the Department of English Literature said our teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things (National Student Survey, 2023).

As you progress through your degree, your module choices become more diverse and specialised. Topics of study can range from archival work to the politics of literature. 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 English literature, 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. This may include studying topics such as children’s literature, publishing and the history of literature. Our academics have published research on everything from medieval poetry to contemporary American fiction.

94% of students in the Department of English Literature said our teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things (National Student Survey, 2023).

Learning

As you progress through your degree, your module choices become more diverse and specialised. Topics of study can range from archival work to the politics of literature. 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.

 Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.

Typical offer

BBB, including grade B in A level English Literature or related subject.

Related subjects include: English Language, English Language and Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies, 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.

  • Learn more about our International Foundation programme

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.

  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Structure

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

Compulsory modules

Texts, Readers and Writers

Develop the knowledge and skills required to succeed in academic study of the ancient world including the literature, writing and numeral systems of ancient Greece and Rome. 

Theories and Practice of Writing

Discover the key concepts that shape our understanding of literature from the perspective of composition and of critical work. Consider how writers are connected to other authors, editors and publishers as you articulate your own and others’ ideas in a portfolio of written work. 

Prose: Writing Identities

Explore a range of literary prose, both fiction and non-fiction, from the eighteenth-century to the present day. You’ll consider these texts from a variety of critical perspectives to understand how they respond to various cultures, socio-political issues and aesthetics, with particular attention to the construction of identities such as ‘race’, gender and class. 

Poetry in English

From the Renaissance to the present, uncover the history of poetry as you explore key genres related to love, politics, pastoral, elegy, satire, the sonnet, the ode, and the dramatic monologue. You’ll study poems drawn from the wider English-speaking world including Ireland, the Caribbean and North America, encountering the diversity of voices found in gender and sexuality.

Ancient Song

Discover a range of lyric poetry from ancient Greece and Rome and consider a range of thematic approaches to reading the surviving texts. 

Optional modules

Roman History: The Rise and Fall of the Republic

Investigate a period marked by profound socio-political changes in Rome and discover the evidence for ancient history and modern methodological approaches, considering the relevance of Roman antiquity to issues in the modern world.   

Latin 1-3

You’ll be taught elements of the Latin language, literature, and culture to enable you to read the language at an elementary level. 

Ancient Greek 1-3

Learn elements of the Ancient Greek language, literature, and culture, enabling you to read the language at an elementary level.  

Presenting the Past

Optional Language Modules 

Learn one of ten languages offered by the University at a level appropriate for you. 

These are the modules we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest teaching and research methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Optional modules

Ancient Epic

Discuss interpretations of Greek and Latin epic hexameter poetry such as the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid.  

Greek Sculpture and Architecture 

Gain knowledge of sculpture and architecture in the Greek world, from its beginnings to the end of the Hellenistic period and consider how, why, where and when these media developed. 

Greek History: Persian Wars to Alexander

Discover the Greek classical age (479-323 BC), how to interact with sources, and principles and methods central to the study of ancient history. 

My Mother's Sin and Other Stories

Discover Greek poetry and fiction from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. You’ll consider historical, sociocultural, and wider literary developments of the period and how they illustrate attitudes to the ancient past. 

Museum Learning and Engagement

Latin 1-4

Further your knowledge of the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of Latin to increase your confidence when reading authors in the original Latin. 

Ancient Greek 1-4

Develop your skills to become competent reading ancient Greek authors and further your knowledge of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of the language. 

Careers for Classicists and Ancient Historians with Placement

Complete a work or academic placement in summer to enhance your employability. You’ll relate your experience of exploring career paths to selected careers in the ancient world. 

Careers for Classicists and Ancient Historians 

Set yourself targets in order to make impactful job applications following your graduation, relating your experience of exploring career paths to selected careers in the ancient world. 

Ancient Drama

Discover ancient drama by examining their content, themes, and performance style and uncovering the context in which they were produced. 

Roman History: From Republic to Empire

Gain knowledge of the historical, political, social, and economic developments of the imperial era of Rome, using various sources to investigate the impact of the Roman world on the present day. 

Curatorship and Collections Management

Myth, Legend and Romance: Medieval Storytelling

Explore storytelling in medieval England as you take in the fantastical tales of ancient heroes, drama that blends comedy and religious devotion, and magic and supernatural beings. You’ll consider the stark contrast of narrative structure, character development and language use by medieval writers in contrast to our own.  

Writing America: Perspectives on the Nation

Critical Thinking

Victorian Literature

Victorian literature consists of a period where authors began to consider people’s place in the world with God, the workings of the mind, and the role of class and gender in the construction of identity. You’ll engage with these ideas as you consider some of the greatest works of the period – from Dickens and Hardy to Tennyson and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.  

Contemporary Literature

Study a selection of fiction from the 1980s to the present day, exploring the formal, thematic and cultural diversity of Anglophone fiction produced in this period. You’ll consider these texts within a number of social, political and historical contexts, such as multiculturalism, feminism and globalisation.  

Early Modern Literature

Modernism

Examine the concepts of modernity, modernism, and the history of early twentieth-century poetry and fiction. You’ll explore experimentation and innovation in poetic and narrative form, and their relation to wider social upheaval and cultural movements in the period. 

The Business of Books

Enlightenment, Revolution and Romanticism

Writing in the Public Sphere

Study literature designed to prompt social and political change as you examine speeches, pamphlets, tracts and political posters from the early modern period to the present. Consider how such literature shapes debates on race, class, religion, nationality and women’s rights across Britain and Ireland.

Optional Language and University Wide Modules 

Study a module from outside your department to enhance your understanding of history and culture. Alternatively, you can learn one of ten languages offered by the University at a level appropriate for you. 

These are the modules we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest teaching and research methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Optional modules

Dissertation in Classics

Investigate a topic within classics to form the basis of an extended piece of original research or an original artistic production. To prepare for the dissertation you’ll participate in workshops and submit an assessed proposal. 

Independent Project in Classics

Conduct research, explication and documentation of a topic presented in a format different from the traditional dissertation. You’ll prepare for the project by participating in workshops and submitting an assessed proposal. 

Dissertation in English Literature

Complete a substantial work of literary-critical argument based on sustained independent research under the guidance of a supervisor. Engage in depth with a topic of particular interest as you develop the skillset accumulated during your first two years of study. 

Latin 1-6

Practice unseen translation to improve your language skills and achieve greater fluency in Latin with increased knowledge of the language’s grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. 

Ancient Greek 1-6

Increase your fluency in Ancient Greek by practicing unseen translation and developing advanced knowledge of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. 

Greek and Roman Painting

Investigate and critique Greek and Roman painting by exploring the styles and techniques used to decorate architecture and free-standing objects in the ancient world. 

‘Race’ and Ethnicity in the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds 

Challenging the notion that ‘race’ and racism are modern concepts, you’ll explore racial and ethnic otherness in Greek and Latin texts along with how classical texts continue to shape our thinking on these issues. 

From Classroom to Courtroom: Mastering the Art of Persuasion in the Ancient World

Consider the relationship between theory of rhetoric and the practice of oratory in antiquity by examining the construction of ancient speeches and the skills required for composing and delivering them. 

Lyric Voices, 1340-1650

Explore lyric poetry from the Middle Ages and the renaissance. You’ll look at the presentation of themes such as love and longing, grief, and the fear of death, and compare the ways in which authors make use of literary conventions to present such themes. 

James Joyce

From Romance to Fantasy

British Black and Asian Voices: 1948 to the Present

Examine a range of British texts (poetry, drama, novels, short stories, films) by writers of Black and Asian descent. You’ll read theoretical and historical material as you examine issues of cultural capital, national identity, and minority communities.

Placing Jane Austen

Decadence and Degeneration: Literature of the 1890s

Women Writing Poetry

Children's Literature

Margaret Atwood

The Bloody Stage: Revenge and Death in Renaissance Drama

Literature and Mental Health

Discover how literature engaged with mental health in the first half of the twentieth century, a crucial turning point in psychology. You’ll consider the de-stigmatisation of mental health in the wake of World War I, the disciplines of psychiatry and psychology that emerged from it, and how literature engages with trauma, anxiety and obsession. 

Modern and Contemporary Poetry

Optional Language and University Wide Modules 

Study a module from outside your department to enhance your understanding of history and culture. Alternatively, you can learn one of ten languages offered by the University at a level appropriate for you. 

These are the modules we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest teaching and research methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

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.

In the latest Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21, 95% of our leavers are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation (Based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2023, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21; includes first degree English Literature responders).

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

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