Classical Studies and English BA Honours

Clearing - How to apply

What is Clearing?

Each year, universities may have spaces left on their courses after the application window has closed in June.

UCAS Clearing is your opportunity to snap up one of these places, even if you didn't apply to the university prior to the June deadline.

It also gives you a second chance to go to university if you didn't get the grades you needed for your firm and insurance offers.

How do I get in touch?

Our Clearing entry requirements may differ from those advertised; contacting our friendly advisers is the best way to find out if you’re eligible for a place.

You can get in touch through live chat or our hotlines. Call us on 0800 073 5050, or if you’re an international student calling from outside the UK, call: +44 191 222 5000.

Not available in Clearing

This course is not available in Clearing 2024.

This means there are no spaces available for Clearing 2024. If you can't find vacancies in your original course or subject area, try exploring other subjects in a related field.

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Course overview

Immerse yourself in the study of the Greek and Roman worlds on this Classical Studies and English BA Honours degree, exploring how these cultures have influenced English novels, poetry, plays and films. 

You'll study the language and literature of ancient Greece and Rome and develop your knowledge of how Greek, Latin and English writers thought about and presented their worlds through their work.

You will analyse the relationships between literature written in English and Greek, and Roman literature and culture, exploring the impact of the Classical tradition on Western civilisation. You'll also have the opportunity to explore classical texts in translation or in the original language.

Download information about this course as a PDF

Your course and study experience - disclaimers and terms and conditions  
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2024-25.

See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Quality and ranking

Professional accreditation and recognition

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body.

Modules and learning

Modules

The information below is intended to provide an example of what you will study.

Most degrees are divided into stages. Each stage lasts for one academic year, and you'll complete modules totalling 120 credits by the end of each stage. 

Our teaching is informed by research. Course content may change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback.

Optional module availability
Student demand for optional modules may affect availability.

Full details of the modules on offer will be published through the Programme Regulations and Specifications ahead of each academic year. This usually happens in May.

To find out more please see our terms and conditions

You'll develop a broad knowledge of English literature and the ancient world. You'll build a foundation of skills so that you are able to use different methods to think about and approach the Greek and Roman past, and to comprehend, analyse and interpret texts by classical authors and authors writing in English.

You'll also have the option to take modules in Greek and Latin language, ancient philosophy and ancient history.

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Transformations	20
Beginnings	20
Revolutions	20

Optional Modules	Credits
Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology	20
The World of Latin Literature	20
Tragedy, Comedy, History: The World of Greek Literature	20
How Should I Live? An Introduction to Ancient Philosophy	20
Beginners' Greek in Action Part 1	20
Beginners' Greek in Action Part 2	20
Intermediate Greek Language and Literature Part 1	20
Intermediate Greek Language and Literature Part 2	20
West meets East: Greek History and Society	20
The Roman World from Romulus to Trajan	20
Beginners' Latin in Action Part 1	20
Beginners' Latin in Action Part 2	20
Intermediate Latin Language and Literature Part 1	20
Intermediate Latin Language and Literature Part 2	20

In addition to a research training module, which helps you to develop your independent research skills in preparation for the final year dissertation, you can choose from a range of modules from English and Classics. Topics relate to English literature from the 16th Century to the present day, Greek and Latin literature, ancient history and Greek and Latin language.

You may also choose a creative writing module.

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Special Study on an Aspect of Classical Influence in English Literature	20

Optional Modules	Credits
Foundations of European Drama: Tragedy in Greece and Rome	20
Love, Death, and Longing	20
Ancient Biography	20
Beginners' Greek in Action Part 1	20
Beginners' Greek in Action Part 2	20
Intermediate Greek Language and Literature Part 1	20
Intermediate Greek Language and Literature Part 2	20
Level 2 Greek: Interpretation of Texts	20
Level 2 Greek: Special Study	20
Hellenistic Empires from Alexander to Cleopatra	20
The Roman World from Hadrian to Heraclius	20
Greek and Roman Religions	20
Slavery in Greco-Roman Antiquity	20
Beginners' Latin in Action Part 1	20
Beginners' Latin in Action Part 2	20
Intermediate Latin Language and Literature Part 1	20
Intermediate Latin Language and Literature Part 2	20
Level 2 Latin: Interpretation of Texts	20
Level 2 Latin: Special Study	20
HaSS Study Abroad Semester 1 60 Credits	60
HaSS Study Abroad Semester 2 60 credits	60
Career Development for second year students	20
Renaissance Bodies	20
Writing New Worlds, 1688-1789	20
Revolutionary Britain, 1789-1832	20
Victorian Passions: Victorian Values	20
Contemporary Cultures	20
Modernisms	20
Creative Practice	20
Monsters, Misery & Miracles: Heroic Life in Old English Poetry	20
Poetry Workshop	20
Theatre Script Workshop	20
Prose Workshop	20
Screenwriting Workshop	20
Stagecraft in Early Drama	20
Literatures of Decolonisation	20

You only take one of the following modules if you undertake the Study Abroad exchange programme:

HaSS Study Abroad Semester 1 (60 credits)

HaSS Study Abroad Semester 2 (60 credits)

You'll conduct a major research project, writing a dissertation on a topic of your choice related to the Classical tradition in English, for which you will be guided and supervised by our expert staff. A creative writing project is also an option.

For your four optional modules, you'll be able to choose from a wide range of topics in English literature, from Chaucer to the current day, as well as topics in Greek and Latin literature and Greek and Roman history, including the choice to take an ancient language (Greek or Latin).

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Special Study on an Aspect of Classical Influence in English Literature	40

Optional Modules	Credits
Foundations of European Drama: Tragedy in Greece and Rome	20
Love, Death, and Longing	20
Ancient Biography	20
Beginners' Greek in Action Part 1	20
Beginners' Greek in Action Part 2	20
Intermediate Greek Language and Literature Part 1	20
Intermediate Greek Language and Literature Part 2	20
Level 2 Greek: Interpretation of Texts	20
Level 2 Greek: Special Study	20
City of Athens: Power, Society and Culture	20
'Frogs around the pond': Mobility and identity in the Pre-Roman Mediterranean	20
Roman Egypt	20
The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine	20
Gods in the Material World: Religion and Material Culture in Greece, Egypt and Mesopotamia 2000BC-338BC	20
Beginners' Latin in Action Part 1	20
Beginners' Latin in Action Part 2	20
Intermediate Latin Language and Literature Part 1	20
Intermediate Latin Language and Literature Part 2	20
Level 2 Latin: Interpretation of Texts	20
Level 2 Latin: Special Study	20
Level 3 Latin: Interpretation of Texts	20
Level 3 Latin: Special Study	20
Career Development for final year students	20
Sex and Money: Economies of the Victorian Novel	20
Landscapes of American Modernism	20
Enlightened Romantics: A Revolution in Feeling	20
Time, Change, and the Life Course in Literature of the Long Nineteenth Century	20
American Poetry Now	20
Prose Portfolio	40
Theatre Script Portfolio	40
Poetry Portfolio	40
Screenwriting Portfolio	40
Planetary Imaginations: Literature in the Time of Environmental Crisis	20
Writing Liberty in the Romantic Era	20
Fiction and the Philosophy of Terror: From the Supernatural to the Sublime	20
Freedom and Imagination: US Literature 1850-1900	20
Deep North: Modern Literature of the North East	20
Popular Romance and Contemporary Political Discourse	20
Making Young Adult Literature	20
War Writing: Heroic and Hostile Discourses in Medieval Literature	20
Envious Show: Wealth, Power and Ambition in Narratives of the Country House, 1550-2000	20
Exposing Ourselves: Privacy, Contemporary Performance and the Public Sphere	20
Devolutionary Fictions: Literature, Politics, and the British State since 1960	20
Border Fictions: Migration, Memory, and Transgressions in Global Anglophone Literatures, 1900-Present Day	20
Keats and Romantic Epic	20

Information about these graphs

We base these figures and graphs on the most up-to-date information available to us. They are based on the modules chosen by our students in 2023-24.

Teaching time is made up of:

• scheduled learning and teaching activities. These are timetabled activities with a member of staff present.
• structured guided learning. These are activities developed by staff to support engagement with module learning. Students or groups of students undertake these activities without direct staff participation or supervision

Teaching and assessment

Teaching methods

You'll be taught through a range of teaching methods and activities, including:

• lectures
• seminars
• workshops
• tutorials
• film-screenings

Assessment methods

You'll be assessed through a combination of:

• 

  Assignments – written or fieldwork

• 

  Coursework

• 

  Dissertation or research project

• 

  Essays

• 

  Presentations

Skills and experience

Practical skills

During your degree, you will have the chance to take part in extracurricular field trips that take advantage of the North East's rich history such as:

• the nearby World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall
• the classically inspired Belsay Hall
• Wallington Hall

You will be able to take advantage of the resources of the Great North Museum, with its extensive ancient collections.

These practical experiences complement your understanding of the topics you are studying, allowing you to analyse and interpret artefacts, and carry out research using a wide range of archives.

Research skills

In your final year, using the skills developed during your degree, you’ll write a dissertation on a topic of your own choosing. During this, you’ll hone your investigative skills as you undertake independent research with access to extensive print and electronic resources, as well as archives and special collections.

Opportunities

Study abroad

Experience life in another country by choosing to study abroad as part of your degree. You’ll be encouraged to embrace fun and challenging experiences, make connections with new communities and graduate as a globally aware professional, ready for your future.

You have the opportunity to study abroad in either Stage 2 or 3. You can study in an EU country as part of a study abroad exchange or further afield.

Find out more about study abroad.

Work placement

Get career ready with a work placement and leave as a confident professional in your field. You can apply to spend 9 to 12 months working in any organisation in the world, and receive University support from our dedicated team to secure your dream placement. Work placements take place between stages 2 and 3.

You'll gain first-hand experience of working in the sector, putting your learning into practice and developing your professional expertise.

If you choose to take a work placement, it will extend your degree by a year. Your degree title will show you have achieved the placement year.  Placements are subject to availability.

Find out more about work placements.

Facilities and environment

Facilities

You'll be based in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, located at the heart of campus in the historic Armstrong Building. You'll have access to excellent study resources including:

• the Philip Robinson University Library, which houses over 800,000 books and provides access to ca. 1.8m e-books
• Special Collections & Archives – a rich collection of archival material, historical medical texts and rare books
• The Great North Museum: Hancock, our on-campus museum which holds an extensive collection of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan artefacts
• The Wolfson Archaeology Laboratory - with facilities for use-wear analysis of bone, stone, metal and glass, and furnaces for research in material culture or experimental archaeology.
• a Material Culture Analytical Suite kitted out with microscopes, 2D and 3D scanning equipment and CT facilities

Find out more about the School of History, Classics and Archaeology

Support

You'll be welcomed into a vibrant and supportive community. We will ensure you are well placed to achieve your highest potential and are equipped for career success.

You'll have the support of an academic member of staff as a personal tutor throughout your degree to help with academic and personal issues.

Peer mentors will help you in your first year. They are fellow students who can help you settle in and answer any questions you have when starting university.

Your future

You'll develop a mix of practical, intellectual and transferable skills desirable to employers. This will give you an excellent choice of further study and career opportunities open to you on completion of your studies.

Classics graduates find themselves in a diverse range of careers, including:

• Heritage and Museums
• Journalism and Publishing
• Education
• Law and Legal Services
• Marketing

Make a difference

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Careers support

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Tuition fees and scholarships

Tuition fees for 2025 entry (per year)

The 2025 home fees have not yet been confirmed (see ‘Home Fee Students’ information below).

Qualification: BA Honours
Home students full time 3 years	Tuition fees (per year) Not set
International students full time 3 years	Tuition fees (per year) 23800

Home Fee Students

Home students starting in 2024 entry
£9,250 is the maximum fee that we are currently permitted to charge for home fee-paying students. This is set by the UK government.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Home students starting in 2025 entry
The 2025 home fees have not yet been confirmed. In November 2024 the government increased the maximum fee level to £9,535 for 2025/26. We expect to confirm our Undergraduate Home fees for 2025/26 in December 2024.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Read more about fees and funding

International Fee Students

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

Read more about fees and funding

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our undergraduate scholarship page for more information.

Year abroad and additional costs

For programmes where you can spend a year on a work placement or studying abroad, you will receive a significant fee reduction for that year. 

Some of our degrees involve additional costs which are not covered by your tuition fees.

Scholarships

Find out more about:

• scholarships for UK, EU and international students
• Student Loans and Government financial support for UK and EU students

How to apply

Apply through UCAS

To apply for undergraduate study at Newcastle University, you must use the online application system managed by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). All UK schools and colleges, and a small number of EU and international establishments, are registered with UCAS. You will need:

• the UCAS name and institution codes for Newcastle University (NEWC/N21)
• the UCAS code for the course you want to apply for
• the UCAS 'buzzword' for your school or college

If you are applying independently, or are applying from a school or college which is not registered to manage applications, you will still use the Apply system. You will not need a buzzword.

Apply through UCAS

Apply through an agent

International students often apply to us through an agent. Have a look at our recommended agents and get in touch with them.

Visit our International pages