Ancient History 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.

Search our courses in Clearing

Course overview

Our wide-ranging and inclusive Ancient History degree focuses upon a period extending from the eighth-century BCE ‘beginnings’ of Greek history to the fall of Alexandria in 641 CE.

During your degree, you'll explore:

• a broad range of historical questions relating to Greek and Roman history
• the interactions of Greeks and Romans with neighbouring or conquered peoples
• a time of widespread mobility, intercultural contact, and exchange

The areas covered will include:

• the Mediterranean world
• Central and Northern Europe, including Britain
• beyond (e.g., Graeco-Roman Egypt, Babylon, or the steppe regions north of the Euxine/Black Sea)

You'll focus on ideas of power, identity, religion, and culture along with the histories and experiences of historically marginalized groups.

You'll learn how to work with a wide range of evidence, including:

• historical texts
• inscriptions
• papyri
• coins
• art
• architecture

You can also choose to study ancient Greek and Latin, from Beginners to Advanced level. You'll be learning and working alongside internationally recognised experts. That will provide you with the opportunity to specialise in the topics relating to our various areas of expertise.

Our areas of expertise include:

• the history of Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Greece
• interactions between Greeks and non-Greek ‘barbarians’
• Alexander the Great
• Hellenistic kingship
• the Roman Republic and the High Empire
• Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt
• Late Antiquity
• relations between pagans and Christians
• ancient literacy
• the experiences of immigrants, women, children, and slaves
• Greek and Roman religion
• Roman Law

Our dedicated research modules will enable you to develop and further hone a broad set of aptitudes and abilities including:

• a sense of empathy
• curiosity
• the ability to think creatively and reflexively
• working independently

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

Your compulsory modules will provide you with a wide-ranging and inclusive introduction to antiquity in a broad global context. You'll gain:

• broad overviews of Greek and Roman history, which will serve as a foundation for the rest of your degree
• knowledge and understanding of significant historical issues from a more global perspective. This focuses on recurrent themes or topics across a diversity of regions and cultures

You'll then choose three optional modules. These may include ancient language (Greek or Latin), literature (in translation), philosophy, art or archaeology modules.

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
West meets East: Greek History and Society	20
The Roman World from Romulus to Trajan	20
Global Ancient Histories	20

Optional Modules	Credits
The Archaeology of Britain from the Romans to the 20th Century	20
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
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
Slavery	20
Global Middle Ages	20
Stuff: living in a material world	20

Compulsory modules will expand your knowledge of historical developments across the Greek and Roman worlds.

They will introduce you to the Hellenistic period in Greek history, after the conquests of Alexander the Great, when great kingdoms, many headed by Greek rulers, competed for power in the eastern Mediterranean and western Asia.

You will also learn about the mature Roman Empire: the many ways in which it changed over the centuries until its ultimate demise or transformation.

Optional modules will provide you with the opportunity to further your study of aspects of Greek and Roman culture and language, learn about ancient institutions like religion and slavery, or explore neighbouring periods like the Bronze Age and the Middle Ages.

A focus of this year will be developing your research and problem-solving skills through:

• critical study
• guided research
• writing of commentaries on historical texts and artefacts

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Hellenistic Empires from Alexander to Cleopatra	20
Portfolio in Ancient History I: Commentaries	20
The Roman World from Hadrian to Heraclius	20
Issues in Ancient History	20

Optional Modules	Credits
Archaeologies of the Roman Empire: The Roman World from Augustus to Justinian	20
The Medieval World: AD 400-1500	20
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
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
Africa: History of a Continent	20
Greece, from ancient to modern	20
Communication in the Medieval World, from Europe to Asia: Prayer, Poetry, Pictures, and Travel	20
Diversities of Sexuality and Gender in History	20
The Mediterranean: a connected past	20
HaSS Study Abroad Semester 1 60 Credits	60
HaSS Study Abroad Semester 2 60 credits	60
Career Development for second year students	20

You'll also have access to a wide range of modules relating to Greek and Roman history, culture, and society. This is in addition to options in History or Archaeology.

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 have access to an even wider range of optional modules to select from, covering topics such as:

• mobility and identity in the Greek Mediterranean
• religion in Greece, Egypt and Mesopotamia
• Hellenistic kingship
• the fall of the Roman Republic
• the Late Roman Empire
• Rome and her enemies
• society, culture and economy of Roman Egypt
• representations of the ancient world in cinema
• human dissection in antiquity

Modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Portfolio in Ancient History II: Dissertation	40

Optional Modules	Credits
Frontier Communities of Roman Britain	20
Sex, bodies and identities in Classical Greece	20
Homeric Archaeology: Greece from Palaces to City States	20
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
Semester One Substitute for Stage 3 HIS Capped Special Subject	20
Semester Two Substitute for Stage 3 HIS Capped Special Subject	20
Buddhism and Society in Medieval Japan	20
Career Development for final year students	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 dynamic range of methods and activities, including:

• lectures
• seminars
• tutorials
• workshops
• practical activities
• site visits
• independent study

These activities take place in the classroom, library, field and the museum.

Assessment methods

You'll be assessed through a combination of:

• 

  Assignments – written or fieldwork

• 

  Coursework

• 

  Essays

• 

  Examinations – practical or online

• 

  Portfolio submission

• 

  Presentations

Skills and experience

Practical skills

At our on-campus museum, the Great North Museum, you'll be able to:

• access specialist collections
• handle an array of exciting artefacts from ancient Greek, Roman and Etruscan civilisations

During your degree, you'll also have the chance to take part in extracurricular field trips that take advantage of the North East's rich history.

You'll visit sites of historic interest such as:

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

Transferable skills

Our Ancient History degree is designed to equip you with a range of transferable skills highly valued by employers, including:

• problem-solving
• creative and empathic thinking
• critical and analytical reasoning
• project management
• ability to work independently
• spoken and written communication skills
• ability to construct an argument
• time management

Research skills

Throughout your degree you will be working on a range of research projects, and will have access to the expertise and advice of members of staff. At the end of your second year you’ll have the opportunity to apply for a scholarship. You'll spend the summer following your second year working alongside academic staff on your own research project.

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 can choose to spend up to a year studying at a partner institution overseas.

If you choose to study abroad, it will extend your degree by a year. 

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, and your degree title will show you have achieved the placement year. A work placement is not available if you're spending a year studying abroad. 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

Join a network of successful graduates

You'll acquire and further develop a dynamic mix of practical, intellectual and transferable skills. These will enable you to thrive in a professional setting. You'll be able to take advantage of a wide range of career opportunities on completion of your studies.

Our Ancient History graduates have gone on to work in a diverse range of careers, including:

• law and legal services
• marketing
• financial services
• journalism
• teaching
• armed forces
• museum and heritage work
• academic research

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:

• research, information work and IT
• law and legal services
• journalism and marketing
• retail
• social work

Read more about our graduate career paths

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