PhD Classics and Ancient History

The Department of Classics and Ancient History has an international reputation for outstanding and innovative research. We are particularly well known for reception studies, which we pioneered in Britain, and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of antiquity. As a research student, you will be a member of a thriving and dynamic community.

Programme structure

MPhil: a standalone, one-year (full-time) research degree. Students will undertake their own research project, concluding in the submission of a 25,000-word dissertation. Students may have the option to audit units from taught programmes if they are relevant to their research.

PhD: a research project undertaken across four years (full-time, minimum period of study three years), culminating in an 80,000 word thesis. As well as having the option to audit taught units, there may be opportunities for PhD students to gain teaching experience from their second year of study onwards.

All research students attend a core unit on Theories and Approaches in their first year or two, as well as training run by the School of Humanities and the fortnightly departmental seminar.

The MPhil and PhD can be studied via distance learning.