Classical Civilisation and Philosophy

Explore the civilisations that gave birth to the thinking of Aristotle and Cicero, and the philosophies they were fundamental in developing.

Your first year will give you a grounding in both subjects, and later years will allow you to tailor your degree to your interests with our wide range of optional modules. Develop a deeper understanding of the topics that grab your attention, or follow a theme that complements both subjects such as gender in the ancient world and today’s society, or Greek and Roman painting and the philosophy of art.

No previous knowledge of either subject is needed - combine your enthusiasm and open mind with our quality teaching and develop highly in-demand transferrable skills in the process.

You'll discover Ancient Greece and Rome through their:

• political and social structure

• art and visual culture

• religion and social life

In Philosophy, you'll cover the traditional areas of ethics, reasoning and logic. You’ll have the opportunity to explore how these areas feed into contemporary interests such as social philosophy, environmental ethics, and artificial intelligence.

You'll also be able contrast philosophical traditions developed in ancient Greece and Rome with those developed in India and China.

*Engaged Arts *

All students within the Faculty of Arts can select ‘Engaged Arts’ modules where you’ll approach real world challenges across contemporary themes such as sustainability or equity and justice. These modules have been newly designed to help you gain the skills and analytical abilities that employers are looking for.

Why choose this course?

Tailor your degree to your interests – our wide range of optional modules lets you study the periods, themes and events which interest you most

Confidence of thinking - develop the skills and confidence to debate your views

Future-proofing – learn to apply your experience to a wide range of professions

Gain valuable experience – with opportunities for bespoke internships, work placements and volunteering schemes

Learn a language alongside your degree – expand your horizons by learning a language alongside your studies with The Language Centre

Unleash your creativity - live in a UNESCO City of Literature, take part in the student-run New Theatre and on-campus Lakeside Arts, experience a vibrant visual arts scene and legendary music venues

Work experience - Work with our dedicated Faculty of Arts Placements Team to assist with your employability skills development via a range of placements, internships and volunteering opportunities.

Explore real-world challenges across interdisciplinary themes with our ‘Engaged Arts’ optional modules

Some key statistics

Top 100 in the world for Philosophy (QS World University Rankings 2024)

Top 10 for Classics and Ancient History in the UK in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

Making the difficult easy – over 97% of our students from both departments said we are good at explaining things (NSS 2024)

You can also access this course through a Foundation Year. This may be suitable if you have faced educational barriers and do not expect to meet the entry requirements for direct entry to a degree course. Please see the UCAS page for the relevant Foundation Year course for further information.