Ancient Cultures (Taught)

This Masters programme offers you the opportunity to explore the ancient world from a multicultural and interdisciplinary perspective from the Near-East to North-Western Europe. It is based in Classics, with the participation of Archaeology, Egyptology, Celtic and Gaelic, and Theology and Religious Studies.

WHY THIS PROGRAMME

• One of the world's top universities for Archaeology and History - ranked 37th for Archaeology and 49th for History in the QS World Rankings by Subject.

• The programme makes extensive use of the unique collections in the University of Glasgow's Hunterian Museum and Kelvin Hall as well as the university library Special Collections.

• Essay and dissertation topics can be tailor-made to suit your interests.

• According to programme convenor Dr Angela McDonald, "Our students don't just study the ancient world; they hold it in their hands through our handling sessions. The teaching encourages research into the objects, and we have several research projects currently underway."

• You will also have the opportunity to take up an ancient language (Greek, Latin, Egyptian, Hebrew, early Gaelic, Welsh) from scratch, or continue it at advanced level.

• Read in The Herald about how our students helped to catalogue the Hunterian's collection of Celtic coins for the first time in 100 years.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

You will complete:

• Two core courses

• Four optional courses

• A dissertation covering two or more ancient cultures or interaction between cultures, which will mainly be written after teaching finishes (from April to August).

Core Courses
Approaching the Ancient World through Material Culture
Approaching the Ancient World through Text

Both core courses include handling sessions with ancient objects taking advantage of the unique resources of the University of Glasgow in the shape of the University Library, and the Hunterian Museum galleries and its handling facilities at Kelvihall.

Optional Courses may include
Languages at all levels: Ancient Greek, Latin, Early Gaelic, Welsh, Hebrew, Ancient Egyptian (hieroglyphs)
Courses in Archaeology, from Vikings to digital imaging, and including [[[ARCH4074]]]
Courses in Celtic Civilisation, including both foundational and advanced courses
Courses in Classics and Egyptology across a wide range of topcs from texts to material culture
Courses in Theology and Religious Studies, including Women and Gender in the Bible and the Ancient World (PGT)

You must take courses from at least two subject areas. The course convener will offer guidance and approve your choices to ensure their feasibility and intellectual cogency.

Please note that you can only study one language at beginner’s level.

Dissertation

You will also complete a dissertation of 12,000-15,000 words on a research topic of your choice. Your dissertation will be supervised in individual subjects or jointly between subjects as appropriate.

Our Research Environment

You will enjoy the use of the excellent postgraduate facilities offered by Classics in Glasgow. There is a dedicated postgraduate study space, which makes available an extensive research collection, now augmented by a bequest from the late Professor Douglas MacDowell.

The subjects: Classics, Archaeology, Celtic and Gaelic, and Theology and Religious Studies, all run a programme of research seminars which provide Ancient Cultures students with a wide range of stimulating events to choose from.