Classical Studies / Classical Studies with Archaeology (Optional Pathway)

Delve into the classical world and uncover the cultures, myths, histories and legacies of the civilisations that shaped it. At Kent you will develop new skills, and gain valuable experience ready for a wide range of careers, from archaeology to the heritage industry - or further afield - a degree in classical studies from Kent is the first step to wherever you want to go. Join world-leading experts, including practising archaeologists and historians. You'll study from the Minoan and Mycenean period, up to classical Greece, Republican Rome and early Christianity.

From day one you will be uncovering new perspectives on topics such as migration, gender, identity, and religion in the ancient world and have the opportunity to explore classical culture, from literature to drama or philosophy. You also have the option to study an ancient language, our broad remit at Kent means you are free to follow your passions and make your degree your own.

Add an Archaeology Pathway

This course offers an optional pathway in archaeology, leading to the degree of Classical Studies with Archaeology. You will receive training in excavation techniques on dig sites with our practicing field archaeologists, and may make your own discoveries that contribute to our knowledge of the ancient world. You will be introduced to archaeological equipment in our state-of-the-art archaeology lab, and will have the opportunity to build your network of professional contacts within the industry. If you choose to accept your offer of a place on BA Classical Studies at Kent you will be automatically sent instructions on how to register for the Archaeology Pathway prior to enrolment in September.

Year 2

You take all compulsory modules and then select three optional modules. If you are pursuing the Classical Studies with Archaeology pathway, these must include one of any of the following: Fieldwork Practice, Museum Studies, Greek and Roman Art & Architecture, Everyday Life in the Roman Empire, Rome to Byzantium: The World of Late Antiquity.

Compulsory modules currently include the following:

• Remaking the Past: Antiquity in the Present

  How does the modern world respond to, and make sense of, the ancient world? How does the ancient world influence our own world? This module examines key theoretical perspectives and evaluates their contributions to helping us understand the past. You'll focus on how we use texts and material culture to study and define past societies and also analyse responses to ancient ideas (relating to imperialism, ancient myths, philosophy, and ethics) in both their ancient and modern setting.

  You’ll consider evidence of the past within a contemporary intellectual framework. Through various case studies, you’ll explore a range of cultural responses to ideas —such as Roman responses to Greek ideas —as well as their representations across a range of media.

• The Engagement Project

  This is your opportunity to learn how to carry out an independent research project, in preparation for the dissertation module that follows. You’ll develop a variety of academic skills through close engagement with source evidence (through data gathering, resource evaluation, writing, interpretation and presentation), building on the knowledge you’ve already acquired in other modules. You can base you project on any suitable subject or evidence source that you're passionate about.

  Your proposed subject will be assessed for suitability and feasibility by a module convenor, based on your course pathway choice. Once your project has been approved, you’ll be appointed a project supervisor from CLAS staff to assist you. You should aim to pursue projects that are distinctive, persuasive, and connect to theoretical debates. Projects should be informed by your personal interests, your chosen pathway, the aims of the module, support from your supervisor, and the accessibility of relevant material.

Optional modules may include the following:

• Egypt and the Classical World

• Everyday Life in the Roman Empire

• Fieldwork Practice: The practice of archaeological data recovery in the field or through materials study

• Gender and Sexuality in Roman Society

• Greek and Roman Art and Architecture

• Homeric Epic

• Intermediate Ancient Languages 1

• Intermediate Ancient Languages 2

• Museum Studies – Exploring Key Debates

• Museum Studies – Internships

• The Rise and Fall of Athens

• Rome to Byzantium: the World of Late Antiquity

• Virgil’s Aeneid

• War and Imperialism in Ancient Rome, 350-100 BCE

Please see the course page on our website for full module details.

Year 3

You take all compulsory modules and then select four optional modules. If you are pursuing the Classical Studies with Archaeology pathway, these must include two of any of the following: Advanced Topics in Archaeology, Professional Archaeology: Techniques and Methods, Heritage Studies, Constantinople and the late Antique City, Roman Britain, Gods, Heroes and Mystery Cults: Religion in Ancient Greece, Barbarians in the West.

Compulsory modules currently include the following:

• Dissertation

This module introduces undergraduate students to systematic research within a framework of supervised guidance. It provides an opportunity to select a topic of their choosing, in either archaeology, history, ancient literature. Students are invited to suggest subjects and provisional titles (topics). Prospective topics are scrutinised for suitability and feasibility and approved by the convenor before research can begin. Students receive instruction through a programme of timetabled guidance sessions and from the module convenor and a designated academic supervisor throughout the process. In addition, one-to-one meetings with the supervisor enable tailored tuition, covering the selection of the precise question/s for investigation, most apt reading, and so forth.

Students prepare a short formal research proposal in the first half of the autumn term in order to formulate the question their investigation will address; this is submitted as an assignment, assessed, and feedback provided. Two further assessed step submissions follow as the research builds: a research outline with associated bibliography and a critical evaluation of a key source material. Students should aim to ultimately produce what is an original study. The finalised Dissertation is submitted at the end of the second term of study.

Optional modules may include the following:

• Advanced Ancient Languages

• Advanced Topics in Ancient History

• Advanced Topics in Archaeology

• Advanced Topics in Classical Studies

• Ancient Philosophy

• Barbarians in the West

• Cities and Empires of the Ancient Near East

• Classical Studies and Ancient History in the Classroom

• Constantinople and the Late Antique City

• Early Greece and the Formation of the Classical World

• Gods, Heroes and Mystery Cults: Religion in Ancient Greece

• Graeco-Roman Egypt

• The Hellenistic World: History and Material Culture

• Heritage Studies – Internships

• Heritage Studies – Exploring Key Debates

• Monsters in Roman Literature

• Professional Archaeology: Techniques and Methods

• Roman Britain: History and Archaeology

Please see the course page on our website for full module details.

Year In Industry (optional)

Year in Industry

You have the option to add a year in industry to this course. We already know you have the confidence and commitment to thrive in the workplace and kick-start your career. This is your chance to prove it, to yourself and to employers. The Year in Industry can be added during your studies.

Any questions? We have the answers!

When should I start looking? Companies will recruit at different times of the year based on their size. It's good to be application ready by the summer of your first year.

Where can I get help finding a placement? Book an appointment with a placement adviser via the careers service.

Will I get paid? Most of our placements are paid.

Do I have to pay tuition fees? Yes, you’ll pay a substantially reduced fee. Fees for the current year (subject to changes) can be found on our tuition fees website.

Where can I get visa advice if I’m an international student? Kent Students' Union can help with any visa queries.

Does the University keep in touch? You receive four-weekly check-in emails, a visit from the team every three months and you can reach out to us any time by email or phone.

Do I work for a full year? The minimum requirement for an industrial placement is 44 weeks.

Year Abroad (optional)

Go Abroad

Taking a year abroad – whether you study at one of our prestigious partner universities or do an internship – is an amazing opportunity. The Year Abroad can be added during your studies at Kent.

Any questions? We have the answers!

Is there any additional funding for the year abroad? You may be able to apply for funding; check with our Go abroad team.

Do I have to pay tuition fees for the year abroad? Yes, you’ll pay a substantially reduced fee. Fees for the current year (subject to changes) can be found on our tuition fees website. You don’t pay anything to the host uni.

Will I still get my maintenance loan? Yes.

When does the year abroad take place? Between your second and final year.

Do I have to learn a foreign language? You’re taught in English in many destinations, but you’ll get more out of your year if you learn the local language.

Does the University keep in touch? You have full access to all Kent’s support services as well as our dedicated Go abroad team.

Year 1

The following modules are what students typically study, but this may change year to year in response to new developments and innovations.

This course offers a pathway in archaeology leading to the degree in Classical Studies with Archaeology. It provides an opportunity for you to develop wide and in-depth skills, training and knowledge in archaeology. If you choose this pathway you'll have different module options to the main study route, outlined below.

You take all compulsory modules then select two from a list of optional modules.

Compulsory modules currently include the following:

• Power and Persuasion: The Classical World

  What were the major works and genres of Greek literature? How were stories told in Ancient Rome? This module is an introduction to Classical history, literature and culture. Spanning almost two thousand years from the Bronze Age Mycenaeans to the Greeks living under the Roman Empire, you'll explore the major events, developments and themes of ancient Mediterranean history and civilisation and will gain an introduction to key historical evidence.

  There will be a strong focus on Greek literature. You’ll be asked to consider and discuss the role of literature as a vehicle for power, persuasion and public debate throughout Greek history. You’ll also examine themes such as democracy, justice, religion, rationalism, violence, war, displacement, the body, and gender. Using Greek literature as a lens by which to examine the ancient world, and trace the connections to our own.

• Classical Archaeology: Great Sites, Key Issues

  What tools do archaeologists use to investigate the ancient world? And how are technological developments changing this process? This module covers classical archaeology chronologically— from the Minoans to Late Antiquity— and methodologically, covering the evidence and non-invasive research methods archaeologists use to tell the story of Mediterranean societies.

  You’ll explore key issues such as Greek colonisation, Roman conquest, Romanisation and resistance, the nature of Minoan palaces, and the city of Rome. You’ll develop practical skills and discover topics such as military archaeology, numismatics, epigraphy and ceramics, and examine major sites of Classical archaeology, from Thera, Knossos, and Lefkandi, to Athens, Vergina, and Rome.

• Tyranny and Transformation: The Roman World

  What can we learn from the centuries of crisis that led to the rise of populists who overthrew Rome’s democracy? What mirror does the history of Rome hold up to our own times, and how does this knowledge empower us to shape our future while learning from the past?

  This module will explore these questions through the lens of Roman history, from the overthrow of the first Roman monarchy and the foundation of the Roman Republic (509 BCE) to the dramatic rise and fall of Julius Caesar’s autocracy (44 BCE), and finally the near-collapse of the Roman Empire in the third century CE.

• Classical Mythology: Themes and Approaches to Ancient Greek Myth

  Who were the Titans? Who were the monsters and heroes of the Underworld? This module will introduce you to ancient Greek mythology, including the mythological structure of the Greek pantheon. You’ll reach far beyond the Olympians to explore fascinating topics such as star myths and cosmogony. You’ll also examine the scholarship on mythology and learn to analyse myths in their ancient setting and understand their meaning and function.

Optional modules may include the following:

• Migration, Slavery and Identity in the Ancient World

• Ancient Egypt: Key Sites and Material Culture

• Archaeology: The Essentials

• Beginners’ Ancient Languages 1

• Beginners’ Ancient Languages 2

• Classical Literature

• Rome in the First Century AD: The Global City from Augustus to Domitian

Please see the course page on our website for full module details.