BA Classics

About the Course

A degree in Classics is for you if you want to focus on the languages of the Classical world. You will also get the opportunity to study and explore the literatures and cultures of Greece and Rome. This degree has an initial requirement of an A Level (or equivalent) in either ancient Greek or Latin. You will develop your skills in both languages and thus gain direct access to some of the most famous works in world literature. The culmination of the degree is the dissertation, where you are free to pursue a topic of your choice in line with our range of research and publication specialisms.

Throughout your studies, you are taught by experts in the field to make sure that cutting-edge research is included in your programme. Students are also given the opportunity to participate in the wider research community and are always welcome at our weekly research seminar series, which feature speakers from around the world.

Incorporated into our Classics degree are opportunities for study abroad with our partners at Bologna (Italy), Tarragona (Spain) and Hobart and William Smith (USA). Whilst on Lampeter Campus, the ratio of staff to students is such that students have ready and easy access to all their lecturers. Smaller than average group sizes, particularly for language tuition, means that classes are always friendly and are never intimidating. Staff in the School get to know most, if not all, of their students on a first name basis.

The ratio of staff to students also means that we offer an excellent student support network. Every student in the School has a personal tutor, and the School’s dedicated Welfare Officer and First Year Tutor are always on hand should extra support be necessary.

We also support very active student-led Classics and Ancient Civilisations societies, which have organised movie nights and theatre trips and put on plays themselves.

Check out their facebook pages for more information.

Award
BA (Single Honours)

UCAS Code
Q800

Course Length
3 years full-time; part-time study available

Entry Requirements

Our general offer ranges from 240-260 UCAS points, usually over 3 A levels, and requires a grade C at A level, or equivalent, in either Latin or Ancient Greek. However, each individual case is taken on merit. Of greater importance are your personal statements, references and your potential. You may be invited to interview to help us better assess this.

Career Opportunities

• Media and publishing
• Business and commerce
• Further study
• Library and information services
• Teaching

Employment details

There is no one path for our Classics graduates. The traditional routes of teaching, the civil service and research – governmental, academic and media – are still pursued by our graduating cohort. However, the programme of embedded employability offered by the School of Classics at Trinity Saint David, with the trained focus necessary for the successful completion of such a language-intensive degree, ensures that our Classics graduates have the skills set, confidence and determination to explore a wide variety of career paths.

Indeed, our graduating students have explored options from ESL specialists to information collection work, from careers in the heritage sector to opportunities in the corporate world. Taking all that they have gained from studying Classics with us and combining it with a dedicated Careers Service, Classics graduates from Trinity Saint David are equipped to follow their passions wherever they may lead.

Department

School of Classics

Campus

Lampeter Campus

Typical modules

• Latin or ancient Greek at beginners, intermediate and advanced level (as appropriate)
• From Gods to CGI: an Introduction to Classical Mythology
• Athens vs. Rome: Life and Culture in Classical Antiquity
• Historicising Texts

Key Features

• The first Classics programme in Wales
• In-depth study of Ancient Greek or Latin
• Innovative language learning through our e-learning platform
• Small and friendly classes
• Excellent student support

Programme Specification

Programme Specification BA Classics

Further Information

Assessment methods

A degree in Classics involves a wide range of assessment methods. In addition to traditional timed tests, literary criticisms and exams, you will be assessed through presentations – oral and powerpoint based, at both individual and group level – bibliographic exercises, creation of abstracts, in-house conference papers, creation of project plans and, of course, the dissertation. This breadth of assessment type creates variety in the student experience, allowing you to explore the subject in different ways, and also embeds within the Classics programme the specific employability skills desired, indeed required, by employers today.

Learning and Teaching methods

Providing our students with a range of learning opportunities and excellent teaching is the primary aim of the School of Classics. We employ innovative methods and approaches that enhance our students’ learning throughout their studies.

All our degrees are modular. Full-time students are required to take 120 credits at each level of study. A full-time student will normally take 6 modules a year, each worth 20 credits – 3 per semester. Part-time students are required to take between 40 and 60 credits a year.

All our undergraduate modules are taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and workshops, with language tuition taking place in small classroom environments. Lectures offer students the opportunity to be introduced to specific aspects of a module. Seminars are opportunities for group-discussion and debate. Workshops allow students to explore aspects of a module in an autonomous fashion, often in a practical manner, under the lecturer’s supervision. On average undergraduate students spend about 12 hours per week in class and about 30 hours per week in class and assignment preparation.

Our students enjoy the use of an excellent suite of subject-specific resources, both electronic and hard-copy at the Learning Resources Centre. All our modules are taught with the support of innovative e-learning techniques via our Virtual Learning Environment. The School of Classics makes great use of its VLE: we podcast and/or vidcast every lecture and many grammar aspects of language provision, post all powerpoints and handouts and utilise the space for links, discussions and group work. Our VLE is a live forum through which students and staff can interact, through which students are able better to revise and explore difficult topics and through which students are better able to access the electronic resources available in the virtual world.

All our modules are taught by specialists and active researchers. The influence of our research on our teaching offers our students the opportunity to learn from the best in the subject and follow the latest scholarly trends and discoveries, whilst our independent study modules allow you to explore your passion in its entirety. There are also opportunities available for study abroad.

Studying Classics with us here at Trinity Saint David means research-led teaching and research-active learning in an environment that allows for both full use of the virtual world and the personal approach of expert tuition.