University undergraduate student using a touch screen in the Monica Partridge Building Digital Hub. Friday November 5th 2021.

Classical Civilisation and Philosophy BA

University Park Campus, Nottingham, UK

Course overview

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

No previous knowledge of either subject is needed - combine your enthusiasm and open mind with our quality teaching.

Different subjects - complementary themes

Our first year gives everyone a common standard of knowledge and skills. Later years provide options to explore widely. You can pick individual topics that grab your attention or follow a theme that complements both subjects. You could explore:

  • Gender - what it meant to be a man in Greece and Rome and how gender operates in today's society
  • Art - Greek and Roman painting and the philosophy of art

Indicative modules

Mandatory

Year 1

Reasoning, Argument, and Logic

Mandatory

Year 1

Mind, Knowledge, and Ethics

Mandatory

Year 1

Studying the Greek World

Mandatory

Year 1

Studying the Roman World

Optional

Year 1

Metaphysics, Science, and Language

Optional

Year 1

Philosophy of Religions

Optional

Year 1

Philosophy and the Contemporary World

Optional

Year 1

History of Philosophy: Ancient to Modern

Optional

Year 1

Gender, Justice, and Society

Optional

Year 1

Interpreting Ancient History

Optional

Year 1

Interpreting Ancient Literature

Optional

Year 1

Interpreting Ancient Art and Archaeology

Optional

Year 1

Greek and Roman Mythology

Optional

Year 1

Beginners' Latin or Greek: 1

Optional

Year 1

Beginners' Latin or Greek: 2

Optional

Year 1

Latin or Greek Texts: 1-6

Optional

Year 2

Beginners’ Latin or Greek for second and third years: 1 and 2

Optional

Year 2

Intermediate Latin or Greek: 1 and 2

Optional

Year 2

Greek Texts: 3 and 4

Optional

Year 2

Latin Texts: 3 and 4

Optional

Year 2

Communicating the Past

Optional

Year 2

Studying Classical Scholarship

Optional

Year 2

Extended Source Study

Optional

Year 2

The Silk Road: Cultural Interactions and Perceptions

Optional

Year 2

Conquerors, Caliphs, and Converts: The Making of the Islamic World, c.600-800

Optional

Year 2

Pompeii: Art and Culture in a Roman Town

Optional

Year 2

Christian Empire

Optional

Year 2

Virgil and the Epic Tradition

Optional

Year 2

Oedipus through the Ages

Optional

Year 2

Animals in the Ancient World

Optional

Year 2

Greece in the Archaic Age, c. 800-500 BC

Optional

Year 2

Greeks and Persians

Optional

Year 2

Classics and Film

Optional

Year 2

Coins, Cults and Cities: Coinage in the Eastern Roman Provinces (30 BC to AD 270)

Optional

Year 2

Mapping the Humanities

Optional

Year 2

Social Philosophy

Optional

Year 2

The Nature of Meaning

Optional

Year 2

Freedom and Obligation

Optional

Year 2

Mind and Consciousness

Optional

Year 2

Knowledge and Justification

Optional

Year 2

Normative Ethics

Optional

Year 2

Being, Becoming and Reality

Optional

Year 2

Philosophy of Art

Optional

Year 2

Intermediate Logic

Optional

Year 2

Continental Philosophy

Optional

Year 2

An Introduction to Metaethics

Optional

Year 2

Islamic Theology and Philosophy

Optional

Year 2

Topics in Asian Philosophy

Optional

Year 2

Buddhism and the World

Optional

Year 2

Space, Time, and Motion

Optional

Year 2

Employing the Arts

Optional

Year 2

Arts Work Placement Module

Optional

Year 3

Dissertation in Classics

Optional

Year 3

Beginners’ Latin or Greek for second and third years: 1 and 2

Optional

Year 3

Advanced Latin or Greek: 1 and 2

Optional

Year 3

The Silk Road: Cultural Interactions and Perceptions

Optional

Year 3

Pompeii: Art and Culture in a Roman Town

Optional

Year 3

Christian Empire

Optional

Year 3

Virgil and the Epic Tradition

Optional

Year 3

Oedipus through the Ages

Optional

Year 3

Animals in the Ancient World

Optional

Year 3

Greece in the Archaic Age, c. 800-500 BC

Optional

Year 3

Greeks and Persians

Optional

Year 3

Classics and Film

Optional

Year 3

Coins, Cults and Cities: Coinage in the Eastern Roman Provinces (30 BC to AD 270)

Optional

Year 3

Greek Tragedy

Optional

Year 3

Masculinity and Citizenship in Greece and Rome

Optional

Year 3

"Otherness" in Classical Art

Optional

Year 3

Dissertation in Philosophy

Optional

Year 3

Marx

Optional

Year 3

Oedipus Through the Ages

Optional

Year 3

Advanced Logic

Optional

Year 3

Environmental Ethics

Optional

Year 3

Communicating Philosophy

Optional

Year 3

Philosophy and Mortality

Optional

Year 3

Play, Games and Recreation

Optional

Year 3

Advanced Topics in Aesthetics

Optional

Year 3

Buddhist Philosophy

Optional

Year 3

Knowledge, Ignorance and Democracy

Optional

Year 3

Dirty Talk: Feminist Philosophy of Language

Optional

Year 3

Mind, Psychology and Mental Health

Optional

Year 3

Philosophy of Artificial Intelligence

Optional

Year 3

Authenticity and Existentialism

Optional

Year 3

Equality

Information Icon

About modules

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Tuesday 27 August 2024. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

Each subject brings their own methods and approaches to teaching.

Different types of philosophy suit different methods of teaching. You might get involved in small-group study of texts or learn alternative styles of presentation - from press releases to legal briefs.

We also encourage you to produce novel resources to communicate your knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome. You might develop a database, construct a museum exhibit or develop a teaching plan and test it in a local school.

Teaching quality and support

We work hard at their teaching to give you the best quality learning:

  • every year for the past five years over 95% students in both departments agreed that staff were good at explaining things - we know how to teach difficult and in-depth concepts (National Student Survey)
  • 90% of our permanent teaching staff across both departments have nationally recognised teaching qualifications (we're aiming for 100% by 2025)
  • tutor's contributions to high quality teaching and learning are recognised through our annual Lord Dearing Awards. View the full list of recipients.

If you have worries about your work we won't wait for them to become problems. You'll have a personal tutor from Philosophy who will support your academic progress and help find solutions to any issues. You'll also have Joint Honours advisor from Classics and Archaeology.

Peer mentoring

All new undergraduate students are allocated a peer mentor, to help you settle into life at Nottingham. Find out more about the support on offer.

Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Placements
  • Workshops
  • Field trips
  • Practical classes

A combination of essays and exams are the norm for most modules. Weekly reading summaries, presentations and online quizzes and tests may also be used by individual lecturers.

Assessment methods

  • Commentary
  • Dissertation
  • Essay
  • In-class test
  • Portfolio (written/digital)
  • Presentation
  • Reflective review
  • Written exam

The minimum scheduled contact time you will have is: 

  • Year one - at least 12 hours
  • Year two - at least 9 hours
  • Year three - at least 9 hours 

Your lecturers will also be available outside this scheduled contact time to discuss issues and develop your understanding.

As well as your timetabled sessions you'll carry out extensive self-study. This will include course reading and seminar preparation. We also encourage lots of group activity - studying is more fun, more rewarding, and often leads to better outcomes, when done together.

As a guide 20 credits (a typical module) is about 200 hours of work (combined teaching and self-study).

Class sizes vary depending on topic and type. A popular lecture can have up to 200 students attending while a specialised seminar may only contain 10 students.

Your lecturers will usually be from our academic staff in Classics and Archaeology and Philosophy, many of whom are internationally recognised in their fields.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).

Average starting salary and career progression

78.8% of undergraduates from the Faculty of Arts secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £23,974.

HESA Graduate Outcomes (2017 to 2021 cohorts). The Graduate Outcomes % is calculated using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).

University undergraduate student Cole Pearce studying in Nightingale Hall accommodation's library, University Park. November 5th 2021.

I love what you can discover with this subject - it covers almost everything. I think they got the balance right between the classics and the new, current, happening philosophy that keeps the subject alive.

Tom Ivens

BA Philosophy

Course data

Open Day June 2022