You will take 120 credits of modules split as follows:
- Mandatory modules: 80 credits
- Optional modules: 40 credits
You must pass year one, but it does not count towards your final degree classification.
University Park Campus, Nottingham, UK
Qualification | Entry Requirements | Start Date | UCAS code | Duration | Fees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BA Hons | BBB | September 2024 | V403 | 3 years full-time (available part-time) | £9,250 Per year |
Qualification | Entry Requirements | Start Date | UCAS code | Duration | Fees |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
BA Hons | BBB | September 2024 | V403 | 3 years full-time (available part-time) | £9,250 Per year |
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6.5 (no less than 6.0 in any element)
As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English. Check our English language policies and equivalencies for further details.
For presessional English or one-year foundation courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations.
If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a Presessional English for Academic Purposes (PEAP) course. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.
If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.
Check our country-specific information for guidance on qualifications from your country
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All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2023 entry.
Please note: Applicants whose backgrounds or personal circumstances have impacted their academic performance may receive a reduced offer. Please see our contextual admissions policy for more information.
At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.
International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.
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All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2023 entry.
Please note: Applicants whose backgrounds or personal circumstances have impacted their academic performance may receive a reduced offer. Please see our contextual admissions policy for more information.
We recognise that applicants have a wealth of different experiences and follow a variety of pathways into higher education.
Consequently we treat all applicants with alternative qualifications (besides A-levels and the International Baccalaureate) on an individual basis, and we gladly accept students with a whole range of less conventional qualifications including:
This list is not exhaustive. The entry requirements for alternative qualifications can be quite specific; for example you may need to take certain modules and achieve a specified grade in those modules. Please contact us to discuss the transferability of your qualification. Please see the alternative qualifications page for more information.
If you have already achieved your EPQ at Grade A you will automatically be offered one grade lower in a non-mandatory A level subject.
If you are still studying for your EPQ you will receive the standard course offer, with a condition of one grade lower in a non-mandatory A level subject if you achieve an A grade in your EPQ.
We recognise the potential of talented students from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to students whose personal circumstances may have restricted achievement at school or college. These offers are usually one grade lower than the advertised entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must have Home/UK fee status and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.
At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.
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On this course, you can apply to study abroad at one of our partner institutions or at University of Nottingham China or University of Nottingham Malaysia.
If you are successful in applying to study abroad, you will get the opportunity to broaden your horizons and enhance your CV by experiencing another culture. Teaching is typically in English, but there may be opportunities to study in another language if you are sufficiently fluent.
You can choose to study similar modules to your counterparts in the UK or expand your knowledge by taking other options.
The school you are joining may also have additional study abroad options available. Please visit the school website for more information.
Please note: In order to study abroad you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet the selection criteria of both the university and the partner institution. The partner institution is under no obligation to accept you even if you do meet the relevant criteria.
If your course does not have a compulsory placement, integrated year in industry or compulsory year abroad where there is already an opportunity to undertake a work placement as part of that experience, you may be able to apply to undertake an optional placement year. While it is the student’s responsibility to find and secure a placement, our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout this process. Contact placements@nottingham.ac.uk to find out more.
The school/faculty you are joining may also have additional placement opportunities. Please visit the Department of Classics and Archaeology for more information.
Please note: In order to undertake an optional placement year, you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet any requirements specified by the placement host. There is no guarantee that you will be able to undertake an optional placement as part of your course.
Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.
On this course, you can apply to study abroad at one of our partner institutions or at University of Nottingham China or University of Nottingham Malaysia.
If you are successful in applying to study abroad, you will get the opportunity to broaden your horizons and enhance your CV by experiencing another culture. Teaching is typically in English, but there may be opportunities to study in another language if you are sufficiently fluent.
You can choose to study similar modules to your counterparts in the UK or expand your knowledge by taking other options.
The school you are joining may also have additional study abroad options available. Please visit the school website for more information.
Please note: In order to study abroad you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet the selection criteria of both the university and the partner institution. The partner institution is under no obligation to accept you even if you do meet the relevant criteria.
If your course does not have a compulsory placement, integrated year in industry or compulsory year abroad where there is already an opportunity to undertake a work placement as part of that experience, you may be able to apply to undertake an optional placement year. While it is the student’s responsibility to find and secure a placement, our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout this process. Contact placements@nottingham.ac.uk to find out more.
The school/faculty you are joining may also have additional placement opportunities. Please visit the Department of Classics and Archaeology for more information.
Please note: In order to undertake an optional placement year, you will need to achieve the relevant academic requirements as set by the university and meet any requirements specified by the placement host. There is no guarantee that you will be able to undertake an optional placement as part of your course.
Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.
*For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.
If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .
All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.
Essential course materials are supplied.
Books
You'll be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to buy your own copies of core texts. We recommend that you budget £100 per year for books, but this figure will vary according to which modules you take and which books you choose to buy. The Blackwell's bookshop on campus offers a year-round price match against any of the main retailers (e.g. Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith). They also offer second-hand books, as students from previous years sell their copies back to the bookshop.
Compulsory archaeological fieldwork
Many of our excavations incur some expenses, including flights to overseas destinations, and training fees. Where costs are incurred, you will need to pay in advance. You can claim back a proportion of your costs from the department on completion of your fieldwork. In the academic year 2021 to 22 students were entitled to claim back £30 of expenses per day of fieldwork; this amount is subject to change.
Volunteering and placements
For volunteering and placements e.g. work experience and teaching in schools, you will need to pay for transport and refreshments.
Optional field trips
Field trips allow you to engage with source materials on a personal level and to develop different perspectives. They are optional and costs to you vary according to the trip; some require you to arrange your own travel, refreshments and entry fees, while some are some are wholly subsidised.
We offer a range of international undergraduate scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.
*For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.
If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) .
All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.
Essential course materials are supplied.
Books
You'll be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to buy your own copies of core texts. We recommend that you budget £100 per year for books, but this figure will vary according to which modules you take and which books you choose to buy. The Blackwell's bookshop on campus offers a year-round price match against any of the main retailers (e.g. Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith). They also offer second-hand books, as students from previous years sell their copies back to the bookshop.
Compulsory archaeological fieldwork
Many of our excavations incur some expenses, including flights to overseas destinations, and training fees. Where costs are incurred, you will need to pay in advance. You can claim back a proportion of your costs from the department on completion of your fieldwork. In the academic year 2021 to 22 students were entitled to claim back £30 of expenses per day of fieldwork; this amount is subject to change.
Volunteering and placements
For volunteering and placements e.g. work experience and teaching in schools, you will need to pay for transport and refreshments.
Optional field trips
Field trips allow you to engage with source materials on a personal level and to develop different perspectives. They are optional and costs to you vary according to the trip; some require you to arrange your own travel, refreshments and entry fees, while some are some are wholly subsidised.
Our Alumni Scholarships provide support with essential living costs to eligible students. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply.
Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary, worth up to £1,000 a year. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.
* A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.
Historical archaeology focuses on the periods with written history. You will learn the disciplines of archaeology to look at the evidence. Will your interpretation complement or challenge the written records?
We will focus on material culture (artefacts), buildings and historic landscapes. These might range from ancient sites like Pompeii or Hadrian’s Wall to medieval castles and churches, to Victorian industrial buildings. You can also choose modules to develop your practical and scientific skills to further your understanding.
Historical archaeology focusses on the periods with written history. You will learn the disciplines of archaeology to look at the evidence. Will your interpretation complement or challenge the written records?
We will focus on material culture (artefacts), buildings and historic landscapes. These might range from ancient sites like Pompeii or Hadrian’s Wall to medieval castles and churches, to Victorian industrial buildings. You can also choose modules to develop your practical and scientific skills to further your understanding.
You will complete 20 days of archaeological fieldwork. This includes taking part in an approved excavation project, or a related placement, in the UK or overseas.
In the core module, 'Communicating the Past', you will consider how best to present heritage to the public, working in groups to create an interactive activity based on your studies. Recent project titles have included:
We work closely with the British Geological Survey and the University Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre, and offer artefact-handling sessions and educational projects at the on-campus University Museum.
You are encouraged to follow your interests and can choose from our full range of modules in classics and archaeology, studying the language, history, art and culture of the ancient world. You can also take subsidiary modules from other departments – such as history, philosophy, or history of art – or study a language.
Your department
Find out more about what it's like to study with us on the Department of Classics and Archaeology website.
This online prospectus has been drafted in advance of the academic year to which it applies. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content) are likely to occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for the course where there has been an interval between you reading this website and applying.
Mandatory
Year 1
Comparative World Prehistory
Mandatory
Year 1
Interpreting Ancient Art and Archaeology
Mandatory
Year 1
Rome to Revolution: Historical Archaeology of Britain
Mandatory
Year 1
Understanding the Past I – Introduction to Archaeology
Mandatory
Year 1
Understanding the Past II – Landscapes and Surveying
Optional
Year 1
Great Discoveries in Archaeology
Optional
Year 1
Greek and Roman Mythology
Optional
Year 1
Interpreting Ancient History
Optional
Year 1
Studying the Greek World
Optional
Year 1
Studying the Roman World
Optional
Year 1
History of Art: Renaissance to Revolution
Optional
Year 1
History of Philosophy
Optional
Year 1
Immigration and Ethnicity in the United States
Optional
Year 1
Interpreting Islam
Optional
Year 1
Modern languages modules
Optional
Year 1
Producing Film and Television
Mandatory
Year 2
Archaeology: Theory and Practice
Mandatory
Year 2
Communicating the Past
Optional
Year 2
Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean c. 500-1500 CE
Optional
Year 2
The Silk Road: Cultural Interactions and Perceptions
Optional
Year 2
Extended Source Study
Optional
Year 2
Human-Animal-Landscape Relationships
Optional
Year 2
Human Osteology
Optional
Year 2
Religion and the Romans
Optional
Year 2
The Archaeology of Mycenaean Greece
Optional
Year 2
The Origins and Rise of Aegean Civilisation
Optional
Year 2
Through a Glass Darkly
Optional
Year 2
The City of Rome: From Village to Metropolis
Optional
Year 2
Hellenistic Italy: Art and Culture from Etruria to Sicily 300-30 BC
Optional
Year 2
Commodities, Consumption and Connections: the Global World of Things 1500-1800
Optional
Year 2
Cultural and Historical Geography
Optional
Year 2
Environmental History: Nature and the Western World, 1800-2000
Optional
Year 2
The Viking Mind
Mandatory
Year 3
Classics and Archaeology Dissertation
Optional
Year 3
The Silk Road: Cultural Interactions and Perceptions
Optional
Year 3
Extended Source Study
Optional
Year 3
From Petra to Palmyra: Art and Culture in the Roman Near East
Optional
Year 3
Human Osteology
Optional
Year 3
Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean c. 500-1500 CE
Optional
Year 3
Religion and the Romans
Optional
Year 3
The Archaeology of Mycenaean Greece
Optional
Year 3
The Origins and Rise of Aegean Civilisation
Optional
Year 3
Medieval Europe and the Mediterranean AD 500-1500
Optional
Year 3
A History of the Civil Rights Movement
Optional
Year 3
Modern languages modules
Optional
Year 3
Photography in the 19th Century
The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer but is not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules that will be available in any given year. Modules (including methods of assessment) may change or be updated, or modules may be cancelled, over the duration of the course due to a number of reasons such as curriculum developments or staffing changes. This content was last updated on Thursday 30 March 2023.
You will take 120 credits of modules split as follows:
You must pass year one, but it does not count towards your final degree classification.
You will take 120 credits of modules split as follows:
You must pass year two, which counts one third towards your final degree classification.
You will take 120 credits of modules split as follows:
You must pass year three, which counts two thirds towards your final degree classification.
As a global university we're keen to offer you the opportunity to develop your language skills.
Language modules can be integrated into your degree and used towards your required credits.
You can take language modules because it or complements your degree, helps your career plans or just for pleasure!
We cater for all levels - from complete beginners upwards.
There are currently nine language options available.
Check out the Language Centre for more information.
Gain an overview of prehistoric archaeology through global case studies.
We’ll be covering the latest debate and scholarship, on topics such as:
By the end of the module, you’ll understand the broad chronological development and key themes in Prehistory, up to the development of writing.
You will also have an appreciation of archaeological approaches in prehistoric periods, and the complexities of integrating varied sources of archaeological evidence including landscapes, monuments, excavated evidence and material culture.
Explore Greek and Roman art, from the Bronze Age to the end of the Roman Empire (roughly 1600 BC to AD 400). We will consider classic sites and monuments that are among the great lasting achievements of mankind, including the Parthenon, Trajan’s Column and the statue of Augustus of Prima Porta.
You will learn how to look at works of art and artefacts from the ancient world. This includes how to describe, explain and analyse them. As a result, you will unlock the meanings of these images and monuments for the people who made, commissioned and looked at them.
You will build a thorough understanding of the key contexts and media of ancient art and archaeology. This includes:
We will cover the Greek world in the autumn semester, and the Roman world in the spring semester. Rather than working chronologically, the material on this module is organised by media and contexts (topography, sculpture, vase painting, temples, tombs, houses etc.) This gives you a grasp of formal and stylistic developments within each of these media through the centuries, helping you understand their meanings in their original contexts.
This module is worth 20 credits.
"'Interpreting Ancient Art and Archaeology', which was a first-year module, is by far my favourite. You spend the first semester doing Greek art. You progress from the earliest Greek art, to when the Romans conquered them. Then in the spring semester, you do Roman art from beginning to the end and talk about all the different periods. It was interesting for me, as you got to do a presentation on a specific piece of art. It was really fun." - Hannah Parker, second-year Classical Civilisation
This module gives an overview of the archaeology of the British Isles, from the Roman invasion until the industrial revolution.
This was a period of dramatic change in Britain. Using key sites and discoveries, you will be introduced to the challenges of understanding the archaeology of periods partially documented in textual sources.
You will study:
Teaching is delivered in a mix of lectures, seminars and a museum session. On average, this will be two hours per week across the spring semester.
This module is worth 10 credits.
Archaeologists are interested in all aspects of the human past. This includes everything from ancient landscapes and changing environments, buried settlements and standing monuments and structures, to material objects and evidence for diet, trade, ritual and social life.
This module introduces the discipline of archaeology. It also explores how material remains are discovered, analysed and used to provide evidence for human societies, from prehistory to the present day.
The autumn semester introduces the historical development of archaeology. This is followed by a presentation of current theory and practice in the areas of:
In the spring semester, you will be taken into the field to gain practical experience of core archaeological methods in field survey and buildings archaeology.
This module is worth 20 credits.
"'Understanding the Past I' has probably been my favourite module so far. We were given a sheet of data and finds on the site and asked to map it out and give our interpretations of what it was and calibrate the dates. We started off with the bare minimum and you’ve just got to build up this database and I found it really interesting. Problem-solving – it was really fun." - Emily LeHegarat, first-year Archaeology
This module builds on Understanding the Past I. It is an introduction to the core aims and methodologies of Archaeology as a discipline. It provides a basic introduction to how material remains of the past are discovered, analysed and used to provide evidence for human societies, from prehistory to the present day.
Through lectures, classroom activities and practical fieldwork, you will be introduced to the study of landscape and the built environment, looking at how the archaeological record is both created and investigated.
You will be taken into the field to gain practical experience of core archaeological methods in field survey and buildings archaeology. One of the locations you will visit is Wollaton Hall, the Elizabethan house and landscape park that's nearby to University Park campus.
This module is worth 20 credits.
Explore the real stories behind key sites and discoveries in the history of archaeology.
Taking a broadly chronological approach, we touch upon key finds from the earliest phases of human evolution to the Middle Ages. Each lecture focusses on a major site of scientific discovery or excavation that has fundamentally altered previously held interpretations of the past. This might include Pompeii, Sparta, Sutton Hoo or Palmyra.
You will also examine the personalities and ideologies that have shaped archaeology, noting how changing perspectives on gender, ethnicity and class have in turn formed ideas about the past and its material remains.
We also consider to what extent archaeology is used, abused, or misused in the modern world. So, if you'd like to learn how archaeology became the subject it is, and how it remains very much relevant to the present day, then this is the module for you!
This module is worth 20 credits.
This module introduces the interpretation of ancient Greek and Roman myth, focussing on a representative range of texts and themes.
The module will be team-taught, exposing you to a wide range of material and approaches to the use of myth in the ancient world.
We will consider how mythology is used in:
We will also introduce the variety of methodologies that scholars have used over the years, to help interpret and understand these myths and their usages.
This module is worth 20 credits.
This year-long module is devoted to the history of the ancient world. You will investigate some of its key themes and approaches through a series of historical case studies, covering major periods of Greek and Roman history.
You will explore:
This module is worth 20 credits.
Gain a wide-ranging interdisciplinary introduction to the history, literature and culture of the ancient Greek World. Covering from c.1600-31 BC, you will explore Greek history from the Mycenaean period to the coming of Rome.
You will:
This module is followed by the Studying the Roman World module, in the spring semester. No prior knowledge of Greek history or Greek language is needed.
This module is worth 10 credits.
This module gives a wide-ranging interdisciplinary introduction to the history, literature and art of the Roman world. We will explore from the beginnings of the city of Rome, to the fall of the Roman Empire in the West.
You will:
We will also examine the relationship of the Roman world to the Greek world. This will complement the autumn semester module, Studying the Greek World, by continuing training in a number of basic study skills. No prior knowledge of the Roman world is needed.
This module is worth 10 credits.
Explore art and architecture from the Renaissance to the Age of Revolutions (c.1789).
Philosophy develops, confronts and destroys previous thinking. It reinforces the status quo and acts as a foundation for revolution. It's a product of its time and helps to shape the future.
Together we'll become familiar with some of the main philosophical ideas and thinkers that have shaped philosophy. And you'll come to understand how and why these ideas arose and developed in response to wider contexts and movements.
Influential thinkers might include:
Particular topics might include:
You won't be taught whether any of these thinkers and thoughts were right. But by the end of the module you'll be able to recognise and judge for yourself the strengths and weaknesses of arguments on both sides of each philosophical issue.
This module is worth 20 credits.
This module examines the history of immigration to the United States from Europe, Asia, and Latin America. We trace the making and remaking of immigrant communities, cultures, and identities from the nineteenth century to the present day. You will analyse models of race, ethnicity, culture, and nation by focusing on the perception and reception of immigrant groups and their adjustment to US society. We will ask questions such as: How have institutions and ideologies shaped the changing place of immigrants within the United States over time? How have immigrants forged new identities within and beyond the framework of the nation state? And how has immigration transformed US society?
This module examines the narrative and textual foundations of the Islamic tradition including the Qur'an, the prophetic tradition and the life of the Prophet Muhammad. You’ll also look at the development and structure of Islamic society, law, doctrine and spirituality through the classical period, and Muslim responses to challenges posed by modernity including questions of gender and the nation state.
Did you know you can learn a language alongside your undergraduate degree? You could even gain credits that count towards your studies.
Whether you’re interested in opening up career opportunities around the world, giving your studies a boost by gaining access to research in other languages or simply planning to travel after your studies, developing foreign language skills will help you stand out from the crowd.
We offer nine languages and you can start as a beginner or at a more advanced level.
You may also choose from the following foreign language-related modules:
Find out more about learning a language alongside your degree
This module engages with the narrative histories of film and television, from their origins to the present day, a period involving many significant transitional moments in production histories. You will explore the coming of sound, the rise and demise of the Hollywood studio system, and the emergence of the TV network system. By raising questions such as: what are the industries producing at these moments, and how are cultural products marketed and distributed? this module also asks what transition means at different historical moments. It provides examples of different critical approaches to film and television history and interrogates the key debates around the periodisation of that history. This module is worth 20 credits.
Archaeological knowledge is built through analysing material remains. We then use theory to create research questions, building interpretations of those remains. Together, these two elements act as evidence for societies in the past and present.
In this module, you will focus on the relationship between concepts, interpretive approaches and analytical frameworks in the design and implementation of archaeological research projects.
We introduce the development of archaeological theory and interpretation. Special attention is given to the paradigms put forward over the last 30 years, and the resulting debates.
Topics include:
You will develop your knowledge further through in-depth studies of key issues and themes. You will also explore archaeological research in a wide range of different areas and projects.
This module is worth 20 credits.
Get creative and build your knowledge on an aspect of Classics or Archaeology which interests you.
Your aim in this module is to communicate your chosen topic to the general public. How you choose to do that is entirely up to you. You might explore different types of writing, perhaps for children or in the style of a magazine, or you might experiment with a different medium of communication, such as video, website or phone app.
For example, past students have:
The module convenor will support you to design an appropriate topic and format for your project.
You will develop vital research, project design and communication skills, which are excellent preparation for a range of careers, as well as your third-year dissertation.
This module is worth 20 credits.
“I designed several T-shirts and hoodies which conveyed information about the site’s art and architecture, history, and its eventual ruination by ISIL in 2015. I wanted to combine my interest of fashion with my love for the classical world, and this project gave me the opportunity to do so.”
- Alexander Gadd, Created a clothing brand based on Palmyra
Explore archaeological evidence from a time of significant social, political, economic and climate change, which laid the foundations of the modern world.
We'll focus on the development of European societies around the Mediterranean, Africa and across Eurasia in the medieval period. You will study the:
Your lectures and seminars consider interdisciplinary approaches to these topics. They will also consider what they can tell us about social and economic change, ideologies and social identities over 1000 years of human history.
The teaching on climate, societal and economic change, is driven from the module tutor's European ice-core research, which gained national media coverage. You can also benefit from hands-on learning, using the Medieval European collections at our on-site Archaeology Museum.
This module is worth 20 credits.
This is a discipline-bridging cross-campus module, involving colleagues from across the School of Humanities.
The Silk Road will be presented as a range of archaeological, historical and scientific themes. Broad cultural themes will be balanced with the presentation of specific case studies, such as:
Scientific techniques for the analysis of materials, and their role in the interpretation of trade and exchange along the Silk Roads, will also be considered. This could be between, for example, China, central Asia, Scandinavia and the Middle East.
This module is worth 20 credits.
This module is designed to develop your skills of research, analysis and written presentation as preparation for a third year dissertation in classical civilisation. You will write a 5,000 word essay chosen from a range of topics, each focusing on a single piece of ancient source material. You will be provided with a topic for investigation, starter bibliography and tips on how to approach the question. The questions will suggest a range of possible approaches, from evaluation of historical source material to exploration of literary effects, relationships with other material, discussion of context or reception. For this module you will have a mixture of lectures and four 2-hour seminars over a period of 10 weeks.
This module aims to show how data can be drawn together from multiple sources to highlight closely interwoven human-(non-human)animal-landscape relationships.
As these are often indivisible, in reality if not worldview, the themes studied in this course would allow for a nuanced understanding of past societies but also a critical reflection of our own interactions.
The periods and contents covered in this module can be tailored to fit your individual interests, teaching and research needs. You will produce original course content and make positive contributions to seminar discussions.
This module is worth 20 credits.
What can we learn from the human skeleton? How can we tell the stories of past people from their bones?
In this module, you will handle real archaeological skeletons and learn how to identify their age, sex, stature and pathologies, and how we can reconstruct past populations from burial evidence.
We also take a fieldtrip to one of Nottingham’s oldest and largest cemeteries, to see who is was buried there and the type of monuments they received.
This module is worth 20 credits.
Religion was central to all aspects of Roman life, but did the Romans really 'believe'?
This module explores the traditions and rituals that operated in Roman society, from the earliest stages of archaic Rome, to the advent of Christianity. It will help you to make sense of customs and practices that could baffle even the Romans themselves, alongside showing how the religious system controlled Roman social, political and military activities.
You will examine evidence drawn from the late Republic and early Principate, and use literature and images from the Augustan period as a central hinge for studying the dynamics of religion in Rome.
Topics covered include:
This module is worth 20 credits.
This module introduces the archaeology of the Mycenaean world. It will familiarise you with the achievements and material culture of one of the greatest European Bronze Age civilizations of the second millennium BC. This will be through discussing the historical, social, cultural and economic context of the period.
You will explore:
We also consider their wider connections across the Mediterranean world.
This module is worth 20 credits.
In the early 20th century, British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans’s excavations at the site of Knossos on the island of Crete uncovered the remains of the earliest palatial civilisation in Europe. Knossos, the home of the mythical king Minos and the monstrous Minotaur, became the landmark of a new culture termed as ‘Minoan’.
Based on a combination of lectures and workshops, this module introduces students to the origins of the Aegean complex societies from the late 4th millennium BC and to the rise, apogee and fall of the Minoan palatial, state-level societies of the 3rd and early 2nd millennia BC.
Ancient glass is a unique and beautiful translucent material. Since it was invented some 5000 years ago, it has been used for everything from luxurious and decorative objects, to vessels and containers for traded liquids, to coloured windows used in medieval churches and cathedrals.
On this module, you will explore how glass:
We bring together socio-cultural and scientific perspectives, to show how scientific analysis sheds light on glass technology, trade and provenance. During practical sessions, you will handle ancient glass and try out some of the techniques for yourself.
This module is worth 20 credits.
Forming the political, cultural and religious heart of the Roman world, Rome has provided an incredible wealth of iconic monuments and buildings whose legacy is still felt today. Through a combination of lectures and seminars, we will follow the chronological development of this fascinating city and its immediate surroundings: with the main focus placed on the mid-Republic onwards, the entire period of Imperial rule, culminating with Constantine in the 4th century AD.
Detailed discussion and analysis of topography, including key monuments and buildings, will provide students with an informed understanding of the main periods of development within the urban landscape and the levels of architectural sophistication and innovation that were achieved: discussions will also be encouraged to investigate the social and political context of these developments and the impact made by specific regimes
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The early modern period witnessed the birth of commodity culture and the transformation of the relationship between people and their material world.
Expanding global trade networks and early colonial encounters brought a range of exotic products into early modern homes, including spices, sugar, tea, tobacco, cotton, porcelain and mahogany, while the rise of capitalism and industrialisation revolutionised the manufacture and availability of necessities and luxuries across the social spectrum.
The richness of this ‘new world of goods’ had profound consequences, transforming patterns of consumption, introducing new understandings of scientific knowledge and cultural production, and reshaping social identities and relationships based on class, gender and race.
This module takes advantage of a sweep of new interdisciplinary perspectives across a range of subject areas, including social, economic and cultural history, archaeology, anthropology and art history, which have focused on the role and significance of early modern ‘things’.
You will gain a grounding of central themes in early modern history, as well as a deeper understanding of the importance of looking at early modern Europe as part of a globalising world. You will explore a range of textual sources including wills and inventories, account books, letters and diaries which tell us about expanding global connections, what people consumed and how they thought about their objects.
This module is worth 20 credits.
This module introduces students to cultural and historical geography, helping them reflect on the legacies of colonialism, travel and exploration, and the cultural turn in the subdisciplines.
Recurring interests include:
Discover the environmental history of the Western World over the past two centuries. The great nature-people stories that have shaped who we are today.
You will examine the history of environmental ideas and our changing and complex attitudes to animals and nature, alongside the history of human impacts on the environment. We will use the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain as case studies. Ultimately, we ask, can environmental history save the world in the 21st century?
Topics include:
This module is a must for anyone wanting to pursue a career in the environmental sector.
This module is worth 20 credits
Our images of Vikings come largely from the Icelandic sagas. These present a Viking Age of daring exploits, global exploration and bloody feuds, as carried out by valiant warriors and feisty women. But how accurate are the sagas when it comes to understanding what really happened in the Viking Age? Can they provide an insight into the Viking mind?
This module explores Norse and Viking cultural history, using an interdisciplinary approach grounded in the study of texts.
Topics covered include:
Your one-hour lectures will provide the evidence base for discussion in the two-hour, student-led seminars. The seminars also include some language work.
Assessment for this module is by a one-hour exam of comment and analysis, and a 3000-word project on a topic of your choice in consultation with a tutor.
This module is worth 20 credits.
This module will introduce you to original archaeological research. It provides you with an opportunity to undertake and write up your own substantial piece of work on an approved topic, under the supervision of an academic member of staff.
For this project, you will work in a way similar to an academic archaeologist, which includes:
This undertaking will involve the culmination of the range of core practical and interpretative skills acquired during the first two years of the course.
The below are examples of recent archaeology dissertation topics:
Classics dissertation topics:
This is a discipline-bridging cross-campus module, involving colleagues from across the School of Humanities.
The Silk Road will be presented as a range of archaeological, historical and scientific themes. Broad cultural themes will be balanced with the presentation of specific case studies, such as:
Scientific techniques for the analysis of materials, and their role in the interpretation of trade and exchange along the Silk Roads, will also be considered. This could be between, for example, China, central Asia, Scandinavia and the Middle East.
This module is worth 20 credits.
This module is designed to develop your skills of research, analysis and written presentation as preparation for a third year dissertation in classical civilisation. You will write a 5,000 word essay chosen from a range of topics, each focusing on a single piece of ancient source material. You will be provided with a topic for investigation, starter bibliography and tips on how to approach the question. The questions will suggest a range of possible approaches, from evaluation of historical source material to exploration of literary effects, relationships with other material, discussion of context or reception. For this module you will have a mixture of lectures and four 2-hour seminars over a period of 10 weeks.
This module focuses on the variety of local cults and cultures in the Near East (modern Syria, Lebanon, Israel/Palestine, Jordan) under Roman rule. We will zoom in on a number of localities in order to look at social, cultural and religious interactions between Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs and various other local cultures through literary, epigraphic, visual and archaeological evidence. In the great urban centres such as Palmyra, Tyre, Damascus, we will observe the adoption of the trappings of Graeco-Roman urbanism and public life (from peristyle temples to honorific statues) and their significance within the Second Sophistic.
On the other hand, we will explore alternative “pockets” of non-Hellenisation such as the lava lands of southern Syria with their distinct style of art and architecture in black basalt. ‘Oriental’ gods feature prominently in this module: We will explore their great sanctuaries (Temple of Jupiter at Heliopolis-Baalbek, Temple of Bel at Palmyra, Temple of Zeus at Damascus) in terms of architecture and ritual, and investigate their iconographies (Jupiter Heliopolitanus, Bel, Baalshamin, Atargatis of Hierapolis and myriads of other local gods). In contrast to Judaism and Christianity, there is a colossal lack of literary sources for these gods, and as a consequence, our understanding of their function and character hinges on how their worshippers depicted them in reliefs, statues, figurines and paintings.
This module will examine what we can learn from the human skeleton, about the lives of people who lived in the past. We will also include some basic zooarchaeology to understand the similarities and differences between these two specialisms. The module will involve handling real archaeological human and non-human skeletons, learning how to identify their age, sex, stature, pathologies and taphonomy. We will also examine the demography of 19th century Nottingham on a fieldtrip to one of the city’s largest (and most atmospheric) cemeteries.
This module will introduce students to human and non-human skeletons, and the information that can be gained from them, including aging, sexing, stature, pathology and isotope analysis. Sampling strategies, data collection and analysis will also be covered using data collected by the students themselves on a fieldtrip. The aim of the module is to make students confident in handling human and zooarchaeological remains, to have the background necessary to undertake final year dissertations on either human remains or zooarchaeology, and to teach some basic data visualisation and analysis.
20 credits in the Spring Semester.
Explore archaeological evidence from a time of significant social, political, economic and climate change, which laid the foundations of the modern world.
We'll focus on the development of European societies around the Mediterranean, Africa and across Eurasia in the medieval period. You will study the:
Your lectures and seminars consider interdisciplinary approaches to these topics. They will also consider what they can tell us about social and economic change, ideologies and social identities over 1000 years of human history.
The teaching on climate, societal and economic change, is driven from the module tutor's European ice-core research, which gained national media coverage. You can also benefit from hands-on learning, using the Medieval European collections at our on-site Archaeology Museum.
This module is worth 20 credits.
Religion was central to all aspects of Roman life, but did the Romans really 'believe'?
This module explores the traditions and rituals that operated in Roman society, from the earliest stages of archaic Rome, to the advent of Christianity. It will help you to make sense of customs and practices that could baffle even the Romans themselves, alongside showing how the religious system controlled Roman social, political and military activities.
You will examine evidence drawn from the late Republic and early Principate, and use literature and images from the Augustan period as a central hinge for studying the dynamics of religion in Rome.
Topics covered include:
This module is worth 20 credits.
This module introduces the archaeology of the Mycenaean world. It will familiarise you with the achievements and material culture of one of the greatest European Bronze Age civilizations of the second millennium BC. This will be through discussing the historical, social, cultural and economic context of the period.
You will explore:
We also consider their wider connections across the Mediterranean world.
This module is worth 20 credits.
In the early 20th century, British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans’s excavations at the site of Knossos on the island of Crete uncovered the remains of the earliest palatial civilisation in Europe. Knossos, the home of the mythical king Minos and the monstrous Minotaur, became the landmark of a new culture termed as ‘Minoan’.
Based on a combination of lectures and workshops, this module introduces students to the origins of the Aegean complex societies from the late 4th millennium BC and to the rise, apogee and fall of the Minoan palatial, state-level societies of the 3rd and early 2nd millennia BC.
This module considers the archaeological evidence for the development of British and European societies and their connections around the Mediterranean, Africa and across Eurasia in the medieval period (from c. AD 500-1500). This was a period of significant social, political, economic and climate change which laid the foundations of the modern world.
Key topics will include in-depth analysis of themes such as the transformation of European and Mediterranean landscapes and settlement patterns from the Fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance; the towns of western Europe, Byzantium and the Islamic world; the impact of climate change, epidemic disease and population growth; the rise of kingdoms, states and empires; and the development of nearly global trade networks in Europe, Africa and Asia, between AD 500 and 1500 that would culminate in permanent European settlement in the Americas.
The lectures and seminars will explore interdisciplinary approaches to the examination of these topics and what they can tell us about social and economic change, ideologies and social identities over 1000 years of human history.
20 credits in the Autumn Semester.
This module examines a range of documents and scholarly controversies pertaining to the Civil Rights Movement between 1940 and 1970. Documents will include public and organisational records, photo-journalism, speeches, memoir and personal papers. Controversies will include those relating to the chronological limits, spatial dynamics, and gender politics of the movement, as well as those relating to the movement's goals and achievements.
Did you know you can learn a language alongside your undergraduate degree? You could even gain credits that count towards your studies.
Whether you’re interested in opening up career opportunities around the world, giving your studies a boost by gaining access to research in other languages or simply planning to travel after your studies, developing foreign language skills will help you stand out from the crowd.
We offer nine languages and you can start as a beginner or at a more advanced level.
You may also choose from the following foreign language-related modules:
Find out more about learning a language alongside your degree
The module will review the origins of photography; early commentaries and debates on the new medium’s status; the identity of those who became photographers; the dominant genres employed in photographic imagery; the developing culture of reproduction, exhibition, and photography criticism. The module will explore the connections and conflicts between 19th-century photography and art. It will also consider the relationship between 19th-century photography and travel, science, and problems of social ideology.
You will be taught via a mixture of large-group lectures and smaller, interactive seminars.
You will also have practical teaching:
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.
You are also assigned a personal tutor at the start of each academic year. Your personal tutor oversees your academic development and personal welfare.
Nine academics from the Department of Classics and Archaeology have received Advance HE recognition for their contribution to education, becoming Teaching Fellows.
Our courses are modular, and range from full-year to semester-long modules. Assessment normally takes place towards the end of each semester, while beginners’ language modules are usually assessed by a coursework portfolio running throughout the semester.
Assessment is based on a combination of coursework, including essays, research projects and the dissertation, oral presentations, and formal examinations. The precise assessments vary between modules and across the years of your degree. Some of our modules (such as 'Communicating the Past', or 'Classics and Comics') include the option of producing more artistic or creative coursework projects.
Some of our modules (such as 'Communicating the Past', or 'Classics and Comics') include the option of producing more artistic or creative coursework projects. We offer detailed written comments on all coursework, and the opportunity to discuss ideas and coursework with your tutor is an integral part of your studies at Nottingham. Whether by giving feedback on an essay plan or discussing the results of an assessment, we help you work to the best of your ability. There are appointed days in each semester to get feedback from tutors and module convenors, as well as other opportunities to discuss pieces of work.
You’ll have at least the following hours of timetabled contact a week through lectures, seminars and workshops, tutorials and supervisions.
Your tutors will also be available outside these times to discuss issues and develop your understanding. We reduce your contact hours as you work your way through the course. As you progress, we expect you to assume greater responsibility for your studies and work more independently.
Your tutors will all be qualified academics. Sizes of lectures and seminars vary according to topic. A popular lecture may include up to 75 students, with specialised seminars of 10.
As well as scheduled teaching you’ll carry out extensive self-study such as:
As a guide, 20 credits (a typical module) is approximately 200 hours of work (combined teaching and self-study).
On this course, you will also complete 20 days of fieldwork. This usually takes place during the summer break and can involve up to five days in a museum or similar environment.
A degree in historical archaeology gives you a wide range of transferable skills, including:
Read our Department of Classics and Archaeology student and alumni profiles for more about the range of skills you will gain, as well as the careers which our graduates go into.You can learn more about subject-related careers opportunities from our Careers and Employability Service.
75.7% of undergraduates from the department of Classics and Archaeology secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £23,617.*
*HESA Graduate Outcomes 2019/20 data published in 2022. The Graduate Outcomes % is derived 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 Park Campus covers 300 acres, with green spaces, wildlife, period buildings and modern facilities. It is one of the UK's most beautiful and sustainable campuses, winning a national Green Flag award every year since 2003.
Faculty of Arts
3 years full-time (available part-time)
Qualification
BA Jt Hons
Entry requirements
ABB
UCAS code
LV74
Faculty of Arts
3 years full-time (available part-time)
Qualification
BA Jt Hons
Entry requirements
ABB including A in history
UCAS code
VV14
Faculty of Arts
3 Years full-time
Qualification
BA Hons
Entry requirements
BBB
UCAS code
V400
Our webpages contain detailed information about all processes in your student journey. Check them out alongside our student enquiry centre to find the information you need. If you’re still struggling, head to our help page where you can find details of how to contact us in-person and online.