University undergraduate students studying in the Monica Partridge Building Digital Hub. Friday November 5th 2021.

Ancient History BA

University Park Campus, Nottingham, UK

Course overview

You will already have a love of history; now you can specialise in the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome.


Uncover the significance of historical facts and events – from the transformation of the Roman Empire from polytheism to Christianity, to the the importance of slavery in the ancient world. You will examine:

  • progress and decline
  • labour and leisure
  • revolution and reconciliation
  • ancient gender roles
  • the relationship between elite and non-elite culture

Indicative modules

Mandatory

Year 1

Interpreting Ancient Art and Archaeology

Mandatory

Year 1

Interpreting Ancient History

Mandatory

Year 1

Interpreting Ancient Literature

Mandatory

Year 1

Studying the Greek World

Mandatory

Year 1

Studying the Roman World

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 1

Comparative World Prehistory

Optional

Year 1

Greek and Roman Mythology

Optional

Year 1

Rome to Revolution: Historical Archaeology of Britain

Optional

Year 1

Understanding the Past I – Introduction to Archaeology

Optional

Year 1

Understanding the Past II – Landscapes and Surveying

Optional

Year 1

Great Discoveries in Archaeology

Mandatory

Year 2

Extended Source Study

Mandatory

Year 2

Studying Classical Scholarship

Optional

Year 2

Intermediate Latin or Greek: 1 and 2

Optional

Year 2

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

Optional

Year 2

Latin or Greek Texts: 1-6

Optional

Year 2

Mapping the Humanities

Optional

Year 2

The Archaeology of Mycenaean Greece

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

Employing the Arts

Optional

Year 2

Arts Work Placement Module

Optional

Year 3

Dissertation in Ancient History

Optional

Year 3

Sparta

Optional

Year 3

Intermediate Latin or Greek: 1 and 2

Optional

Year 3

Advanced Latin or Greek: 1 and 2

Optional

Year 3

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

Optional

Year 3

Latin or Greek Texts: 1-6

Optional

Year 3

Mapping the Humanities

Optional

Year 3

The Archaeology of Mycenaean Greece

Optional

Year 3

Heritage and the Media

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

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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 Wednesday 4 September 2024. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

You will be taught via a mixture of large-group lectures and smaller, interactive seminars. You might also be taught through tutorials and supervisions. These are one-to-one meetings or discussions with an academic tutor.

All students are assigned a personal tutor at the start of each academic year. Your personal tutor oversees your academic development and personal welfare.

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 quality

86% of our class of 2020 graduated with a 1st or 2:1 degree classification. Source: UoN student outcomes data, Annual Monitoring (QDS) Analyses 2020.

Nine academics from the Department of Classics and Archaeology have received Advance HE recognition for their contribution to education, becoming Teaching Fellows.

Teaching methods

  • Lectures
  • Seminars
  • Tutorials
  • Workshops
  • Field trips

  • Essay
  • Examinations
  • Portfolio (written/digital)
  • Poster presentation
  • Reflective review
  • Dissertation

You’ll have at least the following hours of timetabled contact a week through lectures, seminars and workshops, tutorials and supervisions.

  • Year one: minimum of 12 hours
  • Year two: minimum of 9 hours
  • Final year: minimum of 7 hours

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 with PhDs. Some of our postgraduate research students also support teaching after suitable training.

Lectures on our largest module, 'Learning History', are typically attended by up to 350 students. The corresponding seminars are typically no larger than 15. Year-two module lectures may be attended by up to 75 students, with 15 to 25 in each seminar group. Special subject seminars are limited to a maximum of 20.

As well as scheduled teaching, you’ll carry out extensive self-directed study such as:

  • reading, researching and note taking
  • analysing primary sources
  • planning and writing essays and other assessed work
  • collaborating with fellow students

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

University Park Campus


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.


A degree in ancient history gives you a wide range of transferable skills, including:

  • ability to process and critically evaluate data
  • applying theoretical and scientific principles to problems
  • critical analysis and argument
  • experience of fieldwork, post-excavation and laboratory techniques
  • ability to interpret spatial data numerical, statistical, IT and analytical skills
  • strong team working
  • written, oral and visual communication
  • awareness of other linguistic cultures

 

Read our 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 career opportunities from our Careers and Employability Service.

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).

I signed up for Nottingham Classics Out-and-about (NoCOut) to gain experience in schools for my future career. I'm much more confident in my ability to tailor presentations for different audiences and to communicate effectively. I loved working with other Classics students – some of whom I wouldn’t have otherwise met – and I’m really proud of the activities we were able to create together.

Isabelle Powell

Ancient History BA student and NoCOut volunteer

Course data

Open Day June 2022