Classics

Oxford

Why?

Classics is noted for its variety and interdisciplinary nature. It involves the history, culture, philosophy and literature of the Greco-Roman world as well as its long-lasting impact on the centuries since then.  

An essential part of the course is the study of Greek and Latin. Latin was the language not only of the Romans, but of much literature and other writing until the sixteenth century. Greek is the oldest European language still spoken for which records survive. Many modern genres (e.g. tragedy, comedy, history, lyric) were founded by the Greeks.

Don’t imagine that the world of the Greeks and the Romans occupied only a very restricted space and time-span. The Romans came to dominate the whole of western Europe. And a well-trained classicist can read Greek literature written between 700 BC and AD 600 - that's 1,300 years, longer than from today to Alfred the Great!

Course

The course for Classics is complex. There are two different streams, Course I and Course II both of which are four years. Course I is designed for those with A Level experience of Latin and/or Greek. Course II is for those with no experience in either language.

In their first 18 months,  students will study core texts such as Homer’s Iliad, Virgil’s Aeneid and will continue to develop their language skills..

For the final two and a half years, students have an enormous amount of flexibility and can tailor make their studies to suit their interests. They can study topics including philosophy, archaeology, literature and linguistics.

Moreover, students have the Ashmolean museum on their doorstep. This world-famous museum is the world’s oldest public museum and the most important museum of art and archaeology in this country outside London.

Applying

The minimum requirements for classics are AAA. If the applicant has done A Levels in Latin or Greek, then an A grade is expected. For IB, 39 is required for classics with 666 in the Higher Level. Students doing Greek and Latin are expected to achieve a total score of 12 in the IB.

Candidates have to take the Classical Admissions Test (CAT).

Statistics

2017 – Applications: 293, Offers: 127, Acceptance Rate: 40%