First Year BA

Classics in First Year Arts 2024–25

For full details about our undergraduate programme, consult the Classics Student Handbook, available on our Undergraduate Classics page.

Why study Classics?

• Why you should study Classics
• What our students say
• Careers after Classics

Orientation week

Watch Dr Edward Herring's presentation below, given during our first year Orientation Week for 2020–21.

Choosing your modules

All Ancient Classics modules count for 5 ECTS credits. Depending on your programme, during First Year you will take the following credits in Ancient Classics:

• 15 ECTS credits (3 modules) = three lectures per week each semester:
  Typically students taking BA Connect programmes (Bachelor of Arts with Children's Studies, Human Rights, or Performing Arts Studies).

• 20 ECTS credits (4 modules) = four lectures per week each semester:
  Most other programmes, including the BA Joint Honours (GY101).

The following are guidelines about the module choices that may be available to you. You can read about each module in the First Year Modules section of our Student Handbook. If still undecided, you are very welcome to attend the lectures in each module before making up your mind.

1BA semester one course structure

Core module

CC1101 Mythology and the City in Ancient Greece.
Most students will take this module, which involves 2 lectures per week:

• Prof. Clarke on ancient mythology and the origins of poetry and philosophy in the Near East and Greece.
• Dr Edward Herring on the art, archaeology and history of Athens.

Year-long modules

Students taking 20 ECTS will take both of the following year-long modules. BA Connect and other students taking 15 ECTS choose one module:

• CC1100 Classics in Twenty Objects (part 1):
  Team taught. Exploring Antiquity through objects—and learning how to explain them to others.
•  CC114 Written Words & Spoken Languages (part 1):
  Dr Jacopo Bisagni on European languages and written culture between Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

1BA semester two course structure

Core module

CC1102 Empire and Literature in Ancient Rome.
Most students will take this module, which involves 2 lectures per week:

• Dr Edward Herring on the history and archaeology of ancient Rome.
• Dr Pádraic Moran on Latin literature and the poetry of Virgil.

Year-long modules (continuing from semester one)

Students who began one or both of the following modules in semester one will continue them in semester two:

• CC1100 Classics in Twenty Objects (part 2):
  Team taught. Exploring Antiquity through objects—and learning how to explain them to others

• CC114 Written Words & Spoken Languages (part 2):
  Dr Jacopo Bisagni on European languages and written culture between Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Language options

Regrettably, we are unable to offer beginners’ language to first years this year, because first years are starting later than other year groups. Students will have the opportunity take up these languages at the start of their second or final year.