Classics (BA): 4-year, part-time

COURSE STRUCTURE

You have flexibility to tailor your degree to suit your particular interests, choosing from a range of options in Classical language, history, archaeology, literature and philosophy.

The options in the early stages of the programme (courses in Greek and Latin grammar and syntax and survey courses such as The Ancient World and The Archaeology of Greece and Rome) prepare you to make more specialised option choices later.

Our position in a leading Department of History, Classics and Archaeology gives you the opportunity, unusual in UK Classical degrees, to study in depth the place of the ancient Mediterranean in world history, as well as its importance for contemporary political and social debates. Specially designed ‘How to’ modules bring together Classics, History and Archaeology students and lecturers to debate shared problems in research, interpretation and writing (Approaching the Past, Exploring the Past, Writing the Past). You can also choose from a wealth of options in the history and archaeology of other periods of history, including both broad surveys and more specialist options.

The programme consists of 11 modules (including a double-weighted dissertation), making a total of 360 credits. We offer language and non-language courses.

In Year 1, you take the compulsory module Approaching the Past, one Level 4 (beginner) non-language option module and one Level 4, 5 (intermediate) or 6 (advanced) language option module.

In Year 2, you take one Level 4 non-language option module, one Level 5/6 language option module and choose either the compulsory module Journeys to the Underworld in Classical Literature and Culture or a Level 5/6 non-language option module.

In Year 3, you take the compulsory module Exploring the Past and one Level 5/6 language option module, and either the compulsory module Journeys to the Underworld in Classical Literature and Culture (if not already taken in Year 2) or a Level 6 non-language option module.

In Year 4, you write a dissertation and take one Level 6 language option module.

Language modules are taught at a number of levels of difficulty and analysis, and students who have no prior knowledge of one of the Classical languages will be able to take a beginners' class alongside their other classes. You take a minimum of four language modules, including at least one higher-level 'set book' module, in which you read a selected text in depth with an expert lecturer.

YEAR 1 COMPULSORY MODULE

• Approaching the Past

YEAR 2 COMPULSORY MODULE

• Journeys to the Underworld in Classical Literature and Culture

YEAR 3 COMPULSORY MODULES

• Exploring the Past
• Journeys to the Underworld in Classical Literature and Culture

YEAR 4 COMPULSORY MODULE

• Writing the Past: Dissertation

INDICATIVE GREEK AND LATIN MODULES

• Advanced Greek Language
• Advanced Latin Language
• Greek set book (A)
• Intermediate Greek
• Intermediate Latin
• Introduction to Ancient Greek
• Introduction to Latin
• Latin set book (A)

INDICATIVE LEVEL 4 OPTION MODULES

• Discovering Archaeology: From Field to Finds Room
• The Ancient World
• The Archaeology of Greece and Rome

INDICATIVE LEVEL 5 OPTION MODULES

• Beginnings: The Archaeology of Prehistory
• Between God and Rome: the Byzantine Empire 307-1453
• Crossing Borders: Passports, Bodies and the State, 1600 to Today
• From Ancient to Medieval Societies, Third to Eleventh Centuries
• Greek and Roman Political Thought in Context
• The Archaeology of a Greek Sanctuary

INDICATIVE LEVEL 6 OPTION MODULES

• A sense of space: travellers and maps in the pre-modern world
• Stories in Stuff: the medieval and early modern worlds in 20 texts and objects
• The Athenian Empire
• The Empire of Letters: Correspondence in the Roman World

Please note that all option modules are an indicative selection only. Except for Level 4 core modules, option modules are usually taught in alternate years, subject to change due to staff departure or temporary leave. Because all modules are rooted in our staff's world-class research, module choices may also change over time to reflect new developments in scholarship and new research directions by individual staff members. Please bear in mind that over the course of an academic year, planning your modules for the following year will become gradually more certain, and you should not consider any options ‘available’ until you are notified of this by the Department via official module choice forms. Even when these have been sent it may be necessary to cancel courses due to circumstances beyond the Department’s control, though this will be avoided wherever possible.

Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.