Why is this course for me?

As so much of European culture looks back to Classical Antiquity, studying Classics will give you insights not just into the ancient past but also into the ideas and texts that shaped the present. Three subjects are offered within the BA degree, which you can take separately or combine:

• Greek & Roman Civilisation
• Latin
• Greek

Greek & Roman Civilisation explores the Classical World, through history, literature, art, archaeology, mythology and philosophy. You do not need any previous knowledge of the subject, nor will you have to learn the ancient languages.

Latin and Greek allow you to either learn a language from scratch or to develop your existing knowledge. Learn to read works by authors such as Cicero, Homer, Plato, Sophocles and Virgil, in their original languages.

Career & Graduate Study Opportunities

Our graduates have highly-valued skills, including research, data analysis, presentation and critical reasoning. Graduates pursue a wide range of careers, such as: Advertising, Broadcasting, Journalism, Teaching, IT, Law, Business, Speech-writing and Advocacy.

You can continue your study of the ancient world at UCD, with a taught MA in Classics and a research degree – MLitt or PhD. For details, see

What Will I Study

Greek & Roman Civilization

First Year

• Classical Greece
• Age of Augustus
• War and the Hero (Homer and Virgil)
• Lost Cities of the Ancient World.

Second & Final Years

• Alexander the Great
• Greek Tragedy
• Heracles the Hero
• Greeks, Romans, and Barbarians
• The Athenian Empire
• Classics in Popular Culture
• The Oedipus Myth
• Pompeii
• Eating and Drinking in Antiquity
• Family Life in Ancient Greece
• Magic in the Ancient World.

There is also the opportunity at the end of first or second year to go to Greece on a 10-day study tour of archaeological sites and museums, such as Olympia, Delphi, Mycenae and the Acropolis Museum in Athens.

Latin

You can undertake Latin in first year as a beginner. Students who studied Latin at Leaving Cert (or equivalent) can develop their knowledge through modules on language, literature and culture. Authors studied include Virgil, Cicero, Tacitus and Catullus.

Greek

We offer a language programme for beginners leading to the study of authors such as Homer, Plato, Lysias, Sophocles, Thucydides and Euripides.

Students will attend lectures and tutorials as well as undertaking independent reading and study. Some modules are taught in small classes. Assessment is through a mix of class tests, exams, coursework essays, learning journals and group work.

International Study Opportunities

UCD School of Classics has links with the Universities of Athens, Brno, Catania, Cyprus, Erlangen and Stuttgart. Non-EU exchange opportunities include the University of Melbourne, Australia and the University of Virginia, USA.

KEY FACT

The Classical Museum at UCD holds the largest collection of Greek and Roman artefacts on display in Ireland. Students taking relevant modules have the opportunity for hands-on interaction with the collection.