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Classics

Wolfson welcomes mature students of all ages for Classics, offering places to students from a wide range of backgrounds.

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Classics at Wolfson

Classics is the study of the languages, literature, history, philosophy, art and archaeology of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds.

Latin and Greek language are compulsory elements of the Classics course. Students may opt for the 3 year course if they have A level (or equivalent) Latin, but it is equally possible to study Classics without any previous experience of the language by opting for the 4 year course.

Wolfson generally has a small and supportive group of people interested in the Classics, with varying numbers of postgraduate students and academic visitors, as well as more permanent senior members, available to encourage our mature undergraduates. As with every college, we will make use of a selection of supervisors from throughout the University to support students' work, so that they are taught by experts in each field of study.

You can find further information about studying Classics on the University's course pages. Detailed information is also available on the Faculty's Prospective Undergraduates page.

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What are we looking for?

We are looking for candidates who have enthusiasm for studying the ancient world in all its many guises. Classics is a diverse course with possibilities of studying art, archaeology, philosophy and linguistics as well as Classical literature and history. It doesn't matter where your particular interests lie, and students often find new interests as the course goes on. There is no need to have studied Classics before, and there are many school subjects that teach relevant skills in, for example, critical thinking, literary study or understanding historical sources.

Learning languages is a very important aspect of the course, and any prior experience or interest you may have is valuable. For the 3-year course, Latin A-level or equivalent is a requirement, but Greek can be taught ab initio. For the 4-year course, there are no language requirements as Latin and Greek as both taught ab initio, but you will find that experience of other languages can make a very helpful foundation. All texts will be read in the original language, which students widely find to be one of the most rewarding elements of studying Classics.

Entry Requirements

Latin A level (or equivalent) is normally an essential requirement for the Classics (3 year) course.

No specific A-level (or equivalent) subjects are required for the Classics (4 year) course: many students on this course are beginners in Latin and Greek, although some may have GCSE (or equivalent) in one or both languages. Experience of learning a modern language can be helpful as preparation for studying ancient languages, but is not a requirement.

Please consult the University's entry requirements for Classics for further information.

Applications

Applications to study Classics at Wolfson are submitted through UCAS. The College additionally requires the submission of written work, a separate written assessment and an online interview, as detailed below.

Written Work

Applicants are required to submit two pieces of written work by 2 November. This should be in a related discipline which the candidate is studying or has studied. For the March round, all applicants must submit their written work by 8 March.

Assessment

Those interviewed will also sit a written assessment around the time of the interview. Further information about the written assessment can be found on our applying page.

Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to be interviewed in December (or late March for those who apply in the March round). There will be two interviews of 20-25 minutes each which will be conducted online via Zoom.

For more information about making an application, please visit our application webpages.

You can also find useful information on our Application FAQs page.