Classical studies is a fascinating area which provides an illuminating and detailed look at the ages of Classical Antiquity and the early Middle Ages. There is massive scope in terms of areas of focus in terms of Classical studies but common areas of focus are on the cultures and languages of Greco-Roman Antiquity and those of the Early Christian world and the Middle Ages, including Ireland.
A postgraduate course in Classical studies can lead to a particularly rich academic interaction in the study of language, cultural history and/or archaeology, according to the specialist orientation of the student. Opportunities for future research are fostered through ongoing projects and study at various levels.
Skills You Will Develop
The field of classical studies is particularly rich in terms of helping develop your range of transferable skills, which will be an asset in any career. Some of these skills would be:
- Intellectual initiative
- Critical reflection
- Being able to gather, organise and deploy evidence
- Develop the ability to extract key elements from complex information
- Identifying and solving problems
- Selecting and applying appropriate methodologies
- The ability to assess the meaning and significance of information
- Analytical and evaluative thinking
- Estimation of the relevance of information
- Discriminating between opposing theories
- Forming evidence-based judgments
What You Will Learn
Classical studies vary in scope and depth depending on the length, of course, you are studying, but commonly, the following would be amongst the course content:
- Ancient religion, cultures, and particularities of different regions
- Greek and Roman art
- Greek philosophy and its impact
- Greek theatre, structure and legacy
- Major genres of Greek and Roman literature, from epic to history, rhetoric, and novels
- Greek and Roman culture from the Renaissance to the present, in theatre, novels, education, and film.
A wide range of other modules can be pursued to complement Classical Studies and suit your interests. For example, Ancient History, Modern Languages, Mediaeval History, English Literature, and Philosophy.
Classical studies courses can offer opportunities to apply skills in and connect to authentic contexts of local and global communities, offering a richer perspective on the world. Depending on your area of interest, classical studies courses can offer a range of worthwhile activities and opportunities to all students so they can see that the subject offers a range of options for them that are of real relevance even in today’s world.
Career Paths
As highlighted above, one of the great strengths of pursuing a postgraduate course in classical studies is the transferable skills that you will gain in terms of researching detailed and rich material and applying modern methods of study to it. Students of classical studies will have gathered a very valuable ancillary qualification which will add considerably to your suitability for a wide variety of graduate and professional programmes, as well as a wide variety of careers. Students of classics frequently go on to pursue graduate study in classics, ancient history, classical archaeology, comparative literature, and religion. Classics majors enjoy high rates of success in admission to programs in law and medicine, there are also considerable opportunities in education and academia, particularly in languages such as Greek, Italian and Latin.
And Remember…
Classical studies provides you with fascinating insights into ancient cultures which have a lasting impact to this day. For example, Plato (428bc-348bc) is recognised as one of history’s greatest philosophers and wrote on subjects including philosophy of language, cosmology, theology, discussions on aesthetics, beauty, justice, equality and political philosophy.
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