Classical Archaeology and Ancient History MA (Hons)

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Classics

Year of entry: 2026

Key facts

UCAS Code

VV14

Award

MA (Hons)

Duration of study

4 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Central Area

Start date

September 2026

School

School of History, Classics and Archaeology

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Study abroad

Available

Placement

No

Open days and events

About the degree programme

At the core of MA (Master of Arts) Classical Archaeology and Ancient History is the study of classical civilisations' history and material culture.

The programme requires the careful interpretation of a limited amount of complex written and material evidence to understand ancient civilisations and their continued importance in the modern era.

You will develop a range of disciplinary skills used by historians, archaeologists and art historians. 

Civilisations you will study

You will study the Greek and Roman civilisations from the Bronze Age to Late Antiquity and Byzantium. 

You will also have the opportunity to study other ancient peoples and civilisations such as:

  • the Etruscans
  • the Persians
  • the Carthaginians

You will gain an understanding of Graeco-Roman society within its geographical context.

You will analyse and evaluate a range of:

  • texts
  • works of art
  • artefacts
  • archaeological sites
  • other material evidence

Practical skills and excavation

This programme will challenge you to confront the differing pictures of the classical world given by the textual and material evidence. This will offer you an intellectually demanding and intrinsically interesting experience.

You will also have opportunities to gain practical skills in excavation. There may be some funding available for these.

Why study Classics?

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over 4 years.

A key benefit to studying a 4-year degree programme is that you have the flexibility to study a range of subjects, outside your chosen degree programme, in Year 1 and Year 2.

This allows you the opportunity to study other courses that interest you or enhance your degree. By the end of Year 2, you can decide which of these subject areas you want to focus on in the honours years of your programme.

How long it takes to complete our degree programmes

How a joint degree programme works

A joint programme allows you to gain a well-rounded learning experience. You will have more exposure to different disciplines, allowing you to expand your knowledge and expertise.

Teaching on joint programmes is split across the two subject areas, and teaching will take place in locations associated with both subjects.

You will gain a different perspective through studying more than one subject and have a wider skill set that is highly attractive to future employers.

Programme benefits

  • Study the Greek and Roman civilisations from the Bronze Age to Late Antiquity and Byzantium.
  • Gain practical skills in excavation.
  • Classics at Edinburgh offers one of the widest choices of subjects and approaches of any university in the UK.
  • We have one of the largest groups of classics-focused academics in the UK, with around 30 members of staff covering a variety of research interests.

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country or region where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for MA (Hons) Classical Archaeology and Ancient History

View the tuition fees for one academic year of MA (Hons) Classical Archaeology and Ancient History.

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

If you study abroad in Year 3, your costs will vary by country.

You may be able to take part in archaeological fieldwork on overseas projects run by academics in classics. You will be expected to pay for:

  • accommodation
  • subsistence
  • travel costs

You can apply for grants to help with these costs.

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend £1,023 to £2,043 on living costs each month, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

What you will study

In Year 1, you will:

  • complete four survey courses on the history and culture of the Greek and Roman worlds, from archaic Greece to the later Roman empire
  • choose two courses from a wide range of options, usually from outside classics

In the summer, you will normally participate in a fieldwork project or a series of museum visits over a period of two weeks.

Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 1 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

In Year 2, you will complete:

  • two ancient history courses
  • two courses on Greek and Roman art and archaeology
  • a further two courses from a wide range of options
Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 2 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

In Year 3, you will select:

  • two or three ancient history honours courses
  • two or three courses in classical art/archaeology
  • one course from any area of classics
Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 3 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

A third of your final year’s study will consist of a dissertation on a topic of your choice in classics.

You will also select:

  • two ancient history honours courses
  • two classical art/archaeology honours courses
Find courses

The courses you can study will vary from year to year and may be different for your year of entry.

You can get an idea of what you might study by viewing the latest course information for this programme.

Find Year 4 courses (2025-2026 academic year)

Study abroad

You will have opportunities to study abroad in Year 3.

You may choose to go on trips to ancient sites and join fieldwork projects overseas. Academic staff have recently run excavations in Italy, Turkey and Iran.

Exchange programmes

You can also apply for one of the School’s many international exchanges. These cover many parts of the world, including:

  • Europe
  • Asia
  • North America
  • South America
  • Australia
  • New Zealand

These are unique opportunities to immerse yourself in different university systems and cultures.

What are my options for going abroad?

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will be taught through a combination of methods, including:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • small group tutorials

Some classes take you out of the classroom and into local museums and libraries.

Teaching is often closely inspired by the cutting-edge research of our academic staff, especially at honours level.

Changes to teaching and learning

As part of our commitment to offering high-quality education, there may be changes to course options and delivery. We try to provide a wide range of option courses to choose from, but these may be changed or cancelled at short notice. Therefore, we cannot guarantee every student their top choice of option courses.

Assessment

You will be assessed by exams and coursework, and sometimes by practical exercises.

This is an example of what your timetable could look like in Semester 1 of Year 1 of Classical Archaeology and Ancient History if you took History of Christianity as a World Religion 1A as your option course, for example.

There is a high level of flexibility in the other courses you can study. You can discuss this with your academic cohort lead and student adviser. Courses may be subject to change and availability, and your timetable may be different.

Monday
  • 12:10pm to 1pm History of Christianity as a World Religion 1A (lecture)
  • 2:10pm to 3pm The Roman World 1A (lecture)
  • 4:10pm to 5pm The Greek World 1A (lecture)
Tuesday
  • 12:10pm to 1pm History of Christianity as a World Religion 1A (lecture)
  • 2:10pm to 3pm The Roman World 1A (lecture)
  • 4:10pm to 5pm The Greek World 1A (lecture)
Wednesday
  • 12:10pm to 1pm The Greek World 1A (tutorial)
Thursday
  • 12:10pm to 1pm History of Christianity as a World Religion 1A (lecture)
  • 2:10pm to 3pm The Roman World 1A (lecture)
  • 4:10pm to 5pm The Greek World 1A (lecture)
Friday
  • 11:10am to 12pm The Roman World 1A (tutorial)
  • 2:10pm to 3pm History of Christianity as a World Religion 1A (tutorial)

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.

Support for your studies

Where you will study

Study location

The School of History, Classics and Archaeology is located in the heart of the city, in the University's Central Area. The Central Area is located on the edge of Edinburgh's historic Old Town, surrounded by lots of green space.

Our building, the William Robertson Wing of the Old Medical School, is Grade A-listed. The building is in the Northern Italian Renaissance style, incorporating design influences from Venice and Bologna, including red-tiled roofs, a corbelled stair turret and palazzo frontages.

You will be taught in a range of lecture theatres and seminar rooms in the School and across the University's Central Area.

Academic facilities

In our building, you will have access to: 

  • a range of study spaces
  • our Student Research Room
  • research collections
  • an undergraduate common room

You will also have access to the University's libraries and computing facilities, located in George Square.

External resources

As well as using our own resources and those of the University Library, you can apply for access to the outstanding collections of the:

  • National Library of Scotland
  • National Museum of Scotland

Career paths

You will gain practical, intellectual and theoretical skills that are highly valued by employers.

You will gain rigorous mental training in a range of disciplines. This enables you to demonstrate intellectual flexibility and the ability to adapt to new situations and to learn new skills.

Where our graduates work

Classics graduates have gone on to pursue a range of career paths, including:

  • journalism
  • museums
  • teaching
  • academia
  • accountancy
  • finance
  • IT
  • publishing
  • the armed forces
  • the legal profession
  • the civil service

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals.

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies.

With the Careers Service, you can:

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions

Visit the Careers Service website

Further study

After you complete your programme, you may want to go onto further study at Edinburgh or a different university. You could progress to:

  • a masters degree
  • a postgraduate diploma or certificate
  • a PhD
  • a second undergraduate degree

Find out about options for further study

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

How we select

If you have met, or are predicted to meet, all our entry requirements by the relevant deadline, then your application will go into our selection process.

As part of this selection process, we will review all the information you submit in your UCAS application when we decide who to select for this degree programme.

How we select applicants

When to apply

  • 2026 entry UCAS deadline: 14 January 2026 (6:00pm GMT)

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants to non-medicine and veterinary medicine programmes.

To find out if any degree programmes have spaces after 14 January 2026, search the University of Edinburgh on the UCAS website.

Search degrees that are open on the UCAS website

Key application dates and deadlines

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents  

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

What our students say

On our student blog, our team of History, Classics and Archaeology student writers share their experiences and thoughts on the things that matter to them, including:

  • life as a student on a joint degree
  • transitioning to university as a mature student
  • studying in Edinburgh when English is not your first language
  • tips for disabled students

Student blogs from the School of History, Classics and Archaeology

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sports clubs

At the School of History, Classics and Archaeology our societies regularly hold events. These are a great way to meet new people and get involved in exciting student-run projects, and they form the hub of our student community.

Classics Society

The Edinburgh University Classics Society welcomes everyone who has an interest in the Ancient World. The Society hosts a variety of socials, ranging from pub nights to staff-student events, symposiums and 'Hadrian’s Ball'. It also organises an international trip.

The Society conducts outreach work at local schools through their Literacy Through Latin programme and welcomes anyone with a basic knowledge of Latin to volunteer. Toga tying is a speciality.

Classics Society

History Society

The History Society is one of the oldest and largest societies on campus, renowned for its welcoming spirit and social events for which it has won many awards.

The History Society hosts guest lecturers, organises careers events, and works closely with the EUSA Liberation groups. It also holds regular social events from film screenings and karaoke to a black-tie Winter Ball. As well as all this, it runs an annual international trip and has five sports teams.

History Society

ArchSoc (Archaeology Society) and EAOP (Edinburgh Archaeology Outreach Project)

Fortune and glory! ArchSoc welcomes everyone with an interest in archaeology and heritage to its academic and social events throughout the year. Try your hand at excavating, join them on trips to local heritage sites, or attend any of their informal gatherings and annual socials for Halloween and Christmas.

The Edinburgh Archaeology Outreach Project (EAOP) is made up of undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD students of the University of Edinburgh and members of the Archaeology Society. The aim of EAOP is to provide children in Edinburgh and its wider communities with free experience and insight into a subject that may have been unavailable to them.

Archaeology Society

The Edinburgh Archaeology Outreach Project

Retrospect

Retrospect is the University's student-led History, Classics and Archaeology journal. Whether you are interested in writing about your subject outside of your studies, or simply want to gain experience in:

  • writing
  • editing
  • designing
  • publishing

Retrospect is the place to be.

The journal is published once a semester and runs an excellent calendar of socials and careers events.

Retrospect

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life.

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

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Discover Uni data

This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.

It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

Some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.