Classics and Ancient History MPhil, PhD
We welcome postgraduate research students in any of our areas of research expertise.
You are currently viewing course information for entry year:
Start date(s):
- September 2024
- January 2025
Overview
Classics and ancient history at Newcastle has a long and distinguished international reputation. We deliver quality research and teaching. We have taught Latin and Greek since 1874, ancient history since 1910 and classical archaeology since 1931.
Our programmes cover a range of classical subjects. They include:
- material culture and history
- language and literature
- philosophy
- history of science and medicine
We have strong links with related disciplines such as history, archaeology and modern languages.
Our staff include scholars of outstanding international reputation. Our research covers all major aspects of the study of the ancient world.
Classics and Ancient History PhD and MPhil supervision is usually available in:
Ancient history and classical archaeology
- Archaeology of religion and ritual from the Bronze Age to the early Classical era
- Greco–Roman religion
- Greek ethnography
- Late Classical and Hellenistic periods: Alexander the Great and Hellenistic empires; kingship and royal ideology
- Contact and interaction between Greeks and non-Greeks
- The history and archaeology of pre-Roman and Roman Italy
- The late Roman Republic
- Institutions of the Roman world
- The social, economic and cultural history of the Roman Empire
- Roman Greece
- Ptolemaic and Roman Egypt
- The era of the tetrarchy and Constantine
- Pagan-Christian relations
- Late Roman/early mediaeval legal history
- Slavery in the ancient world
- Greek art and archaeology
Classical language and literature
- Greek poetry from Homer to the imperial age
- ‘Presocratic’ and ‘Hippocratic’ writers
- Greek tragedy, including its reception
- Ancient didactic poetry
- Second Sophistic
- Ancient linguistic thought, especially etymology
- Greek influence on later literature
- Greek and Roman music, including harmonic theory; instruments and their place in the development of Greek musical science; music and Graeco-Roman society; the representation of musical instruments.
- Greek and Roman oratory and rhetoric
- Cicero: rhetoric, philosophy, politics
- Latin poetry
- Literature and religion in Latin epic
- Time in ancient literature
- Flavian literature and culture
- Ancient historiography
- History of Classical Scholarship
- Reception of the ancient world
Philosophy and science
- Ancient philosophy, particularly epistemology and ethics,
- The exact sciences in Greek and Roman antiquity
- The history of Greek and Roman medicine
- Hippocratic medicine and the history of its reception up until the 20th century
You can find a detailed list of our Classics and Ancient History research areas.
READ MORE
Important information
We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.
Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.
View our Academic experience page, which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.
See our terms and conditions and student complaints information, which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.
Qualifications explained
Find out about the different qualification options for this course.
An MPhil is available in all subject areas. You receive research training and undertake original research leading to the completion of a 40,000 - 50,000 word thesis.
Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications
A PhD is a doctorate or doctoral award. It involves original research that should make a significant contribution to the knowledge of a specific subject. To complete the PhD you will produce a substantial piece of work (80,000 – 100,000 words) in the form of a supervised thesis. A PhD usually takes three years full time.
Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications
How you'll learn
You'll receive regular supervision with a lead supervisor and a second supervisor.
Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:
- Thesis
- Viva
We offer a wide range of projects for the thesis. These will be provided by our academics. You can also propose your own topic.
In semester one of your first year, your supervisor will assess your skills training needs (eg languages, quantitative data management). We will review and discuss your training needs with you on a regular basis. We also track their efficacy yearly.
Our mission is to help you:
- stay healthy, positive and feeling well
- overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
- get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
- carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
- understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules
We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.
You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:
- research and professional skills
- careers support
- wellbeing
- health and safety
- public engagement
- academic development
Find out more about our postgraduate research student support
Your development
There is a lively research culture in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology. You'll have the opportunity to get involved in our student-led Postgraduate Forum. Their activities include publishing an online peer-reviewed journal.
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) researcher development programme
Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:
- perform better as a researcher
- boost your career prospects
- broaden your impact
Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.
You’ll cover:
- techniques for effective research
- methods for better collaborative working
- essential professional standards and requirements
Your researcher development programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.
Find out more about the Researcher Education and Development programme
Doctoral training and partnerships
There are opportunities to undertake your PhD at Newcastle within a:
- Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)
- Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)
Being part of a CDT or DTP has many benefits:
- they combine research expertise and training of a number of leading universities, academic schools and academics.
- you’ll study alongside a cohort of other PhD students
- they’re often interdisciplinary
- your PhD may be funded
Find out more about doctoral training and partnerships
If there are currently opportunities available in your subject area you’ll find them when you search for funding in the fees and funding section on this course.
The following centres/partnerships below may have PhD opportunities available in your subject area in the future:
Your future
Our Careers Service
Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.
Quality and ranking
All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body
From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK
Facilities
The School of History, Classics and Archaeology has its own postgraduate suite. This provides a centre for our growing community of over 100 full and part-time postgraduate scholars.
The Great North Museum: Hancock houses a renowned collection of over 1,000 Greek and Etruscan artefacts. There is a wealth of museums and archaeological sites in the North East, including Hadrian's Wall.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year)
Home fees for research degree students
For 2024-25 entry, we will be aligning our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The standard fee will be confirmed in Spring 2024 by UKRI. The Home tuition fees for this course will be updated after this confirmation.
If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.
Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.
EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.
If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.
Scholarships
We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information.
What you're paying for
Tuition fees include the costs of:
- matriculation
- registration
- tuition (or supervision)
- library access
- examination
- re-examination
- graduation
Find out more about:
If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.
You can check this in the How to apply section.
If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.
For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.
Search for funding
Find funding available for your course
Entry requirements
The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.
Qualifications from outside the UK
English Language requirements
Admissions policy
This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.
Download our admissions policy (PDF: 201KB)
Other policies related to admissions
Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course
How to apply
Using the application portal
The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.
You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.
If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.
Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.
Apply Online
Open days and events
You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:
- campus tours
- on-campus open days
- virtual open days
- webinars
Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually
Overseas events
We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.
Get in touch
Questions about this course?
If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:
Dr Federico Santangelo
Degree Programme Director
School of History, Classics and Archaeology
Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 7978
Email: pg.historical@ncl.ac.uk
Online
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