Teaching & modules

Modules

Required modules

You are required to take:

  • Research Training in Classical Archaeology (30 credits)
  • Dissertation (60 credits)

Optional modules

In addition, students are required to choose modules totalling 30 credits from a range of Archaeology modules that may typically include:

  • Greek Sculpture and its Legacy (30 credits)
  • The Art of Making: Craft Production from Classical Antiquity to Today (30 credits)
  • Ancient Painting (15 credits)
  • Ancient Mosaics: Making and Meaning (30 credits)
  • Roman Britain
  • Exhibiting Classical Antiquities (15 credits)
  • Living in Byzantium (15 credits)
  • Classical Frontiers: Northern Black Sea in Antiquity (15 credits)

Choose two to four modules totalling 60 credits from a range of options that may typically include:

  • The City of Rome (British School at Rome Postgraduate Course) (30 credits)
  • Beginners’ Ancient Greek for Research (30 credits)
  • Intermediate Ancient Greek for Research (30 credits)
  • Alexander’s Afterlife (15 credits)
  • Persepolis: a cultural biography of the 'wonder of the East' (15 credits)
  • Greek Religion
  • Pompeii and Herculaneum (15 credits)
  • Christian persecution: Violence and memory under Rome (15 credits)
  • Greek Epigraphy (15 credits)
  • Hellenistic Poetry (15 credits)
  • Latin literary letters (15 credits)
  • The Ancient Pantomime Dancer (15 credits)
  • Roman Comedy (15 credits)
  • Medieval Latin Literature (30 credits)
  • Black Classicisms
  • Engaging Greece: experiencing the past and responding to the present
  • Up to 15 credits from King’s Modern Language Centre

Master's modules offered by: 

  • UCL Department of Greek & Latin
  • UCL Department of History
  • UCL Institute of Archaeology
  • RHUL Department of Classics
  • RHUL Department of History
  • Institute of Classical Studies

All subject to approval.

If studying as a part-time student, you will take Research training in Classical Archaeology in your first year, along with 45 to 60 credits of optional modules. In your second year, you will take your dissertation module and a further 30 to 45 credits of optional modules.

Teaching methods - what to expect

Lectures
Seminars
Independent study

We will typically provide you with three to four hours of teaching through lectures and seminars each week and, depending on the number of modules you take each term, we will expect you to undertake 15-20 hours of independent study.

For your dissertation, we will provide five hours of supervision from a member of the Department, depending on your chosen topic, who will oversee your work on it. We will expect you to undertake 575 hours of independent study. Typically one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

Assessment

  • Coursework essays
  • Presentations
  • Written examinations

Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework essays, individual or group presentations and written examinations.

Application closing date guidance

Key Information

Course type:

Master's

Delivery mode:

In person

Study mode:

Full time / Part time

Duration:

One year full-time, two years part-time, September to September

Application status:

Open

Start date:

September 2026