Ancient History - International Relations

Ancient history and international relations is a combination that might initially seem to span an impossible distance in time, but the pairing is intellectually coherent and practically powerful. The ancient world produced the first experiments in diplomacy, empire, alliance and war, and the political ideas that emerged from Greece and Rome have shaped Western political thought from the Renaissance to the present. Studying antiquity alongside international relations gives you both a deep historical grounding in how political communities have organised themselves and engaged with each other, and the contemporary theoretical tools to analyse how states, institutions and non-state actors interact in a globalised world.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time degree includes a year abroad, which deepens both your historical understanding and your international perspective. In the ancient history component, you will study the civilisations of Greece and Rome and their neighbours, including the Persians and Carthaginians, across a period stretching from the eighth century BCE to the fall of the western Roman empire. You will work with ancient sources, engage with historiographical debate and develop the capacity to construct arguments from fragmentary and contested evidence.

In the international relations component, you will engage with political theory, the analysis of contemporary international order, security studies and the dynamics of conflict and cooperation between states. The combination trains you to think across very different scales and timeframes.

Graduates from ancient history and international relations programmes pursue careers in the civil service, diplomatic service, international organisations, journalism, law, academia, policy think tanks and the cultural sector. The research, analytical and writing skills developed through both disciplines are highly transferable, and the combination of deep historical knowledge and contemporary political analysis is valued in organisations working at the intersection of history, culture and international affairs. Postgraduate study in ancient history, classical studies, international relations or law is a natural next step.