Ancient History

Ancient history is the study of civilisations that shaped so much of what came after them, above all the worlds of Greece and Rome, but also the Near East, Egypt, and the broader Mediterranean world of antiquity. It asks how these societies organised themselves politically, how they made sense of the universe through religion and philosophy, how they waged war and built empires, and how the evidence that survives, coins, inscriptions, papyri, literary texts, and archaeological remains, can be read to reconstruct lives and events separated from us by two thousand years or more.

This three-year full-time programme at the University of Manchester gives you a rigorous training in the methods and concerns of ancient history. You will work with primary sources, both literary and documentary, and engage with the scholarly debates that shape how historians interpret the ancient world. The analytical skills this demands, reading critically, weighing incomplete or contradictory evidence, constructing sustained arguments, and writing with clarity and precision, are exactly the skills that make humanities graduates valuable in a wide range of professional contexts.

With a typical tariff of 136 points, the programme attracts students who already approach the subject with genuine curiosity and intellectual engagement.

Manchester's strong classical and ancient history department, and its broader environment as a research-intensive university, means you will study within a community where the discipline is taken seriously and where you are encouraged to develop independent judgement as a historian. The city's cultural resources, including its museums and libraries, provide useful supplementary material for anyone interested in the ancient world and its legacy.

Graduates from ancient history programmes move into careers in education, the civil service, law, journalism, publishing, heritage, museum and archive work, and a wide range of graduate roles where analytical and communication skills are prized. Some continue to postgraduate study in ancient history, classical studies, or archaeology, and others pursue professional training routes in law, teaching, or other fields where the transferable skills of a humanities degree provide a strong foundation.