Ancient History

Ancient history is the study of the civilisations that shaped the foundations of Western and Near Eastern culture, from the earliest written records of Mesopotamia and Egypt through the Greek and Roman worlds to late antiquity. It asks how societies were organised, how power was exercised, how economies functioned, and how peoples understood themselves and the world around them, drawing on written sources, material remains, and the scholarship that has accumulated around both over centuries.

At University College London, this three-year, full-time programme places ancient history within one of the world's leading research universities, with access to exceptional library resources, scholarly expertise, and London's remarkable collections of ancient material in the British Museum and other institutions. You will engage with the primary sources of ancient history in translation, and where relevant in their original languages, learning to read them critically and to understand the contexts in which they were produced. UCL's ancient history programme has particular strengths in Greek history, Roman history, and the history of the ancient Near East, and you will encounter a wide range of geographical and chronological contexts.

A typical entry tariff of 168 UCAS points reflects the academic level expected at UCL.

Ancient history develops close source criticism, the ability to construct careful historical arguments from fragmentary evidence, and a deep appreciation of how different the past was and how consequential the choices of ancient societies remain for our own.

Graduates work in education, publishing, journalism, law, the civil service, heritage, and the cultural sector. Many proceed to postgraduate research in ancient history, classical archaeology, or related fields. The transferable skills the degree develops are valued across many professional contexts.