Classical Studies and Philosophy

Classical studies and philosophy is a combination that approaches two of the most enduring questions in Western intellectual history through two complementary disciplines. Classical studies gives you direct access to the literature, history, culture, art, and thought of ancient Greece and Rome, the civilisations that shaped the foundations of European law, politics, science, philosophy, and aesthetics. Philosophy provides the analytical tools to engage with the ideas those civilisations produced, from Plato's metaphysics and Aristotle's ethics to Epicurean cosmology and Stoic moral philosophy, examining them with rigour and asking what they can still teach us.

At the University of Exeter, this three-year full-time programme develops your expertise in both disciplines with genuine depth. You will read classical texts closely, engaging with literature, history, and material culture alongside the philosophical traditions they generated and debated, and you will develop the analytical and argumentative skills that philosophical training demands. The programme includes a sandwich placement year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, giving you professional experience and international exposure that connect your classical and philosophical education to the world beyond the seminar room.

Graduates from classical studies and philosophy go on to work in law, the civil service, journalism, education, publishing, heritage, museum work, policy research, and the many professional roles that value critical thinking, rigorous analysis, and the ability to engage with ideas and texts of considerable complexity. The combination of classical depth and philosophical rigour is an unusual and genuinely distinctive credential. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in classics, ancient history, philosophy, or theology, developing specialist expertise for academic, curatorial, or professional careers in these fields.