Classical Studies with Integrated Foundation year

Classical studies gives you access to the culture, literature, history, and philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, without requiring prior knowledge of the classical languages, though you may develop them as you go. It is a discipline that trains close reading, contextual awareness, and rigorous historical and critical thinking, engaging with some of the most influential texts and ideas in the Western tradition. The integrated foundation year at Royal Holloway is designed to ensure that students who are new to humanities degree study can enter with confidence and the academic skills needed to succeed.

At Royal Holloway, the foundation year provides a thorough, skills-building preparation that gives you everything you need to begin BA Classical Studies. You will then progress into the main degree, studying the literature, history, culture, and material culture of the ancient world across three further years. The programme includes a sandwich placement year, a year abroad, and embedded work placement opportunities, giving you a rich combination of professional and international experience within the full four-year structure.

Graduates of classical studies programmes pursue careers in education, publishing, the heritage and museum sectors, journalism, law, the civil service, and academic research. The breadth and rigour of the analytical training, combined with deep knowledge of an extraordinarily influential historical period, is valued across a range of professions. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in classics, ancient history, archaeology, or related disciplines, where the foundation built at undergraduate level opens a variety of specialist and interdisciplinary research pathways.