Classics/Philosophy

Classics and philosophy is a combination with one of the longest intellectual pedigrees available: the ancient Greeks were among the first to develop both systematic inquiry into the natural world and rigorous argument about the foundations of knowledge, ethics, and political life, and much of Western philosophy grew directly from engagement with Greek and Roman texts. Classics involves the study of the literature, history, art, and material culture of ancient Greece and Rome, with the possibility of studying Latin and/or Greek language at any level from beginner to advanced. Philosophy develops the formal skills of argument, applying rigorous critical thinking to perennial questions about the nature of reality, knowledge, and value.

At the University of Glasgow, this four-year full-time programme allows you to pursue both disciplines with genuine depth. You will engage with the primary sources of ancient literature and history alongside the secondary scholarship that interprets them, developing skills in close reading, historical contextualisation, and linguistic analysis. The philosophy strand places you within one of the strongest philosophy departments in the UK, developing your capacity for precise argument and engagement with the full range of philosophical questions from ancient to contemporary.

The programme includes a year abroad, which may involve study at a European university where classical studies and philosophy intersect in interesting ways.

Graduates from classics and philosophy programmes go on to careers in education, research, publishing, journalism, the civil service, the law, and a wide range of roles that value analytical rigour, intellectual range, and the ability to engage seriously with complex texts and arguments. Further study at postgraduate level in classical studies, ancient history, or philosophy is a natural route for those who wish to pursue specialist or academic careers.