Latin/Social & Public Policy

Latin combined with social and public policy is an unusual pairing that connects one of the great classical languages of European history with the systematic study of how governments and institutions design and deliver services to populations. Latin is the language of Virgil and Ovid, of Roman historians, orators, and dramatists, and of the political, legal, and intellectual tradition that has shaped European institutions for two millennia. Social and public policy examines how contemporary states organise welfare, education, healthcare, housing, and social care, and what the evidence tells us about what works, what fails, and why.

At the University of Glasgow, this part-time combined degree allows you to pursue both disciplines alongside other commitments. In Latin, you will read the major texts of the Roman literary tradition, including poetry, drama, historical writing, and oratory, alongside study of Roman political history, social organisation, philosophy, and religion. In social and public policy, you will examine the theory and practice of policy-making and welfare provision in contemporary societies, using sociological, economic, and political frameworks to evaluate the design and consequences of policy.

The two disciplines have less obvious overlap but make for a distinctive intellectual formation: the classical dimension deepens your understanding of political and social thought, while the policy dimension grounds that understanding in contemporary relevance. A year abroad is available.

Graduates of this combination work in the civil service, policy organisations, local government, social research, education, heritage, journalism, and a wide range of other professional fields. The rigorous analytical and communication skills developed through both disciplines are valued across public life, and the unusual combination creates a distinctive professional profile. Academic careers in classics, social policy, or related fields require postgraduate study.