Ancient, Classical and Medieval Studies BA (Hons)

The University of Winchester

• Choose from a broad range of themes and periods and use both historical and archaeological evidence in your studies
• Develop deep theoretical and cultural knowledge sought after by employers in many industries
• Discover the importance of teamwork, personal research and fieldwork

Our Ancient, Classical and Medieval Studies degree takes you on a highly engaging and fascinating adventure through time. From the Bronze Age to the Crusades and beyond, it’s an absorbing three-year journey exploring the archaeology, history, art and religion in the British Isles, continental Europe and the Mediterranean.

The course has a multidisciplinary approach to the human past, and is led by expert faculty from two of Winchester’s leading teaching and research departments, Archaeology, Anthropology and Geography and History. You can choose modules from the whole range of modules in Archaeology, Classical Studies and History that cover the Bronze Age to the medieval period, for example: The Greek World (Archaeology), The Glory of Athens and the Shadow of Sparta (Classical Studies), Roman Britain (Archaeology), The Pax Romana (Classical Studies), The Archaeology of Conflict (Archaeology) and Societies at War – England and France, 1189-1529 (History).

Although the library is likely to be your main base as a student, you won't need to be a bookworm. You can, for example. take practical classes in Archaeology to learn how sites are located and surveyed, or study human skeletal remains to research the health of past populations

In Year 1, you are introduced to the methods and approaches of archaeology, while also developing your knowledge of how documentary sources are used to study the past. Throughout Year 2, you focus on independent learning, choosing from a range of thematic studies such as Food and Drink in Medieval and Early Modern Britain and the Archaeology and Anthropology of Death, as well as period studies covering later prehistory, Classical Greece and Ancient Rome, and the Middle Ages.

In Year 3, you will write an 8,000 to 10,000 word study on a topic of your choosing. This is an opportunity to examine primary source material and use both historical and archaeological approaches to address a problem of the archaeological and historical past. In addition, you pick from a range of in-depth courses in including popular modules such as The Celts, Minoans and Myceneans, the Wars of the Roses and Murder in the Ancient City, and in which use both ancient sources and archaeological evidence.

Graduates have entered fulfilling archaeological careers in museums, heritage sites and local authorities. However, the programme also provides a wide range of skills that are highly relevant to a number of non-archaeological careers, such as conservation, education and the civil service. Our graduates are highly sought after by employers in all industries, who value their deep theoretical and cultural knowledge.