BA Classics and Portuguese
About this course
Classics and Portuguese is a degree that connects two of the most historically consequential cultural traditions accessible through language study. Classics opens access to the literature, history, philosophy and material culture of ancient Greece and Rome, the civilisations whose ideas, institutions and languages have shaped Western thought more profoundly than any others. Portuguese opens access to one of the world's most widely spoken languages, the literature and culture of Portugal and the vast and diverse Lusophone world that stretches from Brazil across Africa and into Asia, a legacy shaped by one of history's most extensive colonial enterprises. Oxford's four-year full-time programme in Classics and Portuguese develops depth in both disciplines simultaneously, through the intensive tutorial system that characterises Oxford's teaching. In Classics you will engage with ancient Greek and Latin texts in the original languages, reading the foundational works of European literature, philosophy and historical writing alongside the material and cultural history of the ancient world. In Portuguese you will develop advanced language skills and a serious engagement with Lusophone literature and culture, from medieval Iberian texts to contemporary Brazilian and African writing. The combination of ancient and modern, European and global, develops an unusually wide cultural perspective and exceptional linguistic agility. The degree trains precise analytical thinking, the ability to construct careful arguments from complex textual and historical evidence, and sensitivity to how language, culture and power interact across time and space. These are demanding and transferable intellectual capabilities. Graduates work in academia, diplomacy, international organisations, the cultural sector, law, journalism, publishing and the range of professions that value the combination of classical grounding with contemporary linguistic and cultural expertise. The degree is an excellent preparation for postgraduate study in classics, Portuguese, comparative literature or any field that rewards deep humanistic learning.
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