Classics and English

Classics and English is a combination that brings together two of the oldest and most richly developed traditions of literary and cultural study in the Western world. Classical literature, written in ancient Greek and Latin, includes some of the most influential and enduring works ever composed: the poetry of Homer, Virgil and Horace, the drama of Sophocles and Euripides, the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle, and the histories of Thucydides and Livy. English literature offers a similarly deep and diverse tradition, from medieval verse and Shakespearean drama to the Victorian novel and contemporary poetry and fiction.

Studied together, these disciplines illuminate each other across millennia, and they share a commitment to reading carefully and thinking rigorously about what texts say and how they say it.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time degree includes a year abroad and carries a typical entry tariff of 200 UCAS points. You will develop your ability to read Latin and Greek at an advanced level, engaging with classical texts in their original languages, while also reading widely in the English literary tradition across historical periods and genres. Both components develop skills of literary and cultural analysis that allow you to engage with complex texts and ideas with depth and precision.

The year abroad gives you an international dimension to your education and an opportunity to encounter different academic and cultural perspectives.

Graduates from classics and English programmes pursue careers in academia, publishing, journalism, education, the civil service, law, the creative industries and cultural institutions. The combination of deep historical learning, language skills and literary sensitivity is valued in many contexts beyond formal academic careers, and the analytical and written communication skills developed through the programme are among the most transferable that the humanities produce. Postgraduate study in classical literature, English literature, ancient history or comparative literature is a natural next step.