Latin

Latin is the language of one of history's most consequential civilisations, and its literature represents one of the foundational achievements of European culture. Through Virgil, Ovid, Cicero, Livy, Tacitus, and many others, Latin gives direct access to the voices of a world that shaped European law, political thought, religious tradition, and literary form in ways still visible today. Studying Latin at degree level is not merely a matter of learning to read a language; it develops exceptional analytical precision, a deep familiarity with the classical tradition, and the ability to engage with texts that have been argued over and interpreted for two millennia.

At the University of Glasgow, this four-year full-time programme takes you through the full range of Latin literary production. Depending on your options, you will read Latin poets including Virgil and Ovid, Roman drama in both tragic and comic forms, orators including Cicero, historians and biographers, and philosophical texts. You will learn about Roman political and social history, philosophy, religion, and art, situating the texts within the civilisation that produced them and developing an understanding of Rome that is both historical and literary.

Glasgow's classics department has deep expertise across the range of Latin literature and Roman culture, and you will be taught by specialists in a research-active environment. A year abroad is part of the programme, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution and to encounter classical traditions and material culture in a different academic context.

You will develop exceptional skills in linguistic analysis, close reading, textual interpretation, and Latin prose composition, alongside a comprehensive knowledge of Roman culture and the classical tradition.

Graduates go on to careers in education, heritage, publishing, law, journalism, and academic research. The analytical and linguistic skills that Latin develops are among the most rigorously transferable available. Postgraduate study in classics, classical languages, or ancient history is a natural continuation.