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The great strength of Ancient History is that it allows you to specialise in the study of the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Persia, Greece and Rome that lie at the very heart of European culture and the cultures that border the Mediterranean.
Overview
At Kent, you can study the history of these ancient civilisations inside one programme, or you can follow a broader pathway that engages the study of history with that of ancient literature or archaeology.
You also have the opportunity to learn Latin or Ancient Greek, which are taught at beginners, intermediate and advanced level. Much of European civilisation grew out of the classical world so it is not surprising that it is still highly relevant today. Canterbury, as a late Iron Age settlement, a Romano-British city, an Anglo-Saxon town, and a centre of early Christianity, is an excellent base for studying different cultures, with visits to local sites and museums as well as to museums in London and Paris. There are also opportunities for archaeological fieldwork both locally and further afield.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, Archaeology and Classics are ranked 1st in the UK for student satisfaction. Classics and Ancient History ranked 7th overall in The Guardian University Guide 2017.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Teaching and assessment
All modules have a weekly small-group seminar, and most also have weekly lectures. We encourage you to take part in excavations and field surveys with staff and associated institutions, and student bursaries are available to support this.
Assessment at all stages varies from 100% coursework to a combination of examination and coursework.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- teach a congruent discipline within the framework of the European intellectual, cultural and historical traditions, interacting with other component disciplines
- treat the diverse societies and cultures of the Ancient World and their interaction, with a focus on history, but with the possibility of the inclusion of literature and archaeology
- study the history of ancient Greece and Rome, and the contemporary civilizations of ancient Asia Minor, Persia and Egypt, from ca.600BC to ca.AD600
- survey the main areas and genres of Classical Literature, both Greek and Latin
- make a study in depth of selected themes, regions and periods in history
- introduce key elements by which early Europe acquired its social, political, cultural and intellectual foundations
- explore different types of evidence: literary, historical, art-historical and archaeological, using primary source material wherever possible and focusing of different approaches and techniques
- examine the problems of interpretation in each type of source material through critical analysis of current studies
- equip students with a range of subject-based critical thinking and communication skills
- provide learning opportunities that are enjoyable, involve realistic workloads and offer appropriate support for students from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- another culture, whether focused on literature, thought, art and religion, or on history and political and social organisation, or on material culture, with an informed sense of the similarities and differences between it and our own culture
- complementary subjects (literary, philosophical, historical, art historical and archaeological)
- selected themes, periods and regions within ancient history in the context of current debate
- an appropriate and diverse range of primary materials and of the appropriate methods of interpretation.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- apply the skills needed for academic study and enquiry
- analyse, evaluate and interpret a variety of types of evidence in an independent and critical manner
- select, gather and synthesise relevant information from a wide variety of sources to gain a coherent understanding
- deploy a range of techniques and methodologies of study
- utilise problem solving skills
- evaluate research in a critical manner
- study and reach conclusions independently.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
- the ability to make a critical evaluation of a variety of sources for literary and historical and as appropriate archaeological study
- the ability to extract key elements from complex data and identify and solve associated problems
- select and apply appropriate methodologies in assessing data, such as bibliographical research, textual analysis, historical analysis, visual skills, collection and analysis of archaeological data, use of statistics, philosophical argument and analysis
- gather, memorise and deploy evidence and information, and show awareness of the consequences of the unavailability of evidence
- show familiarity with the basic concepts which underpin the different branches of the programme pathways
- marshal argument lucidly and communicate interpretations using the appropriate academic conventions.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals using a variety of means
- take responsibility for your personal and professional learning and development
- evaluate and learn from your own academic performance
- manage time and prioritise workloads and assessments, and write and think under pressure
- utilise problem-solving skills in a variety of theoretical and practical situations
- work creatively, flexibly and adaptably with others, and understand how groups function
- deploy a range of IT skills effectively, such as producing word-processed text with footnotes, basic formatting, using e mail, research using databases and text files, locating and exploiting web-sites.
Careers
Studying on the Ancient History programme, you gain key transferable skills such as the ability to analyse and summarise complex information, to manage and organise your time, and to express your opinion persuasively and with sensitivity, skills that will leave you well placed to embark on a graduate career.
Possible careers include archaeology, the heritage industry, museums, business, journalism, Civil Service, computing, media, librarianship, teaching, further academic study, and any employment requiring literacy and versatility.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | BBB |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 15 at HL |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||
| Part-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.