COURSE OVERVIEW
Ancient History explores and examines the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome—and their interactions with the world beyond. Such civilisations may appear distant but remain influential even today. Studying this three-year BA degree will introduce you to theories, methodologies, and sources (including archaeology) to help you grasp the variety of lived experience in the ancient world. We will help you to develop a very particular set of skills in appreciating, understanding, and presenting evidence. The rigour we aim to foster in your thinking will open up a range of exciting career opportunities for you in a wide range of professions.
You’ll have the chance to get to grips with Greek and Roman history and society, architecture and archaeology, warfare and empire, gender, religion, politics and economics—or learn about ancient Egypt. You can also learn ancient Greek or Latin.
WHY ANCIENT HISTORY AT SWANSEA?
Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, Ancient History at Swansea is highly rated by students and employers:
- UK Top 15 Graduate Employment (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018).
- Ranked in the top 5 for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey (NSS) 2018.
If you so desire, you will have the option to study a semester abroad in a location such as the USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong, or Singapore, during your second year, or to spend a full year abroad after your second year.
We have a Study Trip module which affords you the opportunity to bolster your in-depth study of classical lands overseas by seeing one in real life.
If you prefer to stay closer to home, and you want to enhance your student experience and career prospects, you can gain teaching experience with our Schools Placement module, in which you can as part of your degree instruct pupils in local schools in the culture of the classical world.
YOUR ANCIENT HISTORY EXPERIENCE
You can choose to study a great selection of topics in our discipline, working with world-recognised experts in the field. We have expertise in, and regularly publish on, areas from the Greek city states and their geographers, Cyprus through the ages, and Alexander the Great to Roman Syria, Pompeii, and the bishops and emperors of the later Roman empire.
Your degree programme will be delivered through lectures, tutorials, and seminars; we offer numerous creative and engaging modes of tailored assessment, including blogposts, presentations, and website design, alongside exams, essays, and the third-year dissertation.
During your Ancient History degree, in our close-knit community, you will each have an academic mentor from among the teaching staff to lend academic support. The Society for Ancient Studies organises social and cultural events, including museum trips.
To enhance your career prospects, we offer the opportunity to sign up for various employability and engagement-related placements, such as the Week of Work. Our staff have contacts in the heritage sector, and you can volunteer at local museums while you are here, including our own fabulous Egypt Centre, which houses over 5,000 archaeological objects.
ANCIENT HISTORY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
94% of our students are in employment or further study within six months of graduating (DLHE 2017). Our Ancient History degree will put you in a great position to succeed in the world of work.
Students of Ancient History typically develop excellent presentation and writing abilities, related to research, analysis, and problem solving. You will learn to develop your ideas in a wide range of formats applicable to your life after university.
Our graduates enter careers in a wide range of sectors including:
- Heritage and Tourism
- Teaching
- Media and Public Relations
- Business and Management
- Politics and Civil Service
