BA Ancient and Modern History

The Ancient and Modern History course enables students to study 3,000 years of human history. From the Bronze Age Mediterranean and Near East to British, European and World history right up to the present day. With more than 90 options the most striking thing about this course is the extraordinary range and enormous amount of choice.  

Students of Ancient and Modern History benefit from being part of two Oxford departments. You study with experts and resources from both the Faculty of Classics and the Faculty of History. Both are world-famous for research and teaching, and our lecturers regularly establish new courses that reflect the latest historical research. You can explore diverse methods for finding out about the past, such as archaeology, art history, literature, or classical languages, including learning Latin or Ancient Greek. The course will be shaped around your unique interests as you explore comparisons, connections, and change across three millennia. 

Year 1 (Prelims) 

As a first-year student, you will study a wide range of time periods, places and methods. You will be introduced to new ways of studying history and you will learn crucial academic skills. You will study: 

1. European and World History

2. Greek History or Roman History

3. Optional Subject

4. A paper on Historical Methods: Approaches, or Historiography, or Classical Texts (Herodotus or Sallust) or Classical Language (Greek or Latin)

Years 2 & 3 (Final Honours School) 

In the final two years of study you have enormous choice. Some students range widely over time and space, others prefer to develop focused specialist interests, but you are all trained to do original research as historians. You will study:  

1. Greek History or Roman History (choice of 4) 

2. British History or European and World History

3. Further Subject in History, Ancient History or Archaeology  

4. Special Subject extended essay or exam

• History Special Subjects
• Alexander the Great and his early successors
• Cicero: politics and thought in the late Republic
• The Greek city in the Roman world from Dio Chrysostom to John Chrysostom

6. Disciplines of History   

7. A dissertation based on original research. 

8. Optional Classical Language Paper (Greek or Latin)