Course information

Course highlights

• The programme has flexibility to cater for different study interests and needs of individual students.
• You may take an intensive course in Greek or Latin, if you have not studied the language previously.
• Students will have individual support from an assigned tutor.

Teaching format

The MLitt in Greek and Latin is a full-time taught postgraduate programme run by the School of Classics and is designed for students who have studied Greek or Latin to Honours undergraduate degree level and wish to pursue their study of both languages further.

Students take one compulsory module over two semesters. Students who have already good knowledge of Greek and Latin take two thematic options (one each semester, one per language). An intensive year long course takes the place of one thematic module in cases where one language has not previously been studied to Honours Level.

The compulsory module, Themes and Methods in Classics, is delivered through seminars and directed reading in classes of 10 to 20 students, and is assessed by written coursework and an oral presentation.

For each optional module, students will attend regular tutorials with an expert in the field who provides overall direction and guidance; tutorials include groups of no more than five students. Assessment is by written coursework.

The language track modules are taught in classes of up to 25 students with instruction and exercises; each semester includes four class tests and a final exam.

Over the course of the year, with particular focus during the summer months, you will devise a research project culminating in a 15,000-word dissertation. Students will be assigned an individual member of staff who will supervise the dissertation research and writing process.

The School of Classics provides postgraduates with a supportive intellectual environment, including all hours access to the School's own library.

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Modules

Students take one compulsory module, and either two thematic optional modules or one thematic optional module and a year-long intensive language track in Latin or Greek, at beginner or intermediate level.

For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue.

Compulsory module

There is one compulsory module for this course. It is taught via seminars each week, for which there is directed reading. Assessment is by written coursework and an oral presentation.

• Themes and Methods in Classics: provides an introduction to research methods, covering a range of topics, methodologies and skills essential to research in the relevant field.

Optional modules

Students must choose one Greek and one Latin optional module. One of these may be a year-long beginners course. With permission, students may enroll into a module taken from other programmes taught by the School of Classics or by other schools.

The optional modules each have five fortnightly tutorials. Tutorials will be tailored to the interests of the students and their choices of research topics. Assessment is by one or two pieces of written work; there is no exam.

Each optional module requires a minimum enrolment before it is delivered. All students with offers of places will be invited to rank their choices.

Greek modules

• Comedy and Society in Classical Athens: studies selected primary texts (Aristophanes and/or Menander) and major critical issues in the field of Classical Athenian comedy.
• Greek Aesthetics: studies selected primary texts and major critical and philosophical issues in the field of Greek aesthetics, encompassing ancient writings on the theory of poetry, visual art and music, and the nature of beauty.
• Greek Biography: studies in one of the most important and abundant categories of Greek prose writing.

Latin modules

• Late Imperial Literature: an introduction to later Latin literature through a study of some of its central texts, chosen in consultation between student and supervisor.
• Latin Didactic Poetry: examines the development of one of the major genres of Classical Latin poetry during the late Republic and early empire, with due consideration of the Hellenistic and archaic Greek background.
• Literature in the Reign of Nero: studies literature written during the reign of the emperor Nero (54-68 CE), when there was a renaissance in Latin writing that produced philosophical and other writings of the younger Seneca, the satires of Persius, the epic of Lucan, and the novel of Petronius.
• Latin Literary Interactivity: looks at the ways in which the study of intertextuality has changed perceptions of individual texts, whole genres and Latin literary culture generally.

Language modules

If you have have studied only one of the languages to degree standard, then you are required to take the other language track as one of your optional modules. Language classes meet for three to five one-hour classes each week.

• Greek Language for Beginners and Greek Literature for Beginners: provides a thorough grounding in the Greek language for beginners and prepares students for the challenge of reading and interpreting Greek literature.
• Elementary Latin 1 and Elementary Latin 2: provides a systematic introduction to the Latin language and will enable students to read simplified Latin texts and translate sentences from Latin into English and vice versa.
• With permission from the School, students may alternatively choose a first-level or second-level language track designed for non-beginners in either language, which includes classes in both semesters.

Dissertation

Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation of not more than 15,000 words must be submitted by Friday 17 August 2017.

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there is an exit award available that allows suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MLitt.

Conferences and events

The School of Classics hosts a programme of weekly research seminars which allows students to keep in touch with the latest ideas in the field. In addition, a number of conferences and workshops are held annually by guest lecturers, associations and societies.

The postgraduate community also runs in informal seminar series where students can get together, share their work in progress and practice presenting papers in a friendly environment.

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Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our Admissions policy.

Curriculum development

As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online. (PDF, 72 KB).

Tuition fees

The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online. (PDF, 84 KB).