Latin MA (Hons) 2018 entry

Knowledge of Latin is the key both to an enormously rich body of literature and to in-depth understanding of a complex and influential culture. The MA (Hons) in Latin will develop your Latin language skills. It will also develop skills of literary and cultural analysis which are important for understanding of complex texts, arguments and problems in our own culture too.

The course will require you to engage in depth with a wide range of texts from classical antiquity. It involves study of the many different genres of ancient Latin literature from epic poetry and elegy to historiography and letter-writing. You will be required to develop skills of reading and understanding these texts in the original language. In the process you will also gain a broad understanding of ancient social, cultural and political history.

Applications for 2018 entry for this course have now closed, see which courses are available for the upcoming academic year.

UCAS code

Q600

Course type

Master of Arts (single Honours degree)

Course duration

Four years full time

  • Start date: 10 September 2018
  • End date: 30 June 2022

If you started this programme in 2017, you can find information about 2017 entry on the 2017 Latin MA (Hons) page. Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.

Entry requirements

SQA Highers AABB
GCE A-Levels AAA
IB points 36, including three at HL6

For degrees combining more than one subject, the subject with the higher entry requirements determines the grades you need. You will also need to meet any further subject specific entrance requirements as outlined on their pages.

International applicants

If English is not your first language you will need an overall IELTS score of 7.0, with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking), or an equivalent English Language qualification.

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

No prior knowledge of Latin is necessary, but competitive applications will have previous experience of studying a modern or ancient foreign language at National 5, GCSE level, or equivalent.

Faculty entry requirements

You must also meet the Faculty of Arts minimum qualifications. These vary depending on which qualifications you hold.

Other qualifications

Passes in other examinations at equivalent levels and subjects may be accepted by the Dean of the Faculty. More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements webpage.

Find out more about Faculty of Arts entry requirements.

Timetables

St Andrews students must meet with their Adviser of Studies at the beginning of Semester 1 in September to complete advising – a compulsory part of the matriculation process. After module choices have been decided, a timetable will be allocated indicating the dates and times of classes.

Reputation

The School of Classics at St Andrews has an international reputation for the diversity of teaching programmes offered. The School has expertise in literature and history from the Greek classical period to Late Antiquity, including the literature of classical Greece, Greece under Roman rule, Roman republican and imperial literature and the literature of Late Antiquity, as well as later engagement with the Classics from the Renaissance to the present day.

The School of Classics was ranked first in Scotland and fourth in the UK by both the Guardian University Guide 2018 and second in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2018 for overall student satisfaction and quality of teaching and research.

The School was ranked best in Scotland and second in the UK in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) for the quality and impact of its research.

The University of St Andrews as a whole was voted top in the UK for student satisfaction in The National Student Survey 2017 as 94% of St Andrews final year students gave the University top marks for the quality of the learning and teaching experience.

In 2017, the University received a TEF Gold award for the quality of teaching and the undergraduate experience.

Find out more about studying Classics at St Andrews.

Course information

The MA (Hons) in Latin is a four-year course run by the School of Classics. In the first year, if you have not studied Latin previously, you will be introduced to Latin language and literature from scratch. If you have already studied Latin at a higher level, in your first year you will undertake more advanced study in language and literature in modules that integrate the study of literary texts with linguistic and translation exercises.

Alongside Latin, in the first year of your studies you will be required to study an additional two subjects. In the second year, you will usually continue to study at least one of these subjects, sometimes two. Find out more about more about how academic years are organised.

In second year, all students take modules that extend and refine their knowledge of Latin literature and its background, covering prose and poetry both from the Republic and from the imperial period, while continuing to incorporate progressive work on Latin language skills in preparation for Honours-level study.

The skills you gain in analysing original Latin texts will prepare you to explore an even wider range of texts at a more advanced level in your third and fourth years. You will also be encouraged to delve deeper into a specialist topic of your choice in writing a dissertation during your fourth year. All of the School’s Honours modules are inspired by the research expertise of the members of staff who teach them, and expose you to the latest debates and developments in the discipline. They cover a wide range of genres and themes. Topics may include:

  • Latin prose writing, including philosophical writing, oratory, letter writing and biography
  • Latin poetry, including didactic poetry, lyric, satire and epic
  • Late antique Latin literature
  • Latin prose composition
  • Renaissance reception of Latin literature.

A wide choice of other modules is available to complement Latin and suit your interests: popular choices include Classical Studies, Ancient History, English Literature, Modern Languages, Medieval and Modern History, Philosophy and Divinity.

Students wishing to study both Greek and Latin should choose the Classics MA programme.

Graduates in Latin from St Andrews can expect to have developed a wide knowledge of Latin literature and culture and a high level of competency in Latin language.

The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits. More information on the structure of the modules system can be found on the flexible degree structure webpage.

Find out more about studying Latin at St Andrews.

Modules

In the first two years of your degree (known as sub-honours) you will take the required modules in Latin alongside modules in at least one other subject.

You will take one Latin module per semester during your first two years, and two modules per semester during your third and fourth year (known as Honours). Find out more about the modular Scottish degree system.

Students will take two compulsory first-year modules depending on their knowledge of Latin prior to the course.

Beginners in Latin will take the following two compulsory modules:

  • Elementary Latin 1: provides an introduction to the Latin language for beginners, concentrating on morphology, vocabulary, and basic syntax.
  • Elementary Latin 2: builds on work from Elementary Latin 1 and develops knowledge of Latin language and enables the reading of Latin texts for beginners.

Students who have studied Latin to SQA Higher, GCE A-level or equivalent will take the following two compulsory modules:

  • World of Latin 1: enhances understanding of Latin language and literature through study of both verse and prose set texts and regular language classes.
  • World of Latin 2: builds on work from World of Latin 1, introducing students to a wider range of Latin literature. 

Students will take two compulsory second-year modules depending on their knowledge of Latin prior to the course.

Ex-beginners in Latin will take the following two compulsory modules:

  • Latin in Progress 1: builds on work covered in Elementary Latin 1 and 2; examines a wide range of texts in both prose and verse from the Republican period, and enhances Latin language skills through regular language classes.
  • Latin in Progress 2: builds on work from Latin in Progress 1; examines a wide range of texts in both prose and verse from the imperial period, and enhances Latin language skills through regular language classes.

Students who have studied Latin to SQA Higher, GCE A-level or equivalent will take the following two compulsory modules:

  • Latin Language and Literature 1: the Republic: builds on World of Latin 1 and 2; examines a wide range of texts in both prose and verse from the Republican period, and enhances Latin language skills through regular language classes.
  • Latin Language and Literature 2: the Empire: builds on Latin Language and Literature 1; examines a wide range of texts in both prose and verse from the Republican period, and enhances Latin language skills through regular language classes.

If you decide to take Latin in your third and fourth years, you choose from a wide variety of advanced options.

Here is a sample of Honours modules which have been offered in previous years:

  • Latin Philosophical Writing
  • Latin Didactic Poetry
  • Roman Satire
  • Latin Oratory
  • Latin Lyric
  • Late Antique Latin Literature
  • Latin Prose Composition
  • Senecan Tragedy
  • Roman Epic
  • Roman Biography
  • Latin Letters
  • Renaissance Reception of Latin Literature.

In fourth year, students also undertake a 10,000-word dissertation on a topic of their choice. This independent project enables you to develop key research skills which are desired by both prospective employers and by graduate schools offering postgraduate degrees.


The sub-honours modules listed here are the compulsory modules that students must take in order to graduate in this subject. However, most students at St Andrews take additional modules, either in their primary subject or from other subjects they are interested in. For Honours level, students choose from a range of Honours modules, some of which are listed above. A full list of all modules currently available can be found in the module catalogue.

Teaching

Teaching format

Teaching at sub-honours level is delivered through a mixture of lectures and seminars (20 to 35 students), complemented by tutorials (15 to 20 students) and reading support classes (under 15 students).

At Honours level, all teaching is delivered through seminars (15 to 20 students), with a strong emphasis on students’ own contributions in informal class discussion and in group or individual presentations.

When not attending lectures, seminars and reading support classes, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve:

  • reading Latin texts
  • practising language and translation skills
  • reading journal articles and books
  • undertaking research in the library
  • working on individual projects preparing coursework assignments and presentations
  • preparing for examinations.

You will be taught by leading researchers in the field with an emphasis on research-led teaching. Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of classes and seminars under the supervision of the module co-ordinator.

You can find contact information for all Classics staff on the School of Classics website.

In addition to your studies in the School of Classics, optional academic support is available through practical study skills courses and workshops hosted within the University.

The University’s student services team can help students with additional needs resulting from disabilities, long term medical conditions or learning disabilities. More information can be found on the students with disabilities webpage.

Assessment

Almost all of the modules in Latin are assessed by a combination of coursework and examination. Coursework includes:

  • research essays
  • literary criticism and commentary exercises
  • class tests, including unseen translation and grammar exercises

In addition, most modules include a written examination held at the end of each semester during a dedicated exam diet with revision time provided beforehand.

The School of Classics provides feedback on every assessment, with a view to improving your performance in future, and aims to provide feedback on assessments and coursework within three weeks.

Undergraduates at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements. Please note that some Schools offer qualified entry to Honours, and this will be clearly specified in the programme requirements. To find out the classification equivalent of points, please visit the common reporting scale webpage.

Fees

Tuition fees for 2018 entry

Scotland and EU £1,820
Rest of the UK £9,250
Overseas £21,290

For overseas students, tuition fees will be fixed at this level for the duration of your programme.

More information on tuition fees can be found on the undergraduate fees and funding page.

Accommodation fees

Find out about accommodation fees for University accommodation in 2018.

Funding and scholarships

The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to undergraduate students each year.

Classics bursaries

The School of Classics offers bursaries for travel (including internships) to archaeological sites, summer schools, museums, and other institutions such as the British Schools in Athens and Rome, or to attend approved Latin or Greek summer schools.

Find out more about undergraduate scholarships.

Joint Honours degrees

You can take Latin as part of a joint Honours degree alongside one of the following subjects below.

It is also possible to combine a degree in Latin with two modern languages; any combination of Arabic, French, Italian, Persian, Russian, and Spanish is available.

  • Ancient History
  • Arabic
  • Classical Studies
  • Comparative Literature
  • English
  • French
  • Italian
  • Mathematics
  • Mediaeval History
  • Modern History
  • Persian
  • Philosophy
  • Russian
  • Social Anthropology
  • Spanish

Your future

Careers

Latin students at St Andrews have traditionally progressed into a very wide range of careers on graduating. Some continue their academic careers via a postgraduate training degree to doctoral study either in St Andrews or at another university. Other students have progressed to postgraduate qualifications in teaching, law or finance.

Recent Latin graduates have moved into careers in:

  • law
  • museums work
  • journalism
  • the theatre
  • civil service
  • teaching
  • finance
  • applied computing.

A degree in Latin will provide you with transferable skills that will equip you for a future career in many sectors. These skills include:

  • understanding a range of viewpoints and critical approaches
  • exercising reflection and critical judgment
  • gathering, memorising, organising and deploying information
  • time management
  • project planning
  • independent work
  • group work
  • oral and written expression.

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

Study abroad

The University is delighted to offer undergraduates a number of exciting opportunities to apply to spend a semester or year abroad as part of a St Andrews degree programme. St Andrews is partnered with large and small institutions, ancient and young, across the globe. What unites all of our programmes is the quality of the academic provision, ensuring that participation in a St Andrews Study abroad programme opens the door to a new and valuable academic experience at another world-class institution. Study Abroad for credit is permitted on existing University-approved programmes only.

Student life

From the outset, the University of St Andrews offers an array of events and opportunities which result in a truly unique student experience. Students participate in a range of traditions, notably, the red academic gown and the academic family, where older students adopt first year students as ‘children’ and help guide them in a system of mentoring. These traditions and the choice of over 150 sports clubs and student societies to choose from ensures a community feel amongst students from first year onwards.

Students of Latin may be interested in joining the following student societies:

The School of Classics is housed in Swallowgate, an attractive building which overlooks the sea and is close to the University Library and St Salvator’s quadrangle. Students will attend tutorials, seminars, lectures and individual meetings with tutors in this building.

The Swallowgate building also houses the School of Classics’ Class Library. The Class Library contains books that supplement the extensive holdings in the main Library and closely support the School’s undergraduate programmes.

The town of St Andrews itself has lots to offer. As the campus is located around town, walking around you encounter ancient and modern buildings and areas of greenery and seaside which provide a rich, beautiful backdrop to learning. If you want a change of scenery, St Andrews' position near surrounding towns and cities such as Anstruther, Dundee and Edinburgh make it ideal for getting to know more about Scotland.

Find out more about student life at the University of St Andrews.

"The Latin Department is open and flexible and the staff are always accessible and willing to help. They allow us to study new and different texts and ensure the classes are interesting and involving."

Hector (Burgess Hill, West Sussex, England)

Contact

School of Classics

University of St Andrews
Swallowgate
Butts Wynd
St Andrews
KY16 9AL

Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2600
Email: classics@st-andrews.ac.uk

Classics website