BA Classical Studies and English Literature
About this course
BA in English Language and Literature and Classics, combining the study of English literature with the ancient world. Core topics include research methods and critical and analytical thinking. The course includes Latin and Ancient Greek language modules, and students may also choose from ten languages offered by the University. English literature modules span from the Renaissance to contemporary periods, and classical texts can be explored through translations.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: BBB, including grade B in A level English Literature or related subject. Related subjects include: English Language, English Language and Literature, Drama and Theatre Studies, Creative Writing. IB: 30 points overall including 5 in English at higher level
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What students say
Based on about 46 final-year students who answered, across similar courses at this university
- Teaching on my course: 96%
- Learning opportunities: 88%
- Assessment and feedback: 87%
- Academic support: 99%
- Organisation and management: 88%
- Learning resources: 96%
- Student voice: 87%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 20 students who started (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Continued on course: 70%
- Left higher education: 25%
- Moved to a lower qualification: 5%
What graduates do next
Based on about 5 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Working: 65%
- Working and studying: 15%
- Further study: 5%
- Unemployed: 5%
Most common jobs
- Teaching Professionals: 20%
- Administrative occupations: 20%
- Business and public service associate professionals: 10%
- Elementary occupations: 10%
- Artistic, literary and media occupations: 5%
- Find their work meaningful: 65%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 55%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 50%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 65 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North East: 3%
- North West: 2%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 2%
- East Midlands: 4%
- West Midlands: 3%
- East of England: 19%
- London: 25%
- South East: 29%
- South West: 11%
- Wales: 2%
- Northern Ireland: 1%
Who gets in
Based on about 15 students who started (a small group: a rough guide only)
- A levels: 100%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Silver overall, Silver for student experience, Silver for student outcomes.
Modules
- Texts, Readers and Writers
- Theories and Practice of Writing
- Poetry in English
- Ancient Song
- Roman History: The Rise and Fall of the Republic
- Latin 1-3
- Ancient Greek 1-3
- Optional Language Modules
- Presenting the Past: An Introduction to Museum Studies
- Modern American Culture and Counterculture
- Shelf Life
- Introduction to Drama
- What Is Comparative Literature?
- Thinking Translation: History and Theory
- Ancient Epic
- Greek Sculpture and Architecture
- Greek History: Persian Wars to Alexander
- My Mother's Sin and Other Stories
- Latin 1-4
- Ancient Greek 1-4
- Careers for Classicists and Ancient Historians
- Ancient Drama
- Roman History: From Republic to Empire
- Myth, Legend and Romance: Medieval Storytelling
- Victorian Literature
- Contemporary Literature
- Modernism
- Writing in the Public Sphere
- Optional Language and University Wide Modules
- Museum Learning and Engagement
- Curatorship and Collections Management
- Writing America: Perspectives on the Nation
- Critical Thinking
- Early Modern Literature
- The Business of Books
- Enlightenment, Revolution and Romanticism
- Shakespeare
- Entertainment and Leisure in Roman Society
- Greek Religion and Mythology
- Ancient Egyptian Language and Hieroglyphs
- Dissertation in Classics
- Independent Project in Classics
- Dissertation in English Literature
- Latin 1-6
- Ancient Greek 1-6
- ‘Race’ and Ethnicity in the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds
- From Classroom to Courtroom: Mastering the Art of Persuasion in the Ancient World
- British Black and Asian Voices: 1948 to the Present
- Literature and Mental Health
- Optional Language and University Wide Modules
- From Romance to Fantasy
- Placing Jane Austen
- Decadence and Degeneration: Literature of the 1890s
- Women Writing Poetry
- Children's Literature
- The Bloody Stage: Revenge and Death in Renaissance Drama
- Shakespeare on Film
- Utopia and Dystopia in English and American Literature
- History, Culture, and Society in the Time of Nero
- Aristotle: Philology, Philosophy, Politics
- Ancient Biography
- Xenophon's Anabasis
- Ancient Ethiopia: The Aksumite Kingdom
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA Classical Studies and English Literature at University of Reading earn?
The median salary is £25,000 after 15 months, £22,000 after 3 years, £27,000 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £22,500 and £34,000. The £27,000 median after five years is £1,000 less than the UK median for Literature in English.
What do graduates of BA Classical Studies and English Literature at University of Reading do next?
85% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA Classical Studies and English Literature at University of Reading?
96% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA Classical Studies and English Literature at University of Reading?
The typical offer is BBB at A level, or 30 points in the IB. The average entrant had 115 UCAS points.
Does BA Classical Studies and English Literature at University of Reading include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has an optional placement year and an optional year abroad.
How many students continue on BA Classical Studies and English Literature at University of Reading?
70% of students continued into their second year, and 25% left higher education.