Classics
Minimum offer: A*AA in A Levels (or equivalent)
Required subjects for 3-year course: Latin A Level (or equivalent). Greek A Level (or equivalent) may be accepted as a substitute for those who do not study Latin.
Required subjects for 4-year course: none
Typical number of Classics undergraduates admitted per year: 2-4 (numbers include both the 3-year and the 4-year course)
Submitted written work requirements: see our Written Work webpage
Admissions assessment: College-registered assessment
Why Study Classics at Corpus?
Corpus is a brilliant place for Classicists thanks to its vibrant community, the breadth of Fellows’ expertise, and the resources available. Because so much supervision teaching is done in‑house, your supervisors get to know you well and can tailor sessions to your strengths and goals. You’ll also take part in regular gatherings where undergraduates and postgraduates present their research in a friendly, relaxed setting, so you can learn from peers at every stage.
Expect a welcoming social side, too: each term there’s at least one big community event — think tea and drinks, an annual dinner, a Parker Library tour, and a post‑exam summer celebration. Thanks to a major Perceval Maitland Laurence benefaction, the College offers substantial support for Classics students, and the College Library maintains a well‑stocked, up‑to‑date Classics collection to back up your studies.
What do we look for in applicants?
We’re looking for students who are genuinely fascinated by the ancient world and keen to think across disciplines — from languages and literature to history, art and philosophy. You can apply with Latin (or Greek) already in place for the three‑year route, or without prior Latin/Greek for the four‑year route. Either way, bring curiosity, commitment, and the desire to connect ancient ideas to big questions today.
Super-curricular resources
There is no required reading for Classics applicants, but if you’d like to do some further reading about the Classical world, we recommend the following online resources:
- The Greeks, The Romans and Us: find out more about studying Classics at Cambridge.
- Omnibus Magazine: Classics magazine aimed at those in the final years of high school/starting university
- Classics for All offers a range of resources for Classical Civilisation, Latin, and Ancient Greek.
- The Open University offers some useful free introductory courses: ‘Getting started on classical Latin’ and ‘Discovering Ancient Greek and Latin’.
- Jo Willmott’s website contains further links and language resources.
We also recommend the following books for further general reading:
- Literature: W. Allan, Classical Literature: A Very Short Introduction (2014); T. Whitmarsh, Ancient Greek Literature (2004); S. Braund, Latin Literature (2001).
- Philosophy: J. Warren, Presocratics (2007); J. Cooper (ed.), Plato: the complete works (1997).
- History: C. Kelly, The Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction (2006); P. Cartledge, The Greeks: A Portrait of Self and Others (2nd edn. 2002); M. Beard & M. Crawford, Rome in the late Republic (1999).
- Art and Archaeology: A. Schnapp, The Discovery of the Past (1996); R. Osborne, Archaic and Classical Greek Art (1998).
- Linguistics: G. Deutscher, The Unfolding of Language (2005); S. Pinker, The Language Instinct (1994).
