Classics

Specialisation of: Classics and Ancient Civilisations
Degree: Master of Arts in Classics and Ancient Civilisations
Mode of Study: Full-time
Duration: 1 year
Start date: September, February
Language of instruction: English
Location: Leiden
Croho/isat code: 60821
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Besides the classical Greek and Latin languages, the range of subjects you can study in the MA in Classics includes studies on Ancient History, Ancient Philosophy, Papyrology and Renaissance Latin. The academic staff responsible for these courses are internationally renowned for their research work. The result is a master’s programme which provides you with a comprehensive view of the classical world, while defining the significance it still has for modern society.

This programme qualifies you for the Teacher-training programme in Classics.

Five reasons to study Classics in Leiden:

  • The MA offers an array of specialised courses and research topics tailored to your individual needs.
  • You benefit from the expertise of three Universities, as the Classics programme is organised in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam (VU).
  • You are free to follow courses from other relevant fields such as ancient history or classical philosophy
  • The courses of the MA are taught by a small but dedicated staff of active researchers, many of whom have received prestigious prizes and research grants.
  • We value intensive and informal communication with our students.

Prof. Ineke Sluiter

Ineke Sluiter

“What has always appealed to me in Classics is the diversity, and the fact that so many questions have a direct relevance to our present world.”

“We have a wonderful and international team of colleagues: Dutch, British, Austrian and German classicists working together in a friendly, yet competitive and challenging atmosphere. Between us, we offer a wide range of expertise, e.g. in the history of ancient medicine, Latin love poetry, papyrology, philosophy, or Neo-Latin.

I personally love to involve students in research enterprises: my own research team (ancient Greek) works on ancient theories of language and rhetoric, and we have received a sizeable grant to do that. We also run research seminars, e.g. on ancient values like andreia ‘manliness, courage’, parrhêsia, ‘free speech’, or the notion of kakos (‘badness’), in which MA students participate.

They can also come to international conferences, which we co-organise with the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The connection between teaching and research is strong, and we encourage our students to follow and develop their own interests.

This is what has always appealed to me in Classics: the diversity, and the fact that so many questions have a direct relevance to our present world.

Our MA curriculum offers a great mix: on the one hand the continental approach to Classics, with its emphasis on technical skills and philology, and on the other the more problem-driven and theory-oriented approach from the Anglo-American world.”