Postgraduate research courses in the School of Classics

The School of Classics is a centre of world-class research in Greek and Latin literature, ancient history, art, archaeology, ancient philosophy and classical reception. Motivated graduates join the School, usually to undertake the PhD (three years), or to take the one-year MLitt, which may be taken as preparation for the PhD or as a stand-alone postgraduate qualification. The School also welcomes visiting postgraduates.

people sitting round a table with laptops smiling at speaker who is off-camera

Research students have dedicated 24-hour office space in the School, and an annual research allowance. They are an essential part of the School's wider scholarly community, taking part in the School's research seminars, regular lectures and workshops. They hold weekly postgraduate seminars to discuss their current work, and contribute to STAGE, a nationwide network of postgraduate research in Classics.

Research degrees

The School of Classics offers three research degrees:

PhD (Doctorate), normally of three years duration leading to a thesis of no more than 80,000 words and an oral examination.
MPhil, normally of two years duration. The first year comprises the taught components of an MLitt, and the second a dissertation of about 40,000 words followed by an oral examination.
MSt (Res), a one-year research-based Masters degree, comprising a full-time research project leading to a dissertation.
The School of Classics encourages most students considering a one-year degree to take the MLitt, which provides training in research across a broad range of Classical subjects. If you are considering an MSt (Res), please contact the Director of Postgraduate Studies (classicsdopg@st-andrews.ac.uk), particularly if you are considering taking a PhD afterwards.

St Andrews is one of the largest classics departments in the UK. With over 20 permanent members of academic staff, the School has clusters of expertise in:
- classical and imperial period Greek literature
- Platonic and post-classical philosophy
- the archaeology of Rome and the Roman provinces
- Roman Imperial literature and history
- late antiquity
- Renaissance and later engagement with the classics.
Other areas of classical research are strongly represented by individual colleagues. Such a range and depth of expertise in the School generates an interactive and supportive research culture, where formal and informal exchanges take place on a daily basis.

The research community involves staff, post-doctoral researchers and postgraduates alike. They have participated in several major collaborative projects, for example:
- in material culture
- projects on Trajan’s column
- the reconstruction of Church space
- sacred animals and monsters
- in literature
- Late Hellenistic literature and the Second Sophistic
- Latin Panegyric
- literary interactions under Nerva, Trajan and Hadrian
- science
- empire in the Roman world.
They have also established four centres, which act as focal points for their combined expertise:
In REF 2014, the School was ranked:
- second equal in the UK for overall research excellence.
- fourth equal for research environment, assessed in part on the vitality of its postgraduate community.
- top in Scotland.
The School hosts regular research events including a seminar series and international conferences. It welcomes a ‘Distinguished Visiting Scholar’ each year. It collaborates with international partners on major research projects.

The School welcomes applications from potential PhD students keen to work in any area of the School’s research interests. It also welcomes applications from students interested in interdisciplinary projects. The School has supervised doctoral and Masters projects jointly with the Schools of Philosophy, Divinity and Modern Languages.
While studying in the School, you will have the opportunity to:
- help run, or take part in, the postgraduate research and professional development seminar
- gain teaching experience
- take part in the School's language training programme, if you want to teach Greek and Latin
- take part in, or help run, student-led conferences like the Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient Literature (AMPAL) or STAGE (the Scottish Classics Postgraduate Conference).
The School also encourages you to:
- conduct fieldwork, research or other specialist study abroad
- take part in professional development training provided by the University, including GRADskills.
The School and the University's Careers Centre aim to ensure that you get the most out of your study. They work with you right from the beginning of your time at St Andrews to prepare you for life after your research degree.

Many of the School's graduates are now working as professional scholars all over the world:
- Europe: the University of Warwick, University College London, Georg-August University (Göttingen), the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Vienna), and the Open University of Cyprus.
- North America: the University of British Columbia (Vancouver), Pennsylvania State University, Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) and Ohio State University.
- Asia: Bilkent University (Turkey) and Prince Sultan University (Saudi Arabia).
- Australasia: the University of Auckland.
Explore the research and publications of recent graduates:
Jeremy Armstrong; Carmen Cvetkovic; Symke Haverkamp; Joseph Howley; Tosca Lynch; Trevor Mahy; Hannah Mitchell; Michael Sloan; Julietta Steinhauer; Allison Weir; Matthijs Wibier; Christos Zekas.

While many graduates are pursuing careers in academia, others use the research skills they have developed as a basis for careers outside of higher education. Graduates have gone into publishing, freelance writing, secondary school teaching, the charity sector, university administration and sommelier school.

View the Careers Centre's graduate destinations page.

Virtual visiting days

Postgraduate research courses in the School of Classics

Research degrees

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