Classics

Studying for a classics degree develops your intellectual flexibility and analytical thinking skills. Discover some of the career options on offer

Job options

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Archivist
• Barrister
• Chartered accountant
• Civil Service fast streamer
• Editorial assistant
• Heritage manager
• Higher education lecturer
• Market researcher
• Museum/gallery curator
• Newspaper journalist
• Public relations account executive
• Secondary school teacher
• Solicitor

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Studying a classics degree provides you with relevant skills which can be applied in a range of sectors, including museum and gallery work, legal, teaching and academia, media and broadcasting, film and television, banking, consultancy and marketing.

Getting work experience in the area you wish to work in can be particularly helpful in future job applications. This may be in the form of a structured work placement, a part-time job, voluntary work or even a period of work shadowing. Use the time to develop your skills and to establish contacts within the industry. Student societies can also be a good way of developing skills related to your chosen career.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

The breadth of your degree makes you attractive to many employers including museums, which are a key employer for classics graduates wishing to use their subject knowledge.

Universities offer the opportunity to share your expertise through teaching and research.

Public sector employers, such as the government and the police, form a major source of employment too; with roles in areas such as information management, administration, investigation and heritage.

The publishing, finance and legal sectors are also major employment destinations for classics graduates.

Find information on employers in the creative arts and design, marketing, advertising and PR, law and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

Throughout your studies, you will acquire a range of subject-specific skills, including knowledge of the Greek and Roman languages and cultures. You will develop the ability to research, collate and analyse materials, including written documentation and statistics. You will also learn to critically evaluate and interpret resources in order to formulate impartial and coherent arguments, which you can present competently in both the spoken and written word.

The structure of your course, mixing independent study and group tasks, gives you the opportunity to prove that you can work autonomously and manage your own workload but can also engage in teamwork. Like most students, you will get used to working to strict deadlines.

Further study

Classics graduates often choose to study Masters or PhDs in classics or related subjects, such as classical archaeology, ancient history and Greek and Latin languages and literature. Becoming a specialist in an academic discipline, particularly at PhD level, can be the first step towards pursuing an academic career as a lecturer/researcher.

Other classics graduates opt for more vocational courses, generally at Masters level, such as museum studies or records and archive management. Further training is also necessary for a move into professions such as law, teaching, librarianship or accountancy.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses.

What do classics graduates do?

More than half of classics graduates are in full-time employment six months after graduating, while almost a third go on to further study or combine further study with work.

Find out what other graduates are doing six months after finishing their degrees in What Do Graduates Do?

Graduate destinations data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.