Research course

Classical Studies

Institution
Open University · Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Qualifications
PhDMPhil

Entry requirements

The normal minimum entrance requirement is an upper second class honours degree or master's degree.

Months of entry

October

Course content

Staff in the Classical Studies discipline at The Open University have expertise in a wide range of subjects and themes from the Greek and Roman world, including: archaeology, art and sculpture; epic, lyric poetry, tragedy and comedy; historiography and philosophy; popular culture and social history; reception studies; spatial classics and digital humanities. Our main research areas include:

  • ancient and modern reception of classical antiquity
  • digital and spatial classics
  • Greek and Latin texts
  • Greek and Roman material culture
  • the ancient body
  • ancient material religion.

The research areas overlap in important respects and this informs debate and collaboration across themes as well as providing opportunities for exchange with researchers in other subject areas. We encourage applications for research that is based in any of these areas, particularly projects that work across areas. Applicants should normally hold, or be expecting to obtain, a bachelors degree with at least first or upper-second class honours or equivalent qualification, and an MA or research experience or recent publications.

Research has been recognised by funding grants or fellowship awards from the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the British Academy, the Leverhulme Trust, JISC, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation, TOPOI: the Formation and Transformation of Space and Knowledge in Ancient Civilizations, and Google. Staff members also have leading roles in internationally funded projects such as the Linkage project in Australia (Classics and Theatre), the European Network of Research in Greek Drama, the Classical Reception Studies Network and EuGeStA (Gender Studies in Antiquity).

The UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) (2014) feedback highlighted the outstanding contributions by classical studies staff on the national and international research environment, and we aim to ensure that all our research students have the chance to benefit from and contribute to international debates in their field.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

  • PhD
    full time
    48 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
    part time
    96 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
    • Distance learningis available for this qualification
  • MPhil
    part time
    72 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
    • Distance learningis available for this qualification
    full time
    48 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification

Course contact details

Name
Graduate School
Email
research-degrees-office@open.ac.uk