Classics
Cambridge Classics not only involves the study of two of the most influential and fascinating ancient cultures: Greece and Rome, but also brings you face to face with what’s important in the twenty-first century. What makes a good leader? Is censorship a bad thing? Is it ever right to invade another country? Why are we afraid of death? All of these questions, and many more, are at the heart of Cambridge Classics.
Cambridge has been a leading centre for the study of the ancient world for 800 years. Many of the greatest Classicists have been here, from Moses Finley to Jane Harrison, Erasmus to Rupert Brooke. This is a hard act to follow, but Cambridge has gone from strength to strength. Today it is one of the very best places in the world to be a Classics undergraduate and combines the best of a traditional education with the latest advances in teaching and research. For more information, please see the University website.
Overview
Students admitted per year: around 6, split between Three- and Four-Year courses
Typical offer:
A Level: A*AA
IB Diploma: 41 points, with 776 at Higher Level
Subject requirements:
Three-Year course: A Level Latin. Please contact us if you have A Level Classical Greek but not Latin.
Four-Year course: no required subjects
Useful subjects: modern or ancient languages to GCSE or A-level
Admissions Assessment:
Three-Year course: Latin skills assessment at interview
Four-Year course: language aptitude assessment interview
Written work: two pieces, of a maximum of 3,000 words combined
Why choose Newnham for Classics?
Newnham is one of the very best – and liveliest – places to study Classics in Cambridge. We are a strong community with healthy numbers of undergraduates and postgraduates. Our students do very well, both in their examinations and beyond, thanks to the support they receive from our dedicated Classics team during the transition to university and throughout the course. Newnham has a long tradition of valuing teaching as an integral part of College life. Its current Fellows continue to uphold the ideals of their forebears in taking teaching seriously and seeking the most effective teaching methods for an individual’s style of learning. Newnham was one of the pioneers of the supervision mode of teaching, still the mainstay of any arts degree, and an important element of the Director of Studies’ job is securing the best supervisors for students.
Despite being a stone’s throw from the Faculty, Newnham has a well-resourced library of our own, with an ever-expanding collection of books, as well as a great study space. We use some of our generous funds to take our students to museum exhibitions, to the theatre, and to work on archaeological digs.
Academic financial support
Newnham is one of the most generous Colleges when it comes to student support. As well as being able to access support for maintenance, opportunity and sports funding, all Newnham undergraduate students can apply for our book grants and research expenses funds each term for essential purchases and expenditure relating to their studies. A proportion of expenditure on books can be reimbursed against receipts (up to a limit of £200 each year), with research expenses assessed on a case-by-case basis. Funds for essential equipment purchases are also available, for example for stethoscopes for medics. We are also fortunate to have very generous funding available for summer research and/or travel. None of these grants are means-tested, so all students can benefit. Students achieving first-class results for their end of year exams will in addition receive at least £400 as a prize or scholarship.
We are fortunate to have a number of dedicated funds to support classical archaeological fieldwork and classics-related travel, which can be combined with departmental funding. Applications should be made via the summer project/travel grants.
