The Classics track of the MA in Classics & Ancient Civilizations offers education in a wide range of skills to the aspiring classicist: from in-depth analysis of all aspects of a Greek or Latin text to interdisciplinary and thematic studies of important facets of Classical Antiquity.
The Classics track is a highly flexible interdisciplinary one-year programme, offering a variety of research-led courses on Greek and Latin literature, language and culture.
You can enter the programme with or without prior knowledge of Greek or Latin, and can tailor your studies to your interests. We offer courses both in the original languages and in translation. Specializations include:
You will write a thesis and take an interdisciplinary course , on the interface of literary studies with ancient history or classical archaeology. You may also integrate ancient history courses and organize a placement.
Our alumni are skilled writers and have an eye for detail as well as the bigger picture. They are sought-after employees in many fields, including education, publishing, the cultural sector, journalism and the government.
The programme is taught in English; Dutch-speaking students may produce their written work in Dutch.
The programme is also offered on a part-time basis. For information, contact the study advisor (studieadviseur.gltc rug.nl).
As someone who loves the classics I have been very happy doing the
Bachelor Greek and Latin Language and Culture. I continued my
education in Groningen because I liked the ambiance at the
university and the focus on the cultural aspect as well as the
languages. I wanted to become a teacher, but at the same time I
wanted to enrich my academic view on Antiquity. Therefore I decided
to do the Education Master which consists of 60 ECTS Classical
Studies and 60 ECTS didactics, to get the best of both
worlds.
A nice thing about this Master
is the large extent of freedom you’ll get. A small number of
courses is obligatory, but besides those you can choose courses
from other studies like Archaeology, Philosophy or Ancient History.
There are also possibilities outside the RUG: take for example the
Master Language programme, in which I took the Greek Epigraphy
course.
Most of these courses are research courses and this means you can largely decide your own topic and research area. This will enhance your motivation and your ability to find out where your strong points and preferences lie – something which education is all about, I think. I have noticed that I’m interested in religion and poetry, and I’ve really enjoyed developing this further during the classes/
During this Master you’ll have very few classes: I have to go to class 6 hours a week on average. Most of the work has to be done by yourself and therefore requires a lot of independence and planning. Besides, as wonderful as they are, the classical languages are a lot of work and at times rather difficult. But teachers will always be willing to help you and due to the small scale there is a lot of contact between students. It also means you learn on your own to analyse critically, research literature properly and set up your own research. So if you take all these things into consideration, you will be alright and you will be in possession of a diploma that shows you have a lot of extensive knowledge and an ability to work hard!
I found this degree programme challenging and diverse. You don't only learn Greek and Latin; other aspects of life in Antiquity are covered in great detail, for example philosophy, as well as archaeology. After the Bachelor's phase, I started following the Master of Arts in Teaching programme and followed a placement at a school for a few months. Because I didn't really enjoy teaching, I switched in the first half of the second year to the Master's in Classics and Ancient Civilization, choosing the Greek and Latin Languages and Cultures track.
In my final semester I did a placement at the Groningen Archives, in the department which organizes activities for the general public. This was the most interesting department for me, given my experiences in education. I showed school pupils and students around the archives and helped them with their study projects.
I don’t know yet what I will eventually end up doing, but as long as I’m working with languages, cultures and/or in education, I’ll be happy. I’m currently working on call for an educational publishing company and for a company that is developing a digital learning environment. Both jobs are temporary, but I’m gaining experience and it’s helping me to decide whether I want to continue in the publishing world. It’s perfectly possible that I’ll end up somewhere totally different!
Are you interested in a research oriented career? Please have a look at our Research Master's track in Classical, Medieval and Early Modern Studies
