Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) Leiden University

Overview

The Classics and Ancient Civilizations (Research) master's at Leiden University covers the entire range of present-day research on the civilisations of Greece and Rome, Egypt and the Ancient Near East.The research master's programme distinguishes itself from other similar master's programmes by consistently integrating Greek and Roman Antiquity, the world of the Hebrew Bible, ancient Judaism, emerging Christianity, Egypt (ancient, antique and late-antique) and the cuneiform cultures of Ancient Mesopotamia, within their broader context.

The number of specialisations offered by the Classics and Ancient Civilizations (Research) programme is unparalleled.You will be able to tailor your study programme to your personal interests by creating your own combination of courses within the specialisation of your choice from other research master’s programmes within the Faculties of Humanities.

The programme makes creative use of a wide range of research methods, all of them well-represented at Leiden University. Traditional philology with its intimate knowledge of languages and texts, while still indispensable, is enriched by literary studies, cultural history, and the analysis of material culture.

What you will learn

Your future employers will not only be interested in your knowledge of Classics and Ancient Civilisations, but also in the skills that you have developed during your studies. Therefore, it is important that you are aware of the skills that you are training in your MA programme. IYou learn how to analyse a problem, how to formulate a research question, how to select and assess your sources, how to assess secondary literature, how to give a clear and well-argued oral presentation either for specialists or for a wider audience, and how to write a clear and well-argued paper. You will be training the following transferrable skills:

• critical thinking (formulating questions, checking assumptions, assessing sources and scholarship)
• analytical skills (selecting, ordering, sorting out, and solving a problem)
• oral presentation skills (speaking, listening, discussing, receiving feedback)
• writing skills (reporting, summarizing, presenting an argument, with structure and style)
• independence (self-discipline, initiative, motivation)
• project management (planning, demarcation of a topic, discipline, meeting deadlines)
• flexibility (adapting to changes)
• creativity (curiosity, developing new ideas and innovative topics)
• academic integrity (acting with honesty, fairness, and responsibility)
• collaboration (working together with other students on a joint project)

Career prospects

Our graduates end up working in a diverse range of positions, examples include:

• PhD candidate at Dutch and international universities
• Project assistant at a Dutch city council
• Research assistant at a university
• Curator at a museum
• Policy officer at a ministry
• Communications officer
• Programme manager
• Teacher of classical languages at a secondary school

Accreditation

Accredited by NVAO, the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders.