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Awards: MScR

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Programme website: Classics

Introduction to Postgraduate Study

27 September 10:00 – 11:30 BST

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Research profile

The MSc by Research in Classics provides a grounding in the methods and techniques of sustained research, while at the same time allowing you to pursue your own project and complete an extended thesis.

Research topics

We welcome applications from anyone keen to work on topics that overlap with the research interests of our academic staff. Major research interests include:

Homer and early Greek poetry
Greek philosophy
Greek drama
Hellenistic and Roman poetry
classical Greek and Hellenistic history
the ancient economy
Archaic and Classical Greek archaeology
Judaism in the ancient world
Byzantine history and literature
the Roman republic
the Hellenistic and Roman Near East
Roman imperial history
Greek literature of the Roman empire
late Roman literature and history
Christianity in the Roman empire
ancient slavery
ancient law
epigraphy
gender in antiquity
the reception of classical antiquity
Greek sculpture
mythology in art
Roman and late antique archaeology

Research community

We provide you with opportunities to hear from distinguished speakers in the weekly classics research seminar series and to share your research with your peers at the Classics graduate seminar.

Research proposal

When applying, you must submit a research proposal explaining your plans and demonstrating your knowledge of your chosen field. This will be closely scrutinised as part of our admissions process.

Two supervisors will be appointed to work with you on the project and it is a good idea to consult with prospective supervisors in advance of an application.

Programme structure

A long dissertation is the sole form of assessment.

You will also attend the Skills and Methods in Classics training course and may attend other courses that are relevant or of interest to you, such as our language options.

Training and support

You will be assigned two supervisors who will provide expert academic guidance on your chosen research topic. You will meet regularly to discuss your progress and research plans, as well as drafts of your thesis/dissertation chapters, conference papers and potential articles.

In addition to individual supervision, all our Masters by Research students pursue an individually tailored programme of research and professional skills training agreed with their supervisors.

Facilities

Our building offers you exceptional, modern facilities, resources and study spaces, in a stunning location.

Our postgraduate students have access to:

a dedicated study and computing lab with printing, copying and scanning facilities, overlooking the Meadows, one of the city’s best-loved green spaces
two research rooms, shared with undergraduates, housing some of our impressive book collections and a small selection of computing facilities
a large common room overlooking the Meadows, shared by graduate students and staff
a number of small-scale teaching rooms, well-equipped with facilities such as data projection and smart boards
exhibition areas, filled with artefacts and artwork from our collections

All of our facilities are in addition to the multiple libraries and computer labs provided across the University’s estate. Many of our rooms overlook the Meadows.

Our location, right in the heart of Edinburgh, means you will be based close to the city’s cultural attractions and facilities, including a wealth of libraries, archives, museums and galleries, which provide uniquely rich support for the disciplines we teach.

Career opportunities

Our students view the programme and a graduate degree from Edinburgh as an advanced qualification valued and respected by many employers. Others are interested in pursuing long-term academic careers and therefore consider the MSc as preparation for a PhD.

The programme provides a toolkit of transferable skills in organisation, research and analysis that will be highly prized in any field of work.

This programme can form the stepping stone to many career options, such as:

further academic research
law
museum and art curation
literary translation or analysis
education
public heritage

Recent graduates in Classics are now putting their skills to use as:

tutors
archivists
writers
editors
civil servants

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2023/24 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2024/25 academic year will be published on 2 October 2023.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, a minimum US 3.25 GPA or international equivalent, in a subject related to your programme.

Relevant experience, or professional or other qualifications will also be considered.

You must submit a research proposal demonstrating your knowledge of your field of research, which will be closely scrutinised as part of the decision-making process. Guidance on writing a research proposal can be found online:

Guidance on writing a research proposal

Two supervisors (sometimes more) will be appointed to work with you on the project. You must contact a prospective primary supervisor before applying: they will be required to provide a brief statement of provisional support, which should be included with your documents. This statement of support is provisional, pending assessment of your application and your performance at an interview. Details of members of staff at HCA can be found online:

HCA staff

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component.
TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements: