The Faculty of Classics at Cambridge seeks to admit the most intelligent and motivated applicants for its courses, whatever their background.
We offer two undergraduate courses — a three-year one for those with an A-level or equivalent in Latin, and a four-year one for those without. The two courses are equally rich and stimulating, reflecting the wide-ranging nature of the subject. Study of Latin and Greek language and literature is central to each, but on top of that you can choose from a range of aspects including ancient history, art and archaeology, linguistics, ancient philosophy, and modern responses to classical antiquity, to tailor your own curriculum. There are also a number of opportunities to travel for study trips or archaeological digs.
Please see the University prospectus online for general information about the Classics courses, or continue to our view our dedicated pages to the four-year and three-year degrees for more specific information. If you are interested in a degree which combines either Greek or Latin with a modern language, then you may be better suited to Cambridge’s Modern and Medieval Languages course.
In this section of the website you can also find answers to Frequently Asked Questions, a description of the types of tuition you would receive, and information about open days, essay competitions run for high-school students by Cambridge colleges, and other relevant events. We welcome applications from mature candidates (i.e. anyone who would be aged 21 or older on entry), and further information on this can be found here.
We understand that this might all sound a little stuffy and daunting, which is why we've put together a separate website which highlights the opinions and experiences of our current students, and which lists events happening in the Faculty of Classics. A central tenet of this website is the belief that Classics is not just about the past, it is about how the past influences the now and how you, perhaps, could be the future of the Classical discipline.
The University website offers further information on colleges, life at Cambridge, the application process, fees and funding, and university-wide open days and events.
Important information about admissions
All Classics applicants who are invited to interview are required to take a language assessment.
Candidates for the 3-year course who have passed, or are taking, A level Latin or the equivalent will be expected to take a language skills assessment interview focusing on Latin. This will form part of the programme of interviews organised by your chosen College.
Candidates for the 3-year course who do not have Latin A level or equivalent, but do have Greek, will similarly take a language skills assessment interview focusing on Greek.
If you are applying for the 4 year course, you will have a separate Language aptitude assessment interview.
Details and specimens of these can be found in the Classics Admissions Assessment Specification.
*References to the OCR Vocabulary lists in the Specification refer to the following:
To note: individual colleges may set additional tests to these. Do contact the Admissions Officer at your chosen college to see if this applies to you