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Education Master's and PhD degree programmes Classics & Ancient Civilizations Ancient History
Header image Ancient History

Ancient History

How did colonisation shape ancient states? What was the role of gods and their temples in identity formation? How unequal were ancient societies? What was the social significance of sport in the ancient world?

These are the types of questions that lie at the core of the Ancient History track of the MA Classics and Ancient Civilizations. The emphasis of the programme is on political, economic, and religious connectivities within the Mediterranean world, from the Classical Greek world to the fall of the western Roman Empire (roughly 500 BCE to 500 CE).

This one-year programme offers you the opportunity to study the ancient world at an advanced level, working with a wide variety of historical evidence (e.g. literary texts, inscriptions, archaeological remains, papyri). During your studies you will also become acquainted with several different theoretical approaches and methodologies (e.g. deep mapping, network analysis).

This Master's track is taught in English and can be studied full-time as well as part-time. For more information about the Ancient History department in Groningen, see our website. If you aspire a career in research, you may be interested in the two-year Research Master's.

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Facts & Figures
Degree
MA in Classics & Ancient Civilizations
Course type
Master
Duration
12 months (60 ECTS)
Croho code
60821
Language of instruction
English
Start
September
Faculty
Arts
Why study this programme in Groningen?
  • An academic humanities degree that allows for a deep dive into Ancient History but also pays attention to the contemporary societal relevance of history.
  • A unique emphasis on the practical application of historical knowledge and methodologies, with a particular focus on interdisciplinarity.
  • You have access to the resources of a large research university but with the benefits of studying in a relatively small department: class sizes are small and we are a personable, friendly community.
  • An internationally oriented and active research environment: all our staff are experts in their subjects and we organise and host regular research seminars, workshops and conferences.
  • Flexibility in the programme: with a range of electives you can design your programme to meet your ambitions and interests.
  • A vibrant, international research university: the ideal environment to share ideas, gain new perspectives and meet like-minded individuals.
Programme
The core of the Ancient History programme consists of two advanced research seminars. One of these seminars focuses on Ancient Greek history and one on Roman history. Each year, one of these courses includes an excursion to either Greece or Italy, encouraging learning through immersion in the material remnants of the ancient past.

The core programme is supplemented by a course on the interface of Ancient History with Classical languages as well as a range of optional modules, e.g. on Greek and Latin language or Epigraphy. Other elective modules allow you to engage with disciplines such as Archaeology, Religious Studies or the study of other historical periods. These courses make the programme expressly interdisciplinary.

All students conclude the programme by writing a thesis on a topic of Ancient History, supported by a supervisor and a thesis writing course.

Semesters
CoursesCourse Catalog >1a1b2a2b
Interdisciplinary introductory course (5 EC)
Greek or Latin Language for Research (10 EC, optional)
Research Seminar Greek or Latin Language (10 EC, optional)
Research Seminar on a Greek or Roman topic (10 EC)
Master's Workplacement Classics (10 EC, optional)
Research seminars in other fields (10 EC, optional)
Greek epigraphy NB intensive short course via Masterlanguage.nl including excusion to Athens (5 EC, optional)
Latin epigraphy NB intensive short course via Masterlanguage.nl, including excusion to Rome (5 EC, optional)
Ma-thesis Classics and Ancient Civilizations (15 EC)
Research Seminar on a Greek or Roman topic, including an excursion to Greece/Italy (10 EC)
Thesis & Methods (5 EC)
Programme options
Master's Placement (specialization)

This Master's track includes an optional work placement for which you are awarded ECTS credit points.

It is your responsibility to find a placement yourself, but the Office for Student Affairs can offer help with this where necessary.

Study abroad

  • Study abroad is optional
Entry requirements

Transfer options

Transferring from...

Study programmeOrganizationTransition
ArchaeologyAll Research universitiesNo additional requirements
History (part-time)All Research universitiesNo additional requirements
Classics (part-time)All Research universitiesNo additional requirements
Study programmeOrganizationTransition
ArchaeologyUniversity of GroningenNo additional requirements
History (part-time)University of GroningenNo additional requirements
Classics (part-time)University of GroningenNo additional requirements
American StudiesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

Communication and Information StudiesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

Arts, Culture and MediaUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

Art HistoryUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

Information ScienceUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

English Language and CultureUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

European Languages and CulturesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

Media StudiesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

Dutch Language and CultureUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

Middle Eastern StudiesUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

Minorities & MultilingualismUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

LinguisticsUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

International Relations and International OrganizationUniversity of Groningen

Additional requirements

More information:

With a Pre-Master/ Minor (30 ECTS) in Classics and Ancient Civilization.

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Student with a Bachelor's degree in Classics, Archaeology, History or other relevant programme from a Research University are directly admissible to this Master's programme. Knowledge of Classical languages is not required (but we doo offer optional courses in beginners' Latin and Greek). Students with a different Bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Groningen, who have completed the Pre-Master/ Minor Classics and Ancient Civilization (30 ECTS) are also admissible to the Master's track. Students who wish to transfer from other programmes may apply if they have taken c. 30 ECTS in relevant courses. It is also possible to gain entry via a pre-Masters' trajectory.

language test

Additional requirements English: A VWO diploma or a subject certificate for VWO English (mark 6 or higher), minimum requirement of TOEFL iBT 90 (with a minimum of 21 on all items), or IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 on all items). Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a minimum score of 180.

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students15 August 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025

Admission requirements

Specific requirementsMore information
previous education

Student with a Bachelor's degree in Classics, Archaeology or History from a Research University are directly admissible to this Master's programme. Students with a different Bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Groningen, who have completed the pre-Master/ Minor Classics and Ancient Civilization (30 ECTS) are also admissible to the Master's track.

language test

Additional requirements English: A VWO diploma or a subject certificate for VWO English (mark 6 or higher), minimum requirement of TOEFL iBT 90 (with a minimum of 21 on all items), or IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 on all items). Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency with a minimum score of 180.

Application deadlines

Type of studentDeadlineStart course
Dutch students15 August 202501 September 2025
EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
non-EU/EEA students01 May 202501 September 2025
Tuition fees
NationalityYearFeeProgramme form
EU/EEA2024-2025€ 2530full-time
non-EU/EEA2024-2025€ 18700full-time

Practical information for:

After your studies

Job prospects

After completing the Master's track, you will have acquired not only a more thorough understanding of the ancient world, but also several transferable skills, such as thinking in a critical and problem-oriented way or processing large amounts of information and presenting the outcomes with great clarity. This skill set is highly valued by employers in many different sectors. Our graduates have found work in journalism, editing and publishing, politics, governmental organisations, or business. Those who preferred to apply their knowledge of the ancient world more directly, have found employment in e.g. a museum or academic library.

Following this one-year MA programme also leaves open the option of becoming a secondary-school teacher. You can obtain a qualification by following the one-year postmaster LHVO at the college of education (NB this postmaster requires a minimum level of proficiency in Dutch: NT2 programme II).

Job examples

  • Historical Researcher
  • Policy Officer
  • Educator
  • Project Manager
  • Lecturer at a University (of applied sciences)
  • Editor or Publisher
Research

Research in the Ancient History department in Groningen focuses on the connectivities of the Mediterranean world, from the Classical Greek world to the Late Roman empire. We have expertise in interdisciplinary approaches that combine written and material sources (including inscriptions) and innovative methods (network analysis, agent-based modelling).

All of our staff are active researchers involved in various projects. Onno van Nijf and Christina Williamson directed the project Connecting the Greeks on the development of festival networks in the Hellenistic world (see also their online database Connected Contests with information on the careers of the most important athletes of antiquity). On her website Deep Mapping Sanctuaries , Christina uses the new method of deep mapping to produce ‘spatial narratives‘ of what festival sites meant to different people in Hellenistic and early Imperial Asia Minor. Jeremia Pelgrom works on the history of colonisation, co-directing projects on mapping the Via Appia and landscapes of early colonisation in Italy in the mid-Republican period. In her current project Rebecca Van Hove examines the role of writing and the function of written records in ancient Greek religion. Bart Danon works on several projects related to the socio-economic history of the Roman Empire, with a focus on inequality, slavery and urbanisation. Chris Dickenson is interested in public space, statues and monuments in Hellenistic and Roman Greece with a special focus on cultural heritage.

The department is a member of OIKOS , the National Research School in Classical Studies and participates in Anchoring Innovation , the large research agenda of OIKOS. Postdoctoral researcher Gavin Blasdel studies the language of emotions and gender in the imperial Greek city and Marlena Whiting works on the Christianization and Urban life in the Hellenized cities of the Southern Levant . Many of our PhD and MA students are also involved in the CRASIS Ancient World Seminar .

For more about the research of the Ancient History department at Groningen, see our research website or Facebook .
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Staff

See here for a list of all Ancient History staff members.


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NL Scholarships

The University of Groningen offers NL Scholarships to international students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who want to do their master’s in the Netherlands. Read more on the NL Scholarships and on how to apply.
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Study associations

Ubbo Emmius

Ubbo Emmius is the study association of the History department at the University of Groningen.
The association organizes a broad set of activities year-round. These can vary from social, study related, career or even activities that focus on all together. Not only this, but you can also get a nice discount on all your study books if you order them through us. The organization of the activities lies, for the main part, with the 17 committees that Ubbo has. There is for example the Career Committee, the Party Committee, the Travel Committee and the list goes on. All in all being a member of Ubbo is a great addition to your time as a student! For a full overview of who we are and what we do, you can take a look on our website or social media.
https://www.ubbo-emmius.nl/home
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