Skip to ContentSkip to Navigation
Education Master's and PhD degree programmes Classics & Ancient Civilizations Classics
Header image Classics

Classics

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:

  • Latin literature (prior Latin needed)
  • Greek literature (prior Greek needed)
  • Classics and the modern world (prior Greek and/or Latin optional)
  • Language acquisition and consolidation
  • Educational MA (prior Greek and Latin needed)

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).

Sign up now for the Master's Week from 18-22 November!
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?
  • Ability to specialise
  • Integration of literature, languages, history
  • Particular expertise in Greek literature of the Classical and Hellenistic period, Latin poetry of the early Empire, Latin republican rhetoric, Late Antique literature, reception studies, literature in its spatial and socio-cultural context, cognitive humanities, Greek linguistics, Greek religionFriendly, relatively small community
  • Internationally oriented research climate
  • Excellent teaching: two staff members elected Lecturer of the Year
  • Vibrant, international university city
Programme

All students write a thesis on a topic related to Greek or Latin literature and its reception, supported by a thesis and methods course. They also follow an interdisciplinary course in translation, on the interface of literary studies with ancient history or classical archaeology. Recent examples include: Landscape and Memory, and Text, Language and Religion.

Beyond this, they are free to choose from a wide range of courses at Groningen itself or taught within the Masterlanguage programme of Dutch universities. The offering typically includes

  • two courses on Latin subjects. Recent topics include: Exemplarity in Roman Imperial Literature, Ethno-biography, Late Antique Latin Poetry
  • two courses on Greek subjects. Recent topics include: Tragic Women, Ecphrasis and the Visual Imagination, Friendship in Ancient Literature
  • a course on the interaction of ancient and modern literature (in translation), e.g. Tragedy from Ancient Greece to the Present (2023-2024)
  • Beginners' Latin
  • Beginners' Greek
  • two research seminars in Ancient History
  • further courses on Latin and Greek literature (Masterlanguage)
  • courses on Latin and on Greek epigraphy (Masterlanguage)
  • courses abroad at the Royal Netherlands Institute in Rome and the Netherlands Institute at Athens
  • courses in archaeology, religion, and other relevant areas.
Semesters
CoursesCourse Catalog >1a1b2a2b
Master placement (10 EC, optional)
Thesis & methods course (5 EC)
Interdisciplinary course (5 EC)
Ancient history research seminar (10 EC, optional)
Beginners' Greek (10 EC, optional)
Beginners' Latin (10 EC, optional)
Commentary course: Aristophanes and Plautus (10 EC)
Thematic course Greek (10 EC, optional)
Thematic course Latin (10 EC, optional)
Greek Epigraphy (Masterlanguage) (5 EC, optional)
Latin literature (Masterlanguage) (5 EC, optional)
Tutorial Greek epigraphy (historical or literary) (5 EC, optional)
Tutorial Latin epigraphy (historical or literary) (5 EC, optional)
Greek literature (Masterlanguage) (5 EC, optional)
Latin epigraphy (Masterlanguage) (5 EC, optional)
Tutorial Greek epigraphy (historical or literary) (5 EC, optional)
Tutorial Latin epigraphy (historical or literary) (5 EC, optional)
Ancient history research seminar 2 (10 EC, optional)
Interaction ancient and modern literature (10 EC, optional)
Interdisciplinary research seminar (Faculty courses) (10 EC, optional)
Master's Thesis (15 EC)
Power and Cult in the Hellenistic World (Research Seminar Ancient History) (10 EC, optional)
Research seminar Greek (10 EC, optional)
Research seminar Latin (10 EC, optional)
Tutorial Greek epigraphy (historical or literary) (5 EC, optional)
Tutorial Latin epigraphy (historical or literary) (5 EC, optional)

Curriculum

In addition to the range of course units provided by this track itself, students can also follow Masterlanguage courses. Masterlanguage is a national programme that offers courses for students of European languages, but also of Greek and Latin. The courses are jointly organized by lecturers from Radboud University, the University of Groningen, Leiden University, Utrecht University, the University of Amsterdam and VU University Amsterdam. More information about the courses, entry requirements and registration can be found on the Masterlanguage website: https://masterlanguage.nl/nl/. You may follow Masterlanguage courses in consultation with the Board of Examiners of your Master's degree programme.

You can also choose to do a placement. Such placements offer students the opportunity to gain work experience and orientation in the labor market. You can do a placement at an institution, organization or company in the Netherlands or abroad, e.g. a museum, a library, or a research school. It would be your responsibility to find a placement yourself, but the Office for Student Affairs can offer help where necessary.

Programme options
Latin Literature (specialization)

You will follow your own interests in putting together their programme. A mentor will help you in making your choices. You can choose to keep your programme broad, or select one of the specialisations

Students enter the programme with BA-level Latin. They specialise in Latin literature by taking two Latin literature courses as well as writing a thesis on a Latin literature topic. They also take the interdisciplinary course. They can fill out their programme by studying, for example, Roman history or archaeology, learning Greek from scratch (if they do not know Greek already), or taking one of various other relevant courses, including those taught at KNIR.

Greek Literature (specialization)

You will follow your own interests in putting together their programme. A mentor will help you in making your choices. You can choose to keep your programme broad, or select one of the specialisations

Students enter the programme with BA-level Greek. They specialise in Greek literature by taking two Greek literature courses as well as writing a thesis on a Greek literature topic. They also take the interdisciplinary course. They can fill out their programme by studying, for example, Greek history or archaeology, learning Latin from scratch (if they do not know Latin already), or taking one of various other relevant courses, including those taught at NIA. The Greek epigraphy course, taught at the NIA, as well as the epigraphy tutorial that follows, permit work on literary inscriptions of the student's choice.

Language consolidation (specialization)

You will follow your own interests in putting together their programme. A mentor will help you in making your choices. You can choose to keep your programme broad, or select one of the specialisations

Students whose Bachelor programme only had limited emphasis on language-learning, and who perhaps wish to prepare themselves for future PhD applications, can focus on reading texts in the original and strengthening their language. They may choose in particular from the various Greek and Latin literature and epigraphy courses. If necessary, they can choose to learn one of the languages from scratch.

Classics and the modern world (specialization)

You will follow your own interests in putting together their programme. A mentor will help you in making your choices. You can choose to keep your programme broad, or select one of the specialisations

Students write their thesis on a reception topic and take the ancient & modern literature course (in 2023-24 Tragedy from Ancient Greece to the Present). Depending on their interests and the availability of teaching staff with relevant expertise, they may also take reception-focused tutorials in conjunction with some of the literature and ancient history courses. Further options include: a placement in a museum or organization, courses from modern-focused MA programmes, Greek or Latin for Beginners. as potentially courses from the Literary Studies MA.

Educational specialisation (specialization)

You will follow your own interests in putting together their programme. A mentor will help you in making your choices. You can choose to keep your programme broad, or select one of the specialisations

Students who after the MA wish to continue with a teacher's training programme will choose at least one Greek ánd one Latin literature course in the original. Together with the thesis, thesis & methods course and the interdisciplinary course these courses are mandatory for admission to the teacher's training programme

More information about this option

Study abroad

  • Study abroad is optional

Contact for more information on studying abroad: study advisor drs. R.P. van der Borg (studieadviseur.gltc rug.nl).

Entry requirements

Transfer options

Transferring from...

Study programmeOrganizationTransition
Classics (part-time)All Research universitiesNo additional requirements
ArchaeologyAll Research universitiesNo additional requirements
History (part-time)All Research universitiesNo additional requirements
Study programmeOrganizationTransition
Classical StudiesUniversity of GroningenNo additional requirements
ArchaeologyUniversity of GroningenNo additional requirements
History (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.

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.

Information ScienceUniversity 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.

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.

Media StudiesUniversity 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.

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.

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.

other admission requirements

Prior knowledge of Greek and/or Latin is not a requirement since we offer courses both in the original and in translation, as well as language acquisition courses. However, for students wishing to pursue the Educational Specialisation to become school teachers in the Netherlands, there are mandatory courses that are only open to students who in the opinion of the Board of Examiners have sufficient command of Greek and Latin. Students with a Dutch Bachelor's Degree in Classical Studies satisfy this condition.

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.

other admission requirements

Prior knowledge of Greek and/or Latin is not a requirement since we offer courses both in the original and in translation, as well as language acquisition courses. However, for students wishing to pursue the Educational Specialisation to become school teachers in the Netherlands, there are mandatory courses that are only open to students who in the opinion of the Board of Examiners have sufficient command of Greek and Latin. Students with a Dutch Bachelor's Degree in Classical Studies satisfy this condition.

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

As a graduate, there are many career options open to you. If you wish to apply your knowledge of the ancient world and its research, you may work in an academic library or in museums.

Following this one-year also does not exclude the option of becoming a teacher of Classics in secondary school; 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).

The skill set of a classicist is highly valued elsewhere, too. Typically, our graduates have a keen sense of language, good writing skills, a critical and analytical mind; having been trained to overview an ancient society in its many aspects, you will be able to reflect on culture and society. You can therefore also work in journalism, the cultural sector, publishing or the civil service.

Job examples

  • Publisher
  • Staff member in a museum or (academic) library
  • Journalist
  • Communications consultant
  • Government employee
Research

Research and teaching are closely integrated in this programme. As you study for the MA you will be in close contact with current staff research. For details of that research see our research website.

Apply nowBrochureEventsContact
Master's Weekdiverse locatiesMore information

Contact

You learn on your own to analyse critically, research literature properly and set up your own research.

Why this Master?


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.

Freedom and independence


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!

Read more

As long as I'm working with languages, cultures and/or in education, I'll be happy

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!

Read more

Research Master

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

Read more

Study associations

Boreas

Boréas is the study association of the bachelor Greek and Latin Language and Culture and the associated master programs in Groningen.
Boréas organizes several annual events for its members including an introduction camp and a Christmas dinner. Besides leisure activities, Boréas also organizes study related activities such as lectures and excursions.
https://www.boreasgroningen.nl
Read more
Study support

If you have any questions or doubts about your studies, you can always contact the study advisor. He or she knows all the ins and outs of the program and personal planning. Study advisors are impartial and everything that is discussed is treated confidentially. They can also help you find the right institutions and student desks for your problems.