Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)

About the programme

You may specialise in one of four specialisations:

• Assyriology: : gives you the opportunity to explore the rich history of ancient Mesopotamia alongside top researchers in the field.
• Classics: ranks among the best programs in the world, with teachers who will expose you to innovative research on ancient Greek and Latin literature, ancient history and philosophy.
• Egyptology: a highly rated programme, in  which you will develop your expertise in Ancient Egypt.
• Hebrew and Aramaic Studies: where you will study Classical Hebrew and Aramaic through their 3000-year history.

Compulsory seminar

The students of all specializations participate in the MA Classics and Ancient Civilizations Seminar. This seminar provides you with the academic skills that you will need for writing your papers and MA Thesis. It also prepares you for the job market, through meetings with alumni and career advisors. Finally, teams of students will set up a small-scale research project, in order to explore the intercultural connections between ancient civilizations.

Casper de Jonge

Professor of Greek Language and Literature

"At the Classics and Ancient Civilizations programme, we like to approach the ancient world from many different perspectives. We combine literature with linguistics, archaeology, history, religion and many other disciplines. The seminars are very closely connected with the ongoing research of professors and lecturers at Leiden University. Moreover, we have a very lively and vibrant research community, with many workshops, lectures and social events."

Latest Research

The seminars reflect the latest research on Classics and Ancient Civilizations: you will be taught by scholars who introduce you to their research. External lecturers are regularly invited to teach on specialized topics. There are two lecture series, where scholars from abroad as well as local researchers present their latest results: Forum Antiquum and the Ancient World Lunch Talks. The academically-rigorous design of the programme aims to develop in you essential skills in reasoning and critical thinking, as well as advanced abilities in independently conducting high-quality scientific research and developing this data into an academic dissertation.

Detailed programme

For a detailed programme, please see the Prospectus. Please note that this guide applies to the current academic year, which means that the curriculum for next year may slightly differ.