Visual and Material Culture of Ancient Greece (Taught)

Warwick's Classics and Ancient History Department have expertly designed this MA to focus on the history and material culture of Ancient Greece. With one module taught by the British School at Athens, you will go to Athens or Crete in the late spring/early summer.

Course overview
Our Visual and Material Culture of Ancient Greece MA course provides a thorough preparation in research techniques if you are considering further research in the fields of art, numismatics or epigraphy, or are working on an historical topic that involves the consideration of material evidence. It will also provide a detailed understanding of ancient visual and material culture to prepare you if you are aiming to enter a career in museums and curatorial work, or in education.

For the Visual and Material Culture of Ancient Greece course, one module is taught by the British School, Athens. It focuses on a different skill set for handling Ancient Greek material culture from year to year. Please note admission is subject to the discretion of the British Schools and cannot be guaranteed by Warwick.

Skills from this degree
The degree is designed to introduce you to major issues in the study of ancient material culture, and to key methodologies and approaches. It will help to develop your intellectual skills in the following areas:

• Ability to select and respond to particular methodological approaches when dealing with material culture

• Understanding of the ways in which material culture has been studied since antiquity

• Ability to present a structured chain of argument drawing together evidence into a cohesive whole

• Ability to select and apply appropriate problem-solving methodologies

• Ability to conduct independent research and analysis

It will also help to develop the following key transferable skills:

• Written and oral communication skills

• Organisational skills

• Ability to evaluate intellectual progress

• IT skills – word processing

This information is applicable for 2024 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply.

Core modules
Approaching Ancient Visual and Material Culture

This is the core module for the taught MA in Ancient Visual and Material Culture. It is designed to introduce you to the major issues in the study of ancient visual and material culture, and to key methodologies and approaches. This module provides a broad grounding in the interpretation of the various different aspects of ancient material culture, which can then be pursued further in the individual option modules.

Dissertation

Module at British School, Athens

A language module, either

Master's Language Training

As part of the taught element of the MA you will study an ancient or modern language for one of your four modules. This can be used either to further your skills in ancient Greek or Latin, or to develop the knowledge of a modern language which will be necessary for further research.

or

Advanced Ancient Language (optional core)

Optional modules
Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

• Art of the Ancient World
• Ancient Numismatics
• Classical Epigraphy

Subject to demand, the options above usually run each year.

It is also possible to take an approved module from other Departments across the Faculty.

Most modules (apart from language modules) are assessed by a 5,000-word essay on a topic of your choice, decided upon by negotiation with a member of academic staff. The dissertation will be a piece of work 15,000-20,000 words and built on the research carried out whilst on the programme.