Major Overview

Description

Classics and Ancient History is the study of the languages, literature, history, art and archaeology of the ancient Greek and Roman civilisations. These two cultures lie at the very foundation of the modern world, and we are surrounded by their legacy: from the Olympic Games to the alphabet, from democracy to Christianity, from theatre to the rule of law—wherever we turn we find ourselves in their debt. These uncannily familiar Greeks and the Romans struggled with many of the same crucial issues as we do: globalisation, the 'clash of civilisations' and the decline of great powers. This exciting major lets you combine the languages with the history and archaeology of the classical world to give you a holistic picture of this vibrant and eternally relevant era. UWA is the only university in Western Australia where you can study this intriguing major.

Outcomes

Students are able to:

  1. describe the chief eras, achievements and enduring legacies of the classical world
  2. assess various forms (written and material) of evidence used to study the classical world, and synthesise such diverse evidence
  3. demonstrate in several areas of specialised study a sophisticated appreciation of, and a basic command of research practice into, specific eras, methodologies, or classical authors
  4. demonstrate a basic understanding of at least one of the classical languages.
Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Courses

Classics and Ancient History can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Example Study Plan

See study plans for more information.

Units

Key to availability of units:
S1
Semester 1
S2
Semester 2
N/A
not available in 2026 – may be available in 2027 or 2028

Students are required to take one language unit at level 1 to complete the major, either CLAN1101 or CLAN1201 plus one other unit.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units

Take units to the value of 12 points from this group.

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 CLAN1001 Myths of the Greeks and Romans: Story, History and Reinvention
Incompatibility
CLAH1111 Myth: from Creation to Death
S2 CLAN1002 Glory and Grandeur: An Introduction to the Ancient World
Incompatibility
CLAH1103 Glory and Grandeur
S2 CLAN1101 Latin 1
Incompatibility
LATN1151 Beginners' Latin I
S1 CLAN1201 Greek 1: An Introduction to Ancient Greek
Incompatibility
Successful completion of
CLAN2201 Greek 1

Level 2

Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 CLAN2001 The Golden Age of Athens
Prerequisites
any Level 1 CLAN unit
Incompatibility
CLAH2202 Age of Thucydides
S2 CLAN2002 Power and Politics in the Roman Empire: 44 BC-AD 68
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
any level 1 6 points Unit(s) MJD-CLANH Classics and Ancient History
S1 CLAN2102 Latin 2
Prerequisites
CLAN1101 Latin 1
or LATN1151 Beginners' Latin I
Incompatibility
LATN2201 Intermediate Latin I
S2 CLAN2103 Latin 3
Prerequisites
CLAN2102 Latin 2
or LATN2201 Intermediate Latin 1
Incompatibility
LATN2202 Intermediate Latin II
S2 CLAN2202 Greek 2
Prerequisites
Successful completion of
CLAN2201 Greek 1
or CLAN1201 Introduction to Greek 1
Incompatibility
GREE2201 Intermediate Greek I

Level 3

Degree-specific major units

Take unit(s) to the value of 24 points:

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 CLAN3002 The Emergence of Greece
Prerequisites
any Level 2 CLAN unit
Incompatibility
CLAH2201 Emergence of Greece
N/A CLAN3004 Alexander the Great
Prerequisites
any Level 2 CLAN unit
Incompatibility
CLAH2212 Age of Alexander the Great
S2 CLAN3006 The Roman Revolution
Prerequisites
any Level 2 CLAN unit
Incompatibility
CLAH2222 The Foundation of the Roman Empire
N/A CLAN3008 Roman Britain
Prerequisites
any Level 2 CLAN unit
or ARCY unit (except ARCY2005 Rock Art Field Unit)
Incompatibility
CLAH2232 Roman Britain
S2 CLAN3009 Religion, Society and the Divine from Augustus to Muhammad
Prerequisites
any Unit(s) from CLAN
or HIST
N/A CLAN3010 Greece Without Borders: The Hellenistic World
Prerequisites
Any level 2 CLAN unit
S1 CLAN3011 Sex, Gender, and the Body in the Greco-Roman World
Prerequisites
Any Level 2 CLAN, HIST
or GEND unit
N/A CLAN3012 Classical Receptions: Greco-Roman Culture After Antiquity
Prerequisites
Any level-2 unit from CLAN, HIST, ENGL,
or EURO.
S1 CLAN3104 Latin 4
Prerequisites
CLAN2103 Latin 3
or LATN2202 Intermediate Latin II
Incompatibility
LATN3301 Advanced Latin I
S1 CLAN3203 Greek 3
Prerequisites
CLAN2202 Greek 2
or GREE2201 Intermediate Greek I
Incompatibility
GREE2202 Intermediate Greek II
S2 CLAN3204 Greek 4
Prerequisites
CLAN3203 Greek 3
or GREE2202 Intermediate Greek II
Incompatibility
GREE3301 Advanced Greek I