Postgraduate Studies
MPhil (Master of Philosophy) and
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
| Awards available: | MPhil or PhD |
| Study mode: | Full-time, part-time |
| Programme delivery: | Residential or distance or a mixture of both |
| Start dates: | October, January or April |
The degrees of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are awarded solely on the basis of the examination of a thesis, following a period of sustained research. In the case of an MPhil this is a dissertation of 50,000-60,000 words, a PhD thesis is 80,000 -100,000 words long. After one year of full-time or two years of part-time research towards an MPhil, a postgraduate student may submit an application for upgrading to PhD registration.
Both an MPhil and a PhD thesis must be judged to constitute an original contribution to learning and to give evidence of systematic study and of the ability to relate the results of such study to the general body of knowledge on the subject.
Recently completed theses and theses in progress include: ‘The Historical Development of Roman Religion in Pannonia from AD 9 to 285’; ‘Art, Morality, and Ethics: Philosophical Interpretations’; ‘The Formation of Athena in Greek Myth’; ‘The Jewish Benefaction System in Roman Palestine’; ‘Images of Argive Helen from Birth to Death’, ‘Krokos: the Greek Relationship with Saffron’.
For admission requirements, click here. If language is identified as a training need, then some language tuition may sometimes be provided free of charge as part of the degree.
A research topic must be chosen as part of the admissions procedure in conjunction with your proposed thesis supervisor, who will be allocated to you by the Department. The proposed supervisor will help you to formulate a topic which will fulfil the requirements for the degree and which is realistic and manageable within the required period.
Research students registered with the Department are assigned a team of supervisors, to direct their research and support students in their chosen field of study. Apart from the support offered by the supervisory team and access to University facilities, such as the Library and Computer Centre, the department provides full-time residential research students with a shared study room and computer facilities. Students are encouraged to take part in or present their research at departmental research seminars and participate in conferences organised by the Department.
Listed below are areas available for supervision within the Department:
| Ancient History | |
| Greek Economy | Errietta Bissa |
| Early Roman History | James Richardson |
| Late Roman Republic | TBC |
| Rome and the Hellenistic World | TBC |
| Roman social history | David Noy |
| Ancient Religions | |
| Jews in the Roman Empire | David Noy |
| Religion in the Roman Republic | James Richardson |
| Greek and Latin Literature | |
| Greek and Roman epic | Mirjam Plantinga |
| Hellenistic poetry | Mirjam Plantinga |
| Roman Historiography | James Richardson |
| Second Sophistic | Owen Hodkinson |
| Epistolary literature (esp. Greek) | Owen Hodkinson |
| Roman Elegy | Magdalena Öhrman |
Because of the concentration of research interests and also its involvement with KYKNOS, the Swansea, Lampeter, and Exeter Research Centre on the Narrative Literatures of the Ancient World, the Department particularly welcomes applications in the field of Narrative literature or Roman Republican history.
Those who are interested in applying are encouraged to get in touch with the Director of Postgraduate Studies, Dr. James Richardson, to discuss their research proposal before making a formal application. More information about staff research interests and their publications can be found here.