Classics
As Dr Jerry Toner, Director of Studies, says: “Churchill is a modern, informal, and friendly place, and our approach to Classics is the same. We have a great library, we’re a short bike-ride from the Classics Faculty, and the Classics students and tutors work as a close-knit team. You’ll find the culture supportive and helpful. You’ll always be pushed to dig deeper into whatever areas interest you most.” Classics tries to understand the writings, thoughts and culture of Greece and Rome, which have been so influential in the creation of the modern world. It’s a broad and exciting subject that looks at many different areas, including literature, history, archaeology, art history, philosophy, and linguistics.
Entry Requirements
Course-specific information, including the University’s minimum offer level, can be found by selecting your course from the University’s Course List then looking at the “Entry Requirements” tab. The University’s Entrance Requirements and International Entry Requirements webpages may contain guidance relevant to you too.
At Churchill, we want to admit undergraduates who will thrive during their time here, so – in their interests – we tend to set conditional offers in line with the typical attainment of Cambridge entrants, by course. On average, this allows us to make a relatively generous number of offers per place, but it also means that our requirements are usually a little more rigorous than the University’s minimum offer level.
You can learn more about the academic profiles of Churchill entrants and our approach to setting conditional offers on our undergraduate applications page.
Admissions assessment
All Classics applicants are required to take an assessment after shortlisting for interview. There’s more information on and linked from the University’s Admissions Assessments webpage.
Interview
The role of academic interviews in Churchill’s admissions process is explained on our interviews page. You don’t need to do any special preparation before meeting us. If you’ve studied Latin or Greek, you might be asked to translate a short passage, suitable for your level. You’re likely to be asked some questions about your schoolwork, the work you’ve submitted, and your personal statement.
Director of Studies
Dr Jerry Toner
Studying Classics at Churchill College
You don’t need to have studied Latin or Greek to take Classics at Cambridge because the Faculty has several different degree programs depending on your experience. Some students have done lots of languages, others have none. What matters is that you are fascinated by the incredibly rich worlds of antiquity.
You’ll start by focusing on the languages and the core literature, but as you progress you’ll be really encouraged to pursue what interests you the most. By the final year you’ll be free to choose subjects ranging from the Late Roman empire and ancient Idols to the Aeneid and the art of collecting.
Full course details are provided on the Faculty’s Prospective Undergraduates webpage and the University’s Undergraduate Study webpage.
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