MA Classics - Focal Area Ancient History
The Department of Ancient History and Epigraphy offers you the ideal conditions for a comprehensive and in-depth study of ancient history in all its breadth.
The MA Classics preserves the strengths of specialized expertise in the classical studies of the ancient world – which are excellently represented in Heidelberg across the individual disciplines – and complements them with a multifaceted, interdisciplinary, and comparative approach to the cultures of ancient Greece, Rome, and adjacent regions. Students receive a sound education in their chosen focal area, which qualifies them for a doctorate, whilst at the same time developing a broad interdisciplinary perspective. This enables them to address complex research questions from multiple perspectives and with methodological rigour.
Each focal area pursues specific qualification objectives tailored to the degree programme. The modules offer in-depth study within specific disciplines and ensure eligibility for doctoral studies. The fundamental interdisciplinary approach is reflected in joint courses that transcend disciplinary boundaries.
Subject-specific learning objectives
Firstly, one of the unique opportunities here is the breadth of the curriculum, which covers the history of antiquity and the various scholarly apporaches to it in their entirety. Secondly, intensive source work and training in the basic sciences are particularly important to us in Heidelberg. Learning to work with ancient inscriptions in Greek and Latin, as well as papyri and coins in their original languages, therefore forms a central part of the programme. Research projects such as 'Attic Inscription at Delphi' or 'NumiScience' specifically involve advaned students, giving them the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities – combined with the online publication of the results – whilst gaining initial experience of working on a research project.
Among the major advantages of a Master's programme here in Heidelberg are the excellent student-to-staff ratio, with two professors and five academic staff members, and the opportunity to get to know fellow students in a focused setting through the Master's specific advanced seminars. Our department also organises regular excursions of up to two weeks' duration to various regions of the ancient world – most recently to Rome, Pompeii and Sicily – which provide students with the opportunity to experience the archaeology and topography of the ancient world first-hand, something essential for a comprehensive study of the subject.
The Heidelberg Center for Cultural Heritage offers further education opportunities for students interested in the preservation and communication of cultural heritage. Assyriology and Egyptology are also represented in Heidelberg with their own institutes, meaning that all regions and aspects of the ancient world can be studied in depth here in Heidelberg.
