Ancient Studies

The Ancient World and its heritage are the focal points within the programme of Ancient Studies. You learn to critically reflect upon processes of cultural interaction in Antiquity and beyond, with specific attention to the Mediterranean world and to the various ways in which its rich and innovative cultures have contributed to historical and cultural developments in later times. To study such processes, you are trained to use an interdisciplinary approach that combines various perspectives, theories, and methodologies. For this purpose, you acquire a thorough knowledge of the ancient world's cultural, historical, material, textual and philosophical aspects.

In the first year, you study the sources and cultural history of antiquity and their continued impact from both a disciplinary and an interdisciplinary perspective. In the second semester, there is time to get acquainted with the various options for specialization.

In the second and third year of the Ancient Studies programme, you specialize in one of the adjacent disciplines offered in Antiquity (Ancient History; Archaeology; Akkadian and Ancient Near Eastern Studies; Greek; Latin - the latter two only in the Dutch track). Thus you obtain sufficient in-depth knowledge in addition to your unique, interdisciplinary perspective. Furthermore, you choose a minor or take electives (30 EC). Finally, you write a thesis in which you study a subject related to Antiquity from an interdisciplinary perspective.

ACASA

The BA programme Ancient Studies is offered by the Amsterdam Centre for Ancient Studies and Archaeology (ACASA), the academic centre that brings together the expertise of UvA and VU in the fields of ancient studies, classics, and archaeology.