DPhil in Classical Languages and Literature
About the course
Both in Classical languages and literature, and in ancient history, the DPhil programme is a research degree intended to make it possible for the successful candidate to aspire to a career in research and teaching at university level anywhere in the world where the Classical subjects are studied.
The DPhil takes the form of the composition of a substantial dissertation, of up to 100,000 words, based on new research on a subject of your choice.
The best dissertations are published, many in the Oxford University Press series of Classical monographs which exists for this purpose.
The vision of the DPhil as a necessary stage of an academic career, following on from master's-level education and preparing for postdoctoral work and beyond, is reflected in five other ways:
- Doctoral students are required to set the topics of their individual specialisation in a larger understanding of developments in the field across the world.
- They are encouraged to pursue a diversity of scholarly interests while working on their doctoral dissertation, so as to start building a larger portfolio of specialities. They may produce articles or review books in areas somewhat different from that of their dissertation, and towards the end of their doctoral work may begin to contemplate a postdoctoral project.
- The Classics Faculty assists doctoral students in continuing to develop necessary research skills, and acquiring or improving knowledge of relevant ancient and modern languages. Competence in Latin and/or Greek is an admission requirement.
- Doctoral students can be trained and given experience (with mentoring) in undergraduate teaching of several different kinds, eg class, lecture, tutorial.
- There are other structures, within the Classics Faculty, the Humanities Division and the wider University, to help with career-development and with academic placement.
Finally, it is fully recognised that some students will choose not to pursue a professional career in Classics, and the structures mentioned in the points above are tailored to their needs too. The experience of the Classics DPhil programmes is intended to be personally fulfilling and intellectually enriching in itself, and the cognitive skills required are highly transferable to other walks of life.
Examples of recent DPhil thesis titles
- A Corpus Study of Formulaic Variation and Linguistic Productivity in Early Greek Epic (Supervisor: Professor P Probert)
- Lexical Innovation and Latin Philosophical Vocabulary: From Seneca to Boethius (Supervisor: Professor T Reinhardt)
- Catullus: Lyric Poet, Lyricist (Supervisors: Dr G Trimble and Professor L Tunbridge)
- Petrarch’s Letters to Classical Authors (Supervisors: Professor S Harrison and Professor M McLaughlin)
- Gottfried Hermann’s Laboratory: Meaning and Methods in Early Nineteenth-Century Scholarship (Supervisor: Professor C. Güthenke)
- The Multipartite Muse: Sectioned Composition in Hellenistic Long Poems (Supervisor: Professor G Hutchinson)
- Epicurus’ Human Beings – Beyond Person and Self (Supervisor: Professor T Reinhardt)
- The Reception of Homer in Modern Science Fiction Literature (Supervisor: Dr L Pitcher)
- Rulers in Greek Tragedy (Supervisor: Dr S Scullion)
- The Searched-for Thing: A Literary Approach to Four Early Alchemical Texts (Supervisors: Professor M Edwards and Professor G Hutchinson)
The faculty welcomes applications for part-time study on the DPhil. Part-time students are fully integrated into the research culture of the Classics Faculty and afforded all the same opportunities and support as full-time students.
As a part-time student you will be required to attend supervision meetings, seminars and other obligations in Oxford for a minimum of one day per week during Weeks 0 to 9 of each term, for a total of 30 days each year. Attendance outside of term time will be determined by mutual agreement with your supervisor. There will be limited flexibility in the dates and pattern of attendance.
This course would normally be conducted in person unless in exceptional circumstances.
Supervision
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of Classics and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Where the project demands it, a supervisor may be found outside the Faculty of Classics. Co-supervision is sometimes found a good arrangement for particular thesis subjects.
You will be appointed a supervisor or supervisors with relevant expertise, who will support you throughout your doctoral work, beginning with the formulation of the topic and ending with the final examination. You will typically have at least two meetings a term with your supervisor, although more frequent meetings can be arranged as needed.
Assessment
In most cases, you will initially be enrolled as a Probationary Research Student (PRS). You will normally apply to transfer status from PRS to full DPhil student in your third term. Transfer of status is assessed by two examiners on the basis of a sample of written work, a statement of your proposed research and a viva.
You will normally apply for confirmation of your DPhil status at the end of your second year. This is assessed by two examiners on the basis of a sample of written work, a detailed thesis plan and a viva. You will also be required to provide evidence of reading proficiency in German and one other language of scholarship (normally either French or Italian) in order to pass confirmation of status; the faculty organises dedicated classes on these languages.
If you are a part-time student, you will have twice as long to apply for both transfer and confirmation.
The degree is awarded on the basis of a thesis of up to 100,000 words based on original research; you are required to discuss the thesis at a viva with two examiners, normally one internal, one external.
Graduate destinations
When details on graduate destinations were last collected, the faculty found that an unusually high percentage of their successful DPhil students (56%) were in university teaching or research posts five years after finishing their doctorates. Others go into a variety of occupations, including teaching, publishing, administration, business and other professions.
Changes to this course and your supervision
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Entry requirements for entry in 2024-25
Proven and potential academic excellence
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a master's degree with scores at the same level as first-class or high upper second-class honours in a relevant subject; and
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in Classics or a similar course of academic study with substantial course components in the area of Classics.
If you apply whilst studying for a master's degree, these scores may be required as a condition of any offer made.
For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.7 out of 4.0.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
- Degree-level competence in at least one ancient language is a requirement for admission.
- Publications are not normally expected at this stage, but you should mention any publications that you have produced.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.5 | 7.0 |
TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 110 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced* | 191 | 185 |
| C2 Proficiency† | 191 | 185 |
*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application, including an official transcript and a CV/résumé. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews may be arranged for some doctoral applicants as part of the admissions process. Interviews can take place in person or via telephone or Skype if travel to Oxford would be inconvenient for the candidate.
How your application is assessed
Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements published under that heading.
References and supporting documents submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.
An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about how applications are assessed.
Shortlisting and selection
Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:
- socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of the University’s pilot selection procedure and for scholarships aimed at under-represented groups;
- country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
- protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.
Initiatives to improve access to graduate study
This course is taking part in a continuing pilot programme to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, in order to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly.
For this course, socio-economic data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process. Further information about how we use your socio-economic data can be found in our page about initiatives to improve access to graduate study.
Processing your data for shortlisting and selection
Information about processing special category data for the purposes of positive action and using your data to assess your eligibility for funding, can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.
Admissions panels and assessors
All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).
Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Resources
Oxford has academic resources which are among the most extensive in the world for classical languages and literature. The Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies offers various facilities for graduate students including many workstations, computing, printing and scanning facilities, a common room and a reading room. Seminar talks by visiting speakers and many other academic activities take place in the centre. It is also the base for the various research projects based in the faculty.
The faculty is fortunate in having two world-class research libraries close at hand, the Bodleian and the Bodleian Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library. The Bodleian Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library is an open-shelf lending library indispensable to anyone studying ancient history, archaeology and art; it is also extremely useful for those studying literature or philology.
In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework exercise, the faculty presented the largest number of academics in UK Classics (91). 52% of the submission was rated 4* (world-leading) and 32% 3* (internationally excellent), giving the faculty by far the highest quantity of 4* or 3* research in UK Classics.
Classics
The academic study of ancient Greek and Roman civilisation - thought, society, language, culture, literature, history, art - spans nearly two millennia (c. 1200 BC to AD 600), and is tightly interwoven with most branches of humanities.
Oxford administers classical studies in two broad segments, ancient history and classical archaeology in one, and Greek and Latin languages and literature in the other. But academically it is the crossovers and synergies between the cultures of the Greek and Roman worlds which form the core of the interests of the Classics Faculty, which also specialises in all the disciplines needed to comprehend these two worlds in their wider context in time and space: the study of language, inscriptions and papyri, of texts preserved in the medieval scribal continuum, of literary form, of material culture and field archaeology, the histories of landscape and of cognition, word and image, scholarship and performance, production, consumption and power, the reception of antiquity in subsequent periods. The crossovers and synergies also situate core Greek and Roman literature and culture in a wider world reaching from Mycenaean palaces to Egypt, Bactria or India.
The Art, Archaeology and Ancient World library, Bodleian libraries and the Ashmolean Museum are world-class resources for these studies. We have an unusually large and wide-ranging body of scholars and graduates; a packed and varied programme of seminars, and abundant informal interaction, make this an exciting and stimulating community in which to study Classics.
Funding
The University expects to be able to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2024-25. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships, if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.
For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.
Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:
Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.
Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the faculty's website.
Costs
Annual fees for entry in 2024-25
Full-time study
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £10,190 |
| Overseas | £30,790 |
Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.
Part-time study
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £5,095 |
| Overseas | £15,395 |
Further details about fee status eligibility can be found on the fee status webpage.
Information about course fees
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges.
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.
Continuation charges
Following the period of fee liability, you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.
Where can I find further information about fees?
The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees, including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability.
Additional information
Full-time study
There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.
Part-time study
Please note that you are required to attend in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year, and you may incur additional travel and accommodation expenses for this. Also, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur further additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.
Living costs
In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
For the 2024-25 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,345 and £1,955 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2024-25, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of around 5% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.
If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.
College preference
All graduate students at Oxford belong to a department or faculty and a college or hall (except those taking non-matriculated courses). If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. The Colleges section of this website provides information about the college system at Oxford, as well as factors you may wish to consider when deciding whether to express a college preference. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 45 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as Permanent Private Halls (PPHs).
For some courses, the department or faculty may have provided some additional advice below to help you to decide. Whatever you decide, it won’t affect how the academic department assesses your application and whether they decide to make you an offer. If your department makes you an offer of a place, you’re guaranteed a place at one of our colleges.
Full-time study
The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:
Part-time study
The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines in our Application Guide. If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students
If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission.
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
You do not need to make contact with the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.
However, if you have any questions about the course content, teaching, assessment or any other aspect of the course, you are welcome to get in touch via the contact details on this page. You are also free to approach potential supervisors and explain why you want to come and work in their particular field of study. Please keep in mind that prospective supervisors are not in a position to make decisions about admission. They can offer brief thoughts on research proposals, but extensive comment should not be expected. Supervisors are allocated by the Graduate Studies Committee; efforts are made to meet graduates’ wishes where possible.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You will not be asked to upload a separate document.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Proposed field and title of research project
Under the 'Field and title of research project' please enter your proposed field or area of research if this is known. If the department has advertised a specific research project that you would like to be considered for, please enter the project title here instead.
You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).
Proposed supervisor
If known, under 'Proposed supervisor name' enter the name of the academic(s) who you would like to supervise your research. Otherwise, leave this field blank.
Referees
Three overall, all of which should be academic
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
All references are expected to be academic; if you believe there is good reason for you to include one professional reference, please contact the Director of Graduate Studies before you apply.
Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, and motivation.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
Research proposal:
A maximum of 1,200 words
The research proposal should describe the proposed thesis topic in some detail, explain why it is important and worthwhile, situate it within the existing research in the area in question and provide a basic account of methodology as well as a provisional timetable.
The proposal should be written in English. The word count does not need to include any bibliography or brief footnotes.
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
This will be assessed for:
- your reasons for applying
- the coherence of the proposal
- the originality of any thesis project proposed
- evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study
- the ability to present a reasoned case in English
- commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course
- preliminary knowledge of research techniques.
Written work:
Two essays, a maximum of 2,000 words each
Academic essays or other writing samples from your most recent qualification, written in English, are required. Extracts of the requisite length from longer work are also permissible provided that these are clearly indicated (highlight extracts in yellow). Where necessary, a cover note may be attached to place an extract in a larger context. Two extracts from one longer piece are acceptable, though two separate pieces are more illuminating.
Work should be submitted in English; submissions in other languages may be permissible after consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, but at least one sample of written work should be in English and translated into or written in English by you.
The word count does not need to include any bibliography or brief footnotes.
If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.
This will be assessed for:
- understanding of problems in the area
- relevant use of primary evidence
- ability to construct and defend an argument
- powers of analysis and powers of expression
Surveys of published scholarship are less informative to assessors, although a judicious summary of a complex problem may be helpful.
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice. You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.