Was Odysseus a good leader? How rich were the Romans? Did the Greeks find their gods beautiful? And what can we learn from these questions about leadership, inequality and aesthetics in our own world?
Only when classicists, historians, archaeologists and other
scholars of the ancient world combine their expertise, can we come
to answers to these sorts of questions.
If you want to deepen and widen your knowledge of the ancient world
and to bring it to bear on today's challenges, Antiquity Now, the
Groningen MA in Classics and Ancient Civilizations, is what you are
looking for. This programme will teach you to capitalize on the
disciplinary expertise you obtained during your BA programme in an
interdisciplinary setting and to link your expertise of antiquity
to the contemporary world.
Thanks to the special tailoring of our courses, we can cater to
students with a background in Classics, Archeology, Ancient
History, and any other ancient disciplines.
The core of the programme consists of three research seminars. Each
seminar focuses on a particular theme (such as religion or
leadership) related to the ancient (mostly Greek and Roman) world.
You will work with a wide variety of evidence (e.g. literary texts,
inscriptions, archaeological remains, papyri) and different
methods, concepts and techniques (e.g. network analysis, critical
heritage). Each course links antiquity to today. We also offer
specific courses to help you apply your ancient expertise to
current-day challenges.
The capstone of the MA is the thesis, which centres on a research
topic of your choice and enables you to specialize in a specific
theme and/or period. You will get personal instruction from
academic specialists who see you and are keen to help you develop
your interests.
Our alumni have an eye for detail as well as the bigger picture.
Their deep knowledge of antiquity helps them to contextualize the
hypes of the day and their interdisciplinary mindset makes them
flexible and solution-oriented thinkers. They are sought-after
employees in many fields, including (secondary and higher)
education, the cultural sector, publishing, journalism and the
government.
The programme can be studied both in translation and, if students
have done Greek and Latin at least at BA-level, in the original
Greek and Latin as well. The latter is also the right option for
students who would like to become a high-school teacher in Greek
and Latin in The Netherlands; they can follow up this MA with the
one-year version of the educational MA (LVHO
Post Master).
Antiquity Now is a one-year MA programme taught in English and can
be studied full-time as well as part-time. Students wishing to
pursue an academic career may also be interested in the two-year Research
Master CMEMS, with the option to specialize in Classics and/or
Ancient History.
| Semesters | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoursesCourse Catalog > | 1a | 1b | 2a | 2b |
| Research seminar 1 (10 EC) e.g. Cult and Death in Roman Colonialism | ||||
| Research seminar 2 (10 EC) e.g. Aulus Gellius: diversity and classicism in the learned second century CE | ||||
| MA Thesis (15 EC) | ||||
| Thesis & methods (5 EC) | ||||
| Internship or professional practice courses (10 EC) | ||||
| Research seminar 3 (10 EC) e.g. Leaders and Commemoration in the Greek Cities Under Rome | ||||
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
|
| language test |
Language requirement for English: You must have completed this at VWO level (mark 6 or higher) or obtained one of the following English certificates:
TOEFL iBT tests taken after 21 January 2026 will use TOEFL's new 1 - 6 scoring system. |
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 15 August 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| Specific requirements | More information |
|---|---|
| previous education |
|
| language test |
Language requirement for English: You must have completed this at VWO level (mark 6 or higher) or obtained one of the following English certificates:
TOEFL iBT tests taken after 21 January 2026 will use TOEFL's new 1 - 6 scoring system. |
| Type of student | Deadline | Start course |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch students | 15 August 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| EU/EEA students | 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
| non-EU/EEA students | 01 May 2027 | 01 September 2027 |
After completing the MA Classics and Ancient Civilizations, you will have acquired not only a more thorough understanding of the ancient world, but also several transferable skills, such as thinking in a critical and problem-oriented way, processing large amounts of information, and presenting the outcomes with great clarity. This skill set is highly valued by employers in many different sectors.
Research and teaching are closely integrated in this programme. As you study for the MA you will be in close contact with current staff research. For details of that research see our research website.
