Join our international postgraduate community and research anything from ancient history and archaeology, to philosophy, to rhetoric and the reception of ancient literature.
The Department is a vibrant and friendly environment in which to work and to meet other researchers. We run research showcases for our staff and students from all sub-disciplines to share current work in progress at several points in the academic year, which offer an opportunity to speak about current research challenges and achievements.
A series of Postgraduate Training workshops offered through the School of Humanities includes career-oriented sessions, general training on skills and methods, preparing for upgrades and vivas, and advice on publishing in a variety of contexts. Our Research Centres (COR & CRGR) provide specialised seminars and involve postgraduate students fully in their programmes of events. PhD students also benefit from access to a dedicated workspace on campus.
Our postgraduates are also part of the wider University of London research culture, especially through the Institute of Classical Studies in Senate House with its unrivalled library facilities and seminar programme. Other research facilities in London include The British Library and the Warburg Institute for the study of the Classical Tradition, as well as opportunities for collaboration and exchange of ideas with classicists in the other London University departments at UCL, KCL, and Birkbeck.
Further afield, our postgraduates take part in many national and international conferences. Royal Holloway students have recently taken key roles in the organisation of AMPAL (the Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient Literature) and AMPRAW (the Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Reception of the Ancient World) and have given papers at conferences in (among other places) the Netherlands, Hungary, Greece and South Africa.
Research Programmes
Rhetoric (MRes) - Classical Reception (MRes) - Classics (PhD)
We offer two MA research programmes: MRes in Rhetoric and MRes in Classical Reception by Research.
Our MRes programmes celebrate the research that is at the core of the classics department at Royal Holloway, and offer unique training in our areas of research specialism.
We offer two 'in house' research masters, taught through our research centres, The Centre for Oratory and Rhetoric and the Centre for the Reception of Greece and Rome.
These programmes provide you with the opportunity to get to grips with subjects that really interest you through individual supervision from internationally-recognised expert researchers. Our MRes students also have access to our own library resources and are within easy reach of the University of London central library, the Institute of Classical Studiesand the British Library.
We accept both full-time and part-time students onto our MRes programmes.
My research Masters gave me the opportunity to develop my skills and focus on what interested me. I was then able to make an informed career choice and show potential employers I had the skills they were looking for.
Bhavini Tailor, 2014
We also offer a doctoral research programme in Classics.
How to apply
If you’re considering applying for research programme in our department, first see if there is a member of staff working in your area of interest, and get in touch with them to explore your project.
You can also contact Dr. Liz Gloyn (Liz.Gloyn@rhul.ac.uk), the department's Research Lead, to discuss who might be the best fit for supervising your project, and to ask any other questions you might have about studying for your PhD with us. Enquiries from prospective applicants are welcome at any time of year.
