Program Overview

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Classics by Distance Learning PhD

Research Overview

Enjoy the flexibility to follow your own research interests, supported by our expert staff. Our friendly research community will encourage you to develop your skills and expand your thinking. This could be through interdisciplinary research, contributing to research seminars, or organising conferences.

We offer a diverse range of expertise, spanning from ancient literature and ancient history, to the visual culture of Greek and Roman antiquity and the reception of the ancient world. Recent student research has included areas such as Dionysian Triumph Sarcophagi, The Female Portrait Statues of Aphrodisias, and Constructions of the Spartan body.

You are also welcome to join the activities and events of our research centres, some of which are available virtually:

• Centre for Ancient Drama and its Reception (CADRE)
• Institute for the Study of Slavery (ISOS)
• Centre for Spartan and Peloponnesian Studies (CSPS)
• Centre for Late Antique and Byzantine Studies (CLABS)

Hear from our Staff

"We are a department that’s small enough for everyone to know each other, but also big enough for there to be a vibrant community of students and scholars, and we do produce excellent research, as shown by our REF returns."

• Edmund Stewart, Assistant Professor in Ancient Greek History

Course Content

This course is mainly made up of independent study, with supervision meetings spread throughout the year. The PhD involves a minimum of two years full-time or four years part-time directed research within the university, although the usual period of study is three years full-time.

Because this is a Distance Learning programme, supervisions will take place online via Microsoft Teams.

At the end of the course, you will produce a dissertation (up to 100,000 words) in your chosen area of research. You will also take a verbal examination called a viva voce, where you discuss your project in depth with an examination panel.

As with your supervisions, your viva voce will ordinarily take place online via Microsoft Teams.

What is the Thesis Pending Period?

All periods of registration are followed by a period of writing-up (called the Thesis-Pending Period) when tuition fees are not paid and students are writing up their thesis.

Annual Review

All PhD students take part in annual review assessments to ensure that their project is progressing satisfactorily. An annual review usually consists of a writing sample and a written report.

For full-time students, the first year is probationary (first two years for part-time students), and the reviews for all three years of study involve a viva with an independent internal assessor.

Entry Requirements

All candidates are considered on an individual basis and we accept a broad range of qualifications. The entrance requirements below apply to 2026 entry.

• Home / UK students:
  • Degree: 2:1 (or international equivalent) in classics or a related subject (i.e. archaeology or history) and a masters at Merit level or above
• EU / International students:
  • Degree: 2:1 (or international equivalent) in classics or a related subject (i.e. archaeology or history) and a masters at Merit level or above
  • International and EU equivalents: We accept a wide range of qualifications from all over the world. For information on entry requirements from your country, see our country pages.
  • IELTS: 7.0 (no less than 6.0 in any element)
  • English language requirements: As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English.

Meeting our English Language Requirements

If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a presessional English course. Presessional courses teach you academic skills in addition to English language. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

For on-campus presessional English courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations. For online presessional courses, see our CELE webpages for guidance.

Visa Restrictions

International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.

Applying

You will be required to provide a PhD proposal with your application, which will set out the structure of your project.

The basis of a good proposal is usually a set of questions, approaches, and objectives which clearly outline your proposed project and what you want to accomplish. The proposal should also clearly demonstrate how you are going to accomplish this.

A PhD proposal should be a minimum of 1000 words. There is no upward limit for proposals, although successful proposals are often not much longer than about 2000 words. You should consider:

• the methodologies that you will use in your project (as appropriate)
• the necessary resources and facilities you will need to carry out your project
• Because this is a Distance Learning degree, which means you will predominantly be away from Nottingham and the physical resources of the library, your proposal must include a statement (c.200 words) about what resources are available to you and why this project will be viable.

It is also helpful to include:

• a summary of any further research experience, in addition to your academic qualifications. This could include work undertaken at undergraduate or masters level, or outside the educational system
• the name of the supervisor who may supervise the project

Find out more about how to write a research proposal.

We encourage you to get in touch with a member of academic staff about your research proposal before submitting an application. They may be able to help you with your proposal and offer support to find funding opportunities in your area.

Details of research supervisors can be found on the department website.

All applicants for a Distance Learning PhD programme must complete a short, online interview prior to acceptance.

Fees

• Home / UK: To be confirmed.
• International: To be confirmed.

Additional Information for International Students

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).

These fees are for full-time study. If you are studying part-time, you will be charged a proportion of this fee each year (subject to inflation).

Additional Costs

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.

• Books: You'll be able to access many of the books you’ll need online through our libraries, though this will not apply to all texts and you may need to buy your own copies of core texts.

Funding

At present, Distance Learning PhD are not eligible for the main sources of external funding used by the university (Midlands4Cities, Midlands Graduate School, Wolfson Foundation).

Further details of schemes and eligibility

There are many ways to fund your research degree, from scholarships to government loans.

Check our guide to find out more about funding your postgraduate degree.

Support

Regular Supervision

You will have a team of at least two supervisors. Full-time students will meet with their supervisory team at least 12 times each year (six times for part-time students).

Your supervisors will help you to realise your research project and to guide you through your research. Many students will also attend conferences and publish papers in conjunction with their supervisors, to gain valuable experience and contacts in the academic community.

Researcher Training and Development

The Researcher Academy is the network for researchers, and staff who support them. We work together to promote a healthy research culture, to cultivate researcher excellence, and develop creative partnerships that enable researchers to flourish.

Postgraduate researchers at Nottingham have access to our online Members’ area, which includes a wealth of resources, access to training courses and award-winning postgraduate placements.

Student Support

You will have access to a range of support services, including:

• academic and disability support
• childcare services
• counselling service
• faith support
• financial support
• mental health and wellbeing support
• visa and immigration advice
• welfare support

Careers

Whether you are considering a career in academia, industry or haven't yet decided, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

Expert staff will work with you to explore PhD career options and apply for vacancies, develop your interview skills and meet employers. You can book a one-to-one appointment, take an online course or attend a workshop.

International students who complete an eligible degree programme in the UK on a student visa can apply to stay and work in the UK after their course under the Graduate immigration route. Eligible courses at the University of Nottingham include bachelors, masters and research degrees, and PGCE courses.

This course will develop a range of transferable skills, including:

• critical analysis
• evaluating data
• problem solving
• communicating clearly and persuasively
• combining disciplined study with creative responses

Our graduates are equipped to move into a wide range of careers. These include:

• academia
• museums and heritage management
• commercial archaeology
• conservation and management
• media and marketing
• primary and secondary teaching
• central and local government

100% of postgraduates from the School of Classics and Archaeology secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual salary for these graduates was £33,000.

Research Excellence Framework

The University of Nottingham is ranked 7th in the UK for research power, according to analysis by Times Higher Education. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a national assessment of the quality of research in UK higher education institutions.

• The Department of Classics and Archaeology placed 23rd out of 81 departments nationally for research activity, with more than 80% of outputs and 100% of both Impact and Environment rated as either 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent'
• 90% of our research is classed as 'world-leading' (4) or 'internationally excellent' (3)
• 100% of our research is recognised internationally
• 51% of our research is assessed as 'world-leading' (4*) for its impact

According to analysis by Times Higher Education

According to our own analysis.