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Welcome to the School of Classics, History and Religion! Let me say how pleased I am that you have chosen to devote both time and intellectual energy to studies in this School. If you are prospecting for exciting, challenging and thought-provoking units you have hit the jackpot - just keep reading.

Almost everywhere in the western world the humanities form the heart of the university. Through study in the humanities the big questions about human beings are confronted; questions about behaviour, beliefs, social organisation, creative activities and much, much more.

Everything we teach in the School will help you understand your world, yourself, your past and the human condition in all its diversity. If you browse through the units listed for this year, you will see how broadly they range over time and place. The staff of the School are committed to maintaining that breadth of research-based teaching which is the key to providing a good university education and we will do everything we can to help you succeed in your endeavours.

Your study with us will assist you to develop a range of valuable skills. We will help you improve your powers of communication, enhance your critical thinking and analytical capacity, enlarge your cultural awareness and hopefully help you become a better person and citizen. Study in the School of Classics, History and Religion will provide a foundation on which you can build your personal and professional development. The academic skills you will acquire, together with the independence of mind that study in the humanities fosters will enable you to apply yourself to a variety of tasks and situation in the future. Enrolling for study in this School could really be the beginning of a whole new chapter in your life.

The staff of the School are not distant individuals confined in an ivory tower. We are here to teach, guide and assist you to achieve your goals; feel free to contact us at any time by any means.

So welcome, do what you want to do and enjoy it.

Iain Spence
[Head of School]

Download the 2007 School Handbook (.pdf)