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Department of Classics

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Joint Honours Ancient History and Archaeology

Ancient History and Archaeology are both concerned with understanding social, political and cultural experience in the past. This course offers you the opportunity to range across these two broad disciplines. You will study the Greek and Roman worlds by working with historical and literary documents alongside the material remains of ancient sites and artefacts. There are opportunities to participate in archaeological fieldwork and in study tours to classical sites, and you can, if you wish, take these as modules for credit.

This course is combined with another subject chosen from a range of options within the area of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. No knowledge of ancient languages is necessary for this course.

TJH (Trinity Joint Hons) AHA PATHWAYS

As a TJH AHA Trinity student, you will have choices to make at the end of your 1st Year and 2nd Year about what type of degree you wish to finish with and what options you would like to take to get there.

You will find a very helpful visualisation of your pathways options here: 

The College website offers a useful ‘pathway tool’ here for you to explore your choices.

Click on Junior Freshman Year below to see your mandatory 1st year.

Junior Freshman (JF)

At the end of your 1st Year you will choose how many ECTS credits in AHA you would like to take:

  1. 40 ECTS (leading to a Single Honours, Major with Minor or Joint Honours degree);
  2. 20 ECTS (leading to Major with Minor or Joint Honours degree); or
  3. 0 ECTS (leading to a Single Honours degree in your other subject).

In the following SF, JS, and SS pages you will find an overview of modules available for each pathway in 2023-24.

Senior Freshmen (SF)

AHA SF PATHWAY FOR 40 CREDITS
(Single Honours; Joint Honours; Major Award)

You will take 40 credits in AHA and 20 credits in your Subject 2 (Major/Minor) or in Trinity Electives/Open Modules (Single Honours). Modules in uppercase are mandatory.

Semester 1 (20 Credits)

And Either

Or

Semester 2 (20 Credits)

With

AHA SF PATHWAY FOR 20 CREDITS
(Major Award; Joint Honours; Minor Award)

You will take 20 credits in AHA, 20 credits in your Subject 2, and 20 credits in Trinity Electives and Open Modules. A list of Trinity Electives is available here: https://www.tcd.ie/trinity-electives/electives/

Information and list of Open Modules can be found here: https://www.tcd.ie/tjh/open-modules/

Semester 1 (10 Credits)
(choose one module)

Semester 2 (10 Credits)
(you will choose any two modules)

At the end of your 2nd Year you will choose your Sophister pathway from the following options:

  1. Single Honours in AHA (50 ECTS in AHA, 10 ECTS in your Subject 2 or in Trinity Electives/Open Modules)
    In this pathway you will drop your Subject 2 at the end of Yr 3.
  2. Major in AHA Option A (40 ECTS in AHA, 20 ECTS in your Subject 2)
    In this pathway you will carry both subjects to Yr 4.
  3. Major in AHA Option B (30 ECTS in AHA, 30 ECTS in your Subject 2)
    In this pathway you will drop your Subject 2 at the end of year 3.
  4. Joint Honours in AHA (30 ECTS in AHA, 30 ECTS in your Subject 2)
    In this pathway you will carry both subjects to Yr 4.
  5. Minor in AHA Option B (30 ECTS in AHA, 30 ECTS in your Subject 2)
    In this pathway you will drop AHA at the end of Yr 3.
  6. Minor in AHA Option A (20 ECTS in AHA, 40 ECTS in Subject 2)
    In this pathway you will carry both subjects to Yr 4.
  7. AHA as Subject 2 in Single Honours Pathway (10 ECTS AHA)

In the JS and SS pages you will find an overview of modules available for each pathway in 2023-24.

Junior Sophister (JS)

AHA JS PATHWAY FOR 50 CREDITS
(Single Honours)

Semester 1 (25 credits)

Semester 2 (25 credits)

The remaining 10 ECTS will come from your Subject 2 or from Trinity Electives and Open Modules.
A list of Trinity Electives is available here: https://www.tcd.ie/trinity-electives/electives/
Information and list of Open Modules can be found here: https://www.tcd.ie/tjh/open-modules/

AHA JS PATHWAY FOR 40 CREDITS
(Major Option A)

Semester 1 (20 credits)

With Either:

Or:

Semester 2 (20 Credits)

AHA JS PATHWAY FOR 30 CREDITS
(Major Option B, Joint Honours, Minor Option B)

Semester 1 (15 credits)

With Either:

Or:

Semester 2 (15 Credits)

AHA JS PATHWAY FOR 20 CREDITS
(Major Option A)

Semester 1 (10 credits)
Choose one:

Semester 2 (10 Credits)
Choose any two:

AHA JS PATHWAY FOR 10 CREDITS
(AHA as Subject 2 in Single Honours Pathway)

Semester 1 (5 credits)
Choose one:

Semester 2 (5 Credits)
Choose one:

Senior Sophister (SS)

Depending on your pathway, in your SS year you will choose 40 or 20 ECTS of Special Subject modules and write a Capstone Dissertation. All final-year modules are research-led, interdisciplinary, and taught through small-group seminars.

Special Subject modules taught in 2023-24 are listed below. Other options may be offered in other years.

AHA SS PATHWAY FOR 60 CREDITS
(Single Honours, Major Option B)

You will write a Dissertation (compulsory Capstone) and take Special Subject Options for 40 ECTS.
All Special Subjects are Optional: you will take modules for 20 ECTS in each semester.

Plus:

Semester 1 (30 Credits)

Semester 2 (30 Credicts)

Subject to approval, you may also take 10-20 ECTS from the list of Special Subjects in Classical Civilisation:

AHA SS PATHWAY FOR 40 CREDITS
(Major Option A, Joint Honours with Capstone in AHA)

You will write a Dissertation (Capstone) and take Special Subject Options for 20 ECTS.
All Special Subjects are optional and you will take 10 ECTS in each semester.
The remaining 20 credits will come from modules in your Subject 2.
If you are on a Joint Honours Pathway you may choose to take the Capstone in your Subject 2.

Plus:

Semester 1 (20 Credits)
Either

Or

Semester 2 (20 Credits)
Either

Or

Subject to approval, students in some TJH combinations* may also take 10 ECTS from the list of Special Subjects in Classical Civilisation:

  • CLU44550 How to be Happy (10 ECTS, Semester 1)
  • CLU44590 Greek Lyric (10 ECTS, Semester 2)
  • CLU44560 Pop Classics (10 ECTS, Semester 2)

* This option is not available to you if your Subject 2 is French or History, owing to timetable constraints.

AHA SS PATHWAY FOR 20 CREDITS
(Major Option A, Joint Honours with Capstone in Subject 2)

You will take Special Subject Options for 20 ECTS (10 in each semester).
The remaining 40 credits, including the Capstone, will come from your Subject 2.

Or

Semester 1 (10 Credits)
Either

Or

Semester 2 (10 Credits)
Either

Or