At Clare we aim to make your undergraduate experience with Classics as rewarding as possible by paying close attention to you as an individual.
Overview
The minimum offer level is A*AA at A-level, or 7 7 6 (42+ overall) from Higher Level subjects in the IB. For other qualifications, please see the University entrance requirements page.
For the Classics 3-year course, A-level or IB Higher Level Latin. (A-level/IB Higher Level Greek is accepted as a substitute.)
For the Classics 4-year course, there are no specific subject requirements.
You may find essay-based subjects such as English Literature, Classical Civilisation or History to be useful preparation, as well as modern languages.
Written work required to apply
Two essays which you have written at school on any Classical or related subject will be required. You should choose the essays that you consider to be your best, but they should not be written specially for the occasion and should have been marked by a member of your school/college staff, if possible.
For those applying for the four-year course, the essays can be in a subject of your choice.
Classics at Clare
Within Classics we have no particular subject focus or bias at Clare and we want to encourage students to study what they find most interesting. Part I emphasises the importance of linguistic facility, and supervision in advanced grammar and prose composition is the norm. We don't expect you to know how to do these things on application—instead we make it our goal to teach you what you do not know, and take you on at whatever level you find yourself.
At the moment we have a tight-knit body of language instructors that comprises myself and one or two recent Clare Classics alums; for Caucus work we have good working relationships with expert supervisors across the Faculty.
We also emphasise the importance of writing well, and to that end I normally advise closely on any Thesis work (and the College has a special scheme for this as well); first year students are given explicit instruction and feedback on mechanics and style—subjects not normally taught, at least explicitly.
Beyond our very convenient location for the Faculty and for the University Library, we have a strong Classics holding in our College Library, the Forbes Mellon Library; every incoming student gets a range of critical reference books for long-term loan and the stock is updated after any innovations in the Faculty syllabus.
Visit the University's subject page for more information.
Dr Weiss specializes in language pedagogy in both languages and teaches Classical languages and literature for Clare College. He recently published a student’s introduction to Homer’s Odyssey for Cambridge University Press and has undertaken a new edition of Reading Greek for the Press.
