Egyptology and Ancient History with a Foundation Year, BA (Hons)

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Course Overview

Egyptology and Ancient History with a Foundation Year covers the study of Ancient Egyptian language, literature, history and culture. Studying this four-year BA degree opens up a range of exciting career possibilities by helping you to develop transferable skills, which are highly valued by employers.

You will explore Egyptian art and architecture, ancient Egyptian history and civilisation, archaeology, religion, sex and gender, Ancient and Middle Egypt; Greek and Roman history and society; warfare and empire; and learn a Greek, Latin or Egyptian language. 

The Foundation Year gives you an exciting introduction to Higher Education, setting you up with the skills, confidence, and knowledge that you’ll need to be successful on your undergraduate degree. It’s ideal if you need a little more support after Further Education or are returning to education after a gap. Following successful completion of the Foundation Year, you will progress onto Year 1 of the BA.

You will also have the option of spending a semester abroad during the second year in either the USA, Canada, China, Hong Kong or Singapore to enhance your student experience and career prospects.

Why Egyptology and Ancient History with a Foundation Year at Swansea?

Based on our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, 

Classics and Ancient History at Swansea is ranked:

  • 2nd in the UK for Student Experience (Times Good University Guide 2025)
  • 2nd in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2025)
  • 3rd in the UK for Teaching Quality (Times Good University Guide 2025)
  • Top 20 in the UK for Graduate Outcomes (Complete University Guide 2025)
  • Top 51-150 in the World (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025) 

Swansea University is proud to be home to the Egypt Centre, which houses over 5,000 archaeological objects from the Wellcome Collection of Egyptian antiquities.

You can gain teaching experience by leading workshops for the South West Wales Reaching Wider Partnership to enhance your student experience and career prospects or teach beginners Hieroglyphs to members of the local community during the summer.

Your Egyptology and Ancient History with a Foundation Year Experience

All Egyptology and Ancient History students work directly with artefacts in the Egypt Centre, and you can tailor your degree to suit your interests, for example, focusing on Language, Art, Religion or Archaeology.

Our interdisciplinary approach means you can make connections with a range of subject areas – from music to politics.

During your Foundation Year, you will learn the key skills you’ll need to make your degree a success while developing knowledge of your subject area and how it relates to the humanities and social sciences.

Teaching is informed by our world-leading research and you can attend seminars organised through our guest speaker programme.

You can enhance your knowledge and career prospects and take the Egyptian Collection Practicum module, a four-week session providing practical experience for students on site and have the option of studying a Dissertation or a Museum project at the University’s Egypt Centre.

You will have an personal tutor for any pastoral and academic support you may need, and the Society of Ancient Studies organises social and cultural events.

Egyptology and Ancient History with a Foundation Year Employment Opportunities

Students on this course typically develop excellent oral and writing skills and you will learn to present your ideas in a range of formats, along with strong research, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Our graduates enter careers in a wide range of sectors including:

  • Education
  • Archives
  • Museum and heritage
  • Business
  • Media and public relations
  • Public services

Modules

Your first year will be spent on your Foundation, preparing you for Higher Education. Topics on this foundation including skills development and introductions to key themes on your degree, including Academic Writing and Skills Development, Critical Reflection and Problem Solving, and History, Memory and the Creation of Identity.

After successfully completing your Foundation, you’ll move on to your BA degree. You’ll study four compulsory modules and two optional modules, with topics including Greek, Latin, Gods and Heroes, Ancient Philosophy and Rhetoric and a Field Trip.

Year 3 includes two compulsory and four optional modules, with topics typically including Egyptian Archaeology, Egyptian Art and Architecture, Archaic Greece, Gender in the Roman World, and a Schools Work Placement, teaching ancient history and languages.

Your degree with culminate in year 4, with a wide range of optional modules that can include The Archaeology of Ancient Nubia, advanced levels of Greek or Latin, Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius, and a compulsory Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology Dissertation.

Egyptology and Ancient History with a Foundation Year, BA (Hons)