Texts, art and material remains
Oxford says the course combines the history, archaeology and art of the classical world, with Greece and Rome at its centre. It is primarily historical and non-linguistic, though ancient languages can be learned.
Undergraduate · Oxford CAAH
Oxford Classical Archaeology and Ancient History: texts, objects and images
Oxford's Classical Archaeology and Ancient History course studies Greece and Rome through written texts, visual art and material remains, and it is primarily a historical and non-linguistic degree. It asks for AAA or 39 IB points with 666 at Higher Level, no admissions test and two recently marked pieces of school work. Because Oxford also teaches Classics, Archaeology and Anthropology, and History (Ancient and Modern), the real decision is which of them fits the way you want to study the ancient world: through objects and images alongside texts, rather than through language or anthropology.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Oxford asks for in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History
Taken from Oxford's Classical Archaeology and Ancient History course page and read on 31 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Oxford's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
AAA, or 39 IB points with 666 at Higher Level
The A-level requirement is AAA and the IB requirement is 39 points including core points with 666 at Higher Level.
No required subjects
No subjects are required. A classical language, Classical Civilisation or Ancient History can help but are not required for admission.
No test, two marked pieces
No written test is required. Candidates submit two pieces recently marked in normal school or college work.
Visual, textual and reasoning ability
Tutors look for the specific visual, textual and reasoning abilities required for the course, and for serious interest in both classical archaeology and ancient history.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on Oxford's Classical Archaeology and Ancient History course page, which describes 2027 entry. Oxford's Classical Archaeology and Ancient History faculty pages, fees, the contextual-offer details and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
The course
Core Greek and Roman history, then a wide archaeological and historical choice
In the first year students take four courses: two core elements on the Greek world from 550 to 450 BC and Rome from 50 BC to AD 50, and two optional elements from archaeology (for example Greek vases or Roman architecture), history (for example Greeks and Persians) or ancient languages from beginner to advanced. In Years 2 and 3 students take six courses from a wide choice, including Greek and Hellenistic art and archaeology, Roman cities and settlement, Minoan Crete, Etruscan Italy, maritime archaeology, science-based methods, coins, epigraphy and a site or museum report. Final examinations are six written papers and a site or museum report. Oxford says the exact options may differ slightly each year.
Which ancient-world degree?
CAAH, Classics, Ancient and Modern History or Archaeology and Anthropology
Avandy has separate guides to the neighbouring degrees. Use them to compare by what you study, not by the subject name.
Choose CAAH if
you want to study Greece and Rome through monuments, objects and images as well as texts, and you prefer a historical, non-linguistic degree.
Choose Classics if
Latin or Greek language and literature are central. Avandy's Oxford Classics guide covers that degree.
Choose History (Ancient and Modern) or Archaeology and Anthropology if
you want ancient history as part of a longer historical sweep, or archaeology across cultures and time with anthropology. Both have their own Avandy guide.
Entry rules
No test, no language, two marked pieces
The A-level standard is AAA and the IB standard is 39 points including core points with 666 at Higher Level. No subject is required. There is no admissions test, and two recently marked pieces of ordinary schoolwork are submitted; Oxford does not name a subject. Tutors weigh past and predicted results, the UCAS personal statement, the academic reference, the submitted work and the interviews. Oxford's page reports an interview rate of 88%, a success rate of 17% and an intake of 24 for the three-year average to 2025; these are historical figures, not a prediction.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Oxford's.
Do objects and images interest you as much as texts?
The course uses visual art and material remains as evidence, including a site or museum report.
Is the ancient world your whole interest?
It is the entire course. If you want other periods or other cultures, a different degree may fit better.
Which two pieces of school work show your thinking?
Choose recently marked pieces you can discuss and that show how you reason from evidence.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Oxford has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Oxford published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Oxford has not yet published it.
Grades, the absence of required subjects and a test, and the two marked pieces: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Oxford has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
The UCAS deadline, the written-work deadline and interview dates: awaiting publication for 2028 entry
Check Oxford's course page for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Visit a museum or site, read about Greece and Rome through objects and choose two marked pieces.
Support
Independent support with course choice and preparation
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Oxford or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here means course-fit advice, classics and archaeology mentoring and ethical interview practice; Avandy gives no scores or probabilities and does not write submitted work. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What are the entry requirements for Oxford CAAH?
AAA at A level, or 39 IB points including core points with 666 at Higher Level. This is Oxford's wording for 2027 entry.
Do I need Latin or Greek?
No. Oxford says the degree is primarily historical and non-linguistic, though ancient languages can be learned as part of it.
Is there an admissions test?
No. Oxford says you do not need to take a written test as part of an application.
What written work is needed?
Two pieces which have been recently marked in the normal process of school or college work.
How is it different from Classics?
CAAH is primarily historical and non-linguistic and uses archaeology and art as evidence; Classics centres on Latin and Greek language and literature.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Oxford's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check the course page again when Oxford publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Oxford Classical Archaeology and Ancient History
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their interest in material culture and ancient texts and the two marked pieces they could submit, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.