Undergraduate · Oxford Classics and English
Oxford's Classics and English course asks a student to read Homer and Milton in the same degree, comparing authors and genres across cultures and time. Everyone studies Latin or Greek, but the route depends on the school: with an A level or equivalent in one classical language the course lasts three years, and without it there is a four-year route with a preliminary year. Applicants submit two pieces of written work, ideally one for each subject, and no admissions test is taken. The decision is whether the comparison is the appeal, or whether either subject on its own would suit better.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
Taken from Oxford's Classics and English 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.
Candidates with an A level or equivalent in Latin or Greek take a three-year course. Those without take Classics and English with Beginners' Latin or Greek, a four-year course with a preliminary year. The UCAS codes are QQ38 and QQH8.
The A-level requirement is AAA, with As in Latin and Greek if taken. The IB requirement is 39 points including core points with 666 at Higher Level, including 6s in Latin and Greek if taken.
Candidates are expected to have English Literature, or English Language and Literature, to A level, Higher Level in the IB or equivalent. Latin, Greek, Classical Civilisation and Ancient History help but are not required.
Candidates submit two pieces of written work, where possible one for Classics and one for English, and preferably not short timed essays. No written test is required.
Shortlisted candidates not studying Latin or Greek have an interview designed to assess aptitude for learning a classical language. Those who do are asked to translate sentences and discuss grammar and syntax.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on Oxford's Classics and English course page, which describes 2027 entry. Oxford's separate Classics and English written-work pages, the faculty pages, fees, the contextual-offer details and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
The course
Oxford says the degree studies literature and culture of the ancient and modern world both separately and in comparison, tracing ideas, forms and genres across cultures and time. In the first year students take an introduction to English language and literature, Literature in English 1550 to 1660, unseen translation and two papers of Greek and Latin literature, and the first University examinations are four written papers plus a portfolio of two essays. In the later years there are seven papers, including two link papers designed for comparative work: Epic is compulsory, with a choice of Comedy, Tragedy or Reception. An 8,000-word dissertation may combine the two subjects or focus on one. The English Faculty is described as the largest English department in Britain, and Oxford says it has the largest Classics department in the world.
Choosing between degrees
Avandy's Oxford Classics and Oxford English guides cover the standalone courses. Use this page to decide whether the comparison is what you want.
you want to read epic, comedy, tragedy and their reception side by side with English literature, and you accept less depth in each than a single-honours student gets.
ancient literature, history, philosophy and linguistics are all part of what interests you.
you want a wider range of English periods without committing to Latin or Greek. In the joint course everyone studies a classical language.
Entry rules
The A-level standard is AAA with As in Latin and Greek if taken, and the IB standard is 39 points with 666 at Higher Level and 6s in any classical language. Oxford expects English Literature, or English Language and Literature. Two pieces of written work are submitted, one for each subject where possible, and Oxford says candidates should preferably not send short timed essays or passage exercises. Oxford says tutors use written work to gauge analytical skills and writing, and they expect wide reading in English and classical literature, in translation or the original, without requiring any reading in particular. Oxford's page reports an interview rate of 89%, a success rate of 24% and an intake of 13 for the three-year average to 2025; these are historical figures, not a prediction.
A decision framework
This is Avandy's own framework, not Oxford's.
Every student studies at least one. If you have not yet, the four-year route adds a preliminary year, and the interview tests aptitude, not knowledge.
Choose work that shows analysis, not summary, and that you can discuss in an interview.
Epic, Comedy, Tragedy and Reception are the heart of the later years. Read a short example of each before you decide.
Planning for 2028 entry
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.
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Oxford has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Check Oxford's course page for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
Decide on the three- or four-year route, choose two pieces of written work and read widely across ancient and English literature.
Support
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, literature and classical-language mentoring and ethical interview practice; Avandy gives no scores or probabilities and does not write submitted work. No outcome is promised.
Questions
AAA at A level with As in Latin and Greek if taken, or 39 IB points including core points with 666 at Higher Level. This is Oxford's wording for 2027 entry.
No. Oxford offers a four-year Classics and English with Beginners' Latin or Greek for candidates without an A level or equivalent, with a preliminary year.
Two pieces, where possible one relevant to Classics and one to English, and preferably not short timed essays or passage exercises.
No. Oxford says you do not need to take a written test as part of an application.
It depends on your language background: aptitude for learning a classical language if you do not study one, or translation and discussion of grammar if you do.
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
Tell us about the student's curriculum, whether they have Latin or Greek, the writing they could submit and how they read across ancient and English literature, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.
