Latin and/or Greek with a modern language
Oxford says the course enables you to combine study of Latin and/or Ancient Greek with a modern language, with extensive study of literary texts alongside linguistic training.
Undergraduate · Oxford Classics and Modern Languages
Oxford Classics and Modern Languages: choosing between Option A and Option B
Oxford's Classics and Modern Languages course combines Latin and/or Ancient Greek with a modern language, and unlike most Oxford joint degrees it has two routes. Option A divides time evenly between Classics and Modern Languages and lasts four or five years; Option B begins with a focus on Classics for five terms and always lasts five years. The routes converge in the final two years. With only a handful of places a year, the practical decisions are which route fits, how much classical language you already have, and which modern language you will study.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Oxford asks for in Classics and Modern Languages
Taken from Oxford's Classics and Modern Languages 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.
Option A, four or five years; Option B, five years
Option A lasts four years if you have Latin or Greek to A level or equivalent and five with Beginners' Latin or Greek. Option B lasts five years in every case and follows Classics for the first five terms. The final two years are identical.
AAA, or 39 IB points with 666 at Higher Level
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 any classical languages.
The modern language, usually to A level or equivalent
Candidates would usually be expected to have the modern language to A level or equivalent, though B1 proficiency may be considered. If you have no Latin or Greek, you would usually be expected to have studied or spoken the modern language.
One Classics essay, and no pre-interview test
Candidates submit one piece of written work for the Classics part of the course. There is no pre-interview language test in the cycle described.
Official sources
Read on 31 October 2026 on Oxford's Classics and Modern Languages course page, which describes 2027 entry. Oxford's Classics and Modern Languages faculty pages, the Classics written-work page, fees, the contextual-offer details and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
The two routes
Option A, the Prelims route, or Option B, the Mods route
Oxford says Option A divides its time evenly between Classics, mostly language and literature, and Modern Languages, with a Preliminary Examination at the end of the first year, and of the second year for the five-year version. Option B begins with Classics: for the first five terms students take the options available to Classics students, including language, literature, ancient history, archaeology, philology and philosophy, and sit Honour Moderations in Classics, while keeping up the modern language through classes. After the intercalated year abroad, both routes study Classics in three or four papers and the modern language in four or five, with the possibility of a paper or long essay exploring links between ancient and modern literatures. Final examinations are nine papers and an oral in the modern language.
Choosing a route
Which option fits which student?
Oxford says to consider the two routes carefully before deciding.
Choose Option A if
you want literature and language in both halves from the start. It is the shorter route if you already hold Latin or Greek to A level.
Choose Option B if
you want the wider Classics curriculum first, including ancient history, archaeology and philosophy. It lasts five years whatever your classical background.
Consider the neighbouring degrees
Avandy's Oxford Classics and Classics and English guides cover other joint choices. This course alone puts a modern language at the centre.
Entry rules
Classics writing, a language interview and no test
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 classical languages. For a post-A-level modern language you would usually be expected to hold it at A level or equivalent; B1 proficiency may be considered. Beginners' routes exist for Czech, German, Italian, Modern Greek and Portuguese, but not for a candidate who is also starting a classical language. One piece of Classics written work is submitted. There is no pre-interview language test; interviews assess classical-language aptitude or translation and discussion of grammar, and the Modern Languages interview normally has a text, a grammar exercise and a discussion of your personal statement. Oxford's page reports an interview rate of 95%, a success rate of 39% and an intake of 8 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.
What is your classical-language starting point?
It decides the length of Option A and how the interview tests you.
Is the modern language already secure?
Without Latin or Greek, Oxford expects you to have studied or spoken the modern language.
Which written work shows Classics thinking?
Choose a piece that argues a case about an ancient text or topic.
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 two options, the modern-language rule, one piece of Classics writing and the interviews: 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
Choose the option and language, confirm your classical-language starting point and select a Classics essay.
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, classical and modern-language 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 Classics and Modern Languages?
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.
What is the difference between Option A and Option B?
Option A divides time evenly between Classics and Modern Languages and lasts four or five years. Option B follows Classics for five terms and always lasts five years. The final two years are identical.
Do I need Latin or Greek?
No. A version with Beginners' Latin or Greek exists, and Option B takes five years whether or not you have prior experience.
What written work is needed?
One piece of written work for the Classics part of the course.
Is there a language test before interview?
Oxford says there is no pre-interview language test for Modern Languages and Joint Schools courses in the cycle described.
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 Classics and Modern Languages
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their Latin or Greek, the modern language and which of the two routes suits them, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.