The Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology is internationally reputed for its world-class interdisciplinary research. Our long-standing research into the economies of the Greek, Egyptian and Roman worlds means that our postgraduate researchers can draw on a strong interdisciplinary research environment.
With individual specialisms ranging from papyrology, epigraphy and digital humanities to literary analysis and the interrogation of visual and material culture, we ask fundamental questions and challenge orthodoxies. When you study with us, you’ll be encouraged to be innovative, bold and open in your investigations.
To help you excel in your field of study, we offer training in a wide range of ancient languages, including Greek, Latin, Egyptian, Coptic, Sumerian and Akkadian. You can also study modern languages on the University’s flagship Open Languages programme.
We have dedicated budgets for supporting research and training activities, including the Histories, Languages and Cultures Postgraduate Research Fund and The Peet Travel Award. We’ll also provide you with tailored support for applications to external competitive funding schemes.
Our Classics and Ancient History PhD/MPhil covers a broad range of potential topics for investigation. We welcome research proposals in topics including:
Reconstructing the processes by which power is asserted (and undermined) through administrative offices and officials from the centre to peripheries of the Persian and Roman empires through fragmentary documentary record.
Exploring the interplay between antiquity and later periods from the fall of the Roman empire in the west up to the present day.
Examining the body as a locus of human experience and identity in Greco-Roman antiquity.
Investigating the exchange of practices and ideas that occur when people and cultures come into contact with one another through conflict, settlement, and economic exchange across the Greco-Roman world.
Following the individual in antiquity from early youth to old age through the material and written record in ancient Greek and Latin literature.
Examining how literature of different periods and genres engages with questions about the nature of power, facilitates the negotiation of social and political relationships, and supports or subverts political power and ideologies in the Classical world.
Offering ground-up perspectives on economic life in antiquity, from household production through local markets, inter-polis networks and cross-Mediterranean trade, and from production to consumption.
Exploring religious practice and belief and the interrelationship between the two across the ancient Mediterranean, with a focus on lived experience and activities often considered on the margins of religious life.
Understanding the social, political, economic and philosophical aspects of drinking together in ancient Greece, from the Archaic to Imperial periods, and the role of the symposion in intellectual and literary culture.
The University of Liverpool has pioneered the study of the ancient world for more than 130 years.
Our areas of expertise include:
Our classics and ancient history research groups and seminar series provide a forum for the exchange of new concepts and knowledge produced by staff and postgraduate researchers. This gives you the opportunity to present your research, develop your research profile, and interact with other leading figures in your field of study from the UK and abroad.
Find potential supervisors in the Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology.
For any questions about finding a supervisor, please contact Postgraduate Research Enquiries: hlc-pgr@liverpool.ac.uk.
You may need the following documents to complete your online application:
Finally, register and apply online. You'll receive an email acknowledgment once you've submitted your application. We'll be in touch with further details about what happens next.
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
Full-time place, per year - £5,006
Part-time place, per year - £2,503
Full-time place, per year - £24,600
Part-time place, per year - £12,300
Fees stated are for the 2025-26 academic year.
We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.
Find out more about the additional study costs that may apply to this degree.
If you're a UK national, or have settled status in the UK, you may be eligible to apply for a Postgraduate Doctoral Loan worth up to £30,301 to help with course fees and living costs.
There’s also a variety of alternative sources of funding. These include funded research opportunities and financial support from UK research councils, charities and trusts. Your supervisor may be able to help you secure funding.
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries that could help pay your tuition fees and living expenses.
If you’re awarded this prestigious scholarship, you’ll receive significant funding to support your postgraduate research. This includes full payment of your PhD fees and a cash bursary of £17,000 per year while you study. One award is available in each academic year.
If you’re a UK student, either born in or with strong family connections to Merseyside, you could be eligible to apply for financial support worth up to £12,000 per year for up to three years of full-time postgraduate research (or up to five years part-time pro-rata).
Apply to receive tailored training support to enhance your sporting performance. Our athlete support package includes a range of benefits, from bespoke strength and conditioning training to physiotherapy sessions and one-to-one nutritional advice.
You’ll have access to the Garstang Museum of Archaeology, one of the most important collections of antiquities in the UK, as well as collections of papyri and inscriptions hosted by the Liverpool World Museum and the University Library’s Special Collections & Archives.
Our dedicated IT suite for Digital Humanities research includes resources for digital mapping, image analysis, photogrammetry and reconstructions. The Sydney Jones and the Harold Cohen libraries house dedicated databases for Greek and Latin texts, bibliographical tools, online reference materials, subject-oriented search engines, and specialist books and journals.
These are the trailblazers, the leaders, the true originals. Our postgraduate researchers are shaping their future, and the future of the world we live in, advancing knowledge with each discovery.
Want to find out more about studying a PhD with us? Chat with our postgraduate research student ambassadors and ask any questions you have.
Discover the qualifications you'll need to apply for this course.
You’ll typically need a minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree and a UK master’s degree or international equivalent (preferably pass of 65% or above) in a relevant subject area.
You'll need to demonstrate competence in the use of English language, unless you’re from a majority English speaking country.
We accept a variety of international language tests and country-specific qualifications.
International applicants who do not meet the minimum required standard of English language can complete one of our Pre-Sessional English courses to achieve the required level.
| Qualification | Details |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | 88 overall, with minimum scores of listening 19, writing 19, reading 19 and speaking 20. TOEFL Home Edition not accepted. |
| Pearson PTE Academic | 61 overall, with no component below 59 |
Do you need to complete a Pre-sessional English course to meet the English language requirements for this course?
The length of Pre-sessional English course you’ll need to take depends on your current level of English language ability.
If you don’t meet our English language requirements, we can use your most recent IELTS score, or the equivalent score in selected other English language tests, to determine the length of Pre-sessional English course you require.
Use the table below to check the course length you're likely to require for your current English language ability and see whether the course is available on campus or online.
| Your most recent IELTS score | Pre-sessional English course length | On campus or online |
|---|---|---|
| 6.0 overall, with no component below 6.0 | 6 weeks | On campus |
| 6.0 overall, with no component below 5.5 | 10 weeks | On campus and online options available |
| 6.0 overall, with no more than one component below 5.5, and no component below 5.0 | 12 weeks | On campus and online options available |
| 5.5 overall, with no more than one component below 5.5, and no component below 5.0 | 20 weeks | On campus |
| 5.0 overall, with no more than one component below 5.0, and no component below 4.5 | 30 weeks | On campus |
| 4.5 overall, with no more than one component below 4.5, and no component below 4.0 | 40 weeks | On campus |
If you’ve completed an alternative English language test to IELTS, we may be able to use this to assess your English language ability and determine the Pre-sessional English course length you require.
Please see our guide to Pre-sessional English entry requirements for IELTS 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0, for further details.
Have a question about this research opportunity or studying a PhD with us? Please get in touch with us, using the contact details below, and we’ll be happy to assist you.