The Ancient Body and Sensory Studies

Award Award	Duration Duration	Start dates Start dates	Application Application
PhD (MPhil also available) PhD (MPhil also available)	Full-time: 3–4 years Part-time: 6–8 years Full-time: 3–4 years Part-time: 6–8 years	February and October February and October	January to April January to April

Classical Studies academics at the OU are particularly interested in the study of the ancient body and the senses. We interpret these themes in a highly interdisciplinary way, bringing together the approaches of archaeology, anthropology, social sciences, medical humanities, ancient theoretical approaches, disability studies, race and racism studies and classical studies to find ways of using material culture and written evidence alongside each other.

Studying the body and the senses makes us aware that we share many experiences with the people of the past. Yet studying how people experienced, thought about, treated, manipulated, modified, represented and disposed of their bodies also provides a window into ancient societies which were different from the ones many people live in today. This combination of difference and similarity is part of what makes the study of the body and the senses in the ancient world so fascinating.

If you would like to join us as a full- or part-time research student, please contact us for an informal preliminary discussion. A well-thought-out research proposal which sets out specific research questions and your strategies for addressing them, and which outlines the originality of your topic or approach, will enhance your chances of admission. We are always glad to offer advice before application (for example on how your project might enhance existing work in the field; what facilities you would need; what ancient and/or modern language ability you need for your project; and how you could participate in the discipline's research culture and engage with students in other universities).

Minimum 2:1 undergraduate degree (or equivalent) and an MA with a minimum grade of merit. If you are not a UK citizen, you may need to prove your knowledge of English.

UK fee UK fee	International fee International fee
Full-time: £5,006 per year Full-time: £5,006 per year	Full-time: £12,705 per year Full-time: £12,705 per year
Part-time: £2,503 per year Part-time: £2,503 per year	Part-time: £6,353 per year Part-time: £6,353 per year

Some of our research students are funded, others are self-funded.

For detailed information about fees and funding, visit Fees and studentships.

To see current funded studentship vacancies across all research areas, see Current studentships.

An image to illustrate the The ancient body and the senses research topic

Where do you live?

Entry requirements

Potential research projects

Current/recent research projects

Potential supervisors

Fees and funding

PhD fees

Links

How to apply

Explore

Undergraduate

Postgraduate

Policy