SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES
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Our community
Find out more about the experiences of our community, from how new students have settled into university life, to how former students have used their degrees.
Classics and Ancient History
Matthew Ball Current student
BA in Ancient History
"I wanted to study something different and I was very interested in Ancient History. Bristol seemed the best of all my choices; it had a friendly atmosphere, the degree had all the units I wanted to do and its content was broad..."
Richard Cole Current student
BA in Ancient History
"After attending the well-organised Open Day, Bristol rapidly became my first choice of university. I was able to see first-hand how the course was structured by attending test lectures and speaking to individual lecturers..."
Duncan Kennedy Professor
Classics and Ancient History
"Debate is very much part of the Bristol ethos... I like to be kept on my toes both by my students and my colleagues. I like to keep in mind that the moment you think you’re right is the moment you need to think again..."
Genevieve Liveley Senior Lecturer
Classics and Ancient History
"I did my undergraduate, Masters and PhD at the University of Bristol. After my doctorate I taught at the University of Reading and then at the University of California-Berkeley, before I came back to teach in the Department of Classics here..."
English
Gareth Griffith Teacher and Research Assistant
English
"The Department of English is a great place to do research. There are many people working in different disciplines, and we have many Medievalists who are very eminent in the Center for Medieval Studies..."
Tom Sperlinger Senior Teaching Fellow and Head of Part-time Education
English
"I have been running the part-time courses in English for seven years. The aim of the part-time degree is to offer the same academic experience that full-time students get, but at times when a wider range of people can attend..."
Christina Sutton Current student
BA in English
"What I like best about the English department are the academics who teach. They are amazing. The standard of teaching is very high, and they are so dedicated... I felt that I really mattered here. I wasn't just a number..."
History
Tim Cole Professor
History
"Students really like a programme that is co-taught by academics and a TV documentary maker, or a museum curator, and offers opportunities to intern with heritage industry providers..."
Ronald Hutton Professor
History
"I moved to Bristol because the Department of History gave me the opportunity to teach whatever I liked in History, and that’s why I remain here after thirty years. I have a love of spanning periods of time and subjects..."
Amanda Wright Former student
BA in History
"One of the main things I enjoyed about the History course is how friendly and approachable the tutors were... They encourage you to ask your own questions about every topic, valuing diverse kinds of thinking and new ways of looking at things..."
History of Art
Catherine Hunt Current student
PhD in History of Art
"I’m really enjoying doing my research here. I feel that I have learned an enormous amount. It’s a very nice place to study with a good group of supporting people both the postgraduates and the staff..."
Erica O'Brien Current student
MLitt in History of Art
"The History of Art department has a very close-knit community, and there is an atmosphere of friendliness and mutual interest... The lecturers are very accessible and generous..."
Peter Stilton Current student
PhD in History of Art
"The course in History of Art caught my eye because I could carry on studying art. The city itself was also a great attraction for me. So I first came to do my BA, then I did the Master and then the PhD..."
Beth Williamson Senior Lecturer
History of Art
"We get very highly qualified students. They develop here. The best students are willing to read widely, to be responsible for their own learning and to form study groups with other students..."
Theology and Religious Studies
Gavin D’Costa Professor
Religion and Theology
"I was attracted to the University of Bristol for its reputation. It is a dynamic department that offers an intellectual and friendly environment. I also valued the range of subjects taught in the Department..."
Jiaqi Huang Current student
MA in Buddhist Studies
"All our lecturers are well known for their academic achievements in their field. They also have impressive teaching and lecturing skills. Moreover, they are very nice and helpful..."
Carolyn Muessig Director of BIRTHA and
Reader in Medieval Religion
Religion and Theology
"We have fortnightly research seminars in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies which are open to staff and students from across the university. We also host an annual postgraduate conference..."
Massimo Rondolino Current student
PhD in Theology and
Religious Studies
"The lecturers were fantastic, extremely knowledgeable, very engaging and very passionate about their own work, and about the topics and themes of each lecture... There is a good research community here..."