This degree involves a minimum of two years of full-time or four years of part-time directed study, at the end of which students produce a 60,000-word dissertation in their chosen area of research. Students registered for the MPhil may transfer to the PhD if their work is judged to be of suitable quality and promise. In addition to the primary support provided by students supervisors, the department's lively research culture includes regular research seminars, which offer the chance to hear visiting scholars from elsewhere in the UK and from overseas as well as opportunities for staff and postgraduates to present research in progress in a friendly and constructive environment. As research students progress with their work, they are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to present their results in contexts outside of Nottingham, such as the annual Classical Association conference, the Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient Literature (AMPAL), the Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Ancient History (AMPAH), and the Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in the Reception of the Ancient World (AMPRAW). There are usually also opportunities for research students to develop their teaching skills through involvement in helping with the teaching of undergraduate seminars and/or language classes.