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MSci

Archaeology

Attendance

Campus

Start

Book an Undergraduate Open Day

Duration

4 Years

Start

September 2023

UCAS Code

V401

Delivery

Campus Taught

Accredited by both the Chartered Institute for Archaeology and University Archaeology UK, with hands-on fieldwork at its core, MSci Archaeology is designed to be the ideal start to a professional archaeology career.

Archaeology is a multidisciplinary practical degree. It produces graduates with sought-after transferable skills including critical analysis, communication and team working.

From week one you will be in the field learning these skills on a real archaeological excavation. During the degree you’ll examine and interpret a variety of evidence from human remains, Palaeolithic stone tools, Anglo-Saxon jewellery and the latest ancient DNA evidence.

As well as lectures and tutorials, you’ll spend time each year on placement in the UK and/or abroad, working on excavations, making real discoveries and helping carry out cutting-edge research. Our graduates have been on digs at Avebury and Stonehenge in Wiltshire, Neolithic settlements and tombs in Orkney and an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Cambridgeshire, to name but a few.

In the fourth year the MSci students transition to a supervisor role, experiencing day-to-day management of an archaeological project. In addition, they undertake a major piece of independent research often involving their own field or laboratory work. With the mixture of academic understanding, practical skills and fieldwork experience, the MSci in Archaeology is ideal for those seeking a career in archaeology.

Why study with us

Spend 14 weeks in the field, working on real research excavations across the UK, making significant finds while developing both specialist and transferrable skills and knowledge.
Undertake a major independent research project on a topic of your choice in the 4th year, further developing your skills and employability.
Our Archaeology courses are ranked 6th in the UK for overall satisfaction, whilst ranked top nationally for organisation and management and 3rd for learning opportunities (National Student Survey 2022).

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What you’ll do

You’ll have the flexibility to delve into the specialist areas that interest you most, with option units in everything from cultural anthropology to human remains.
We have an experienced team of research-active staff, with an excellent staff-student ratio – ensuring you’ll have plenty of personal support and attention.
Your learning will be assessed through real-life projects, such as client reports, radio broadcasts and articles that help build your skills rather than end of year exams.

Module overview

Course delivery

This course is taught face-to-face at one of our UK campuses.

100%Face-to-face

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

View the course facilities

We have state-of-the-art facilities, including an on-campus training excavation site, archaeological science lab, soil flotation unit, dedicated human bone labs, 3D scanners and cutting-edge excavation equipment.

Accreditations

This course has been accredited by the CifA. Nationally we are one of only seven universities to receive this accreditation. In their report, assessors commented that "The focus on excavation and field archaeology is clearly a unique selling point of the department, and it is clear that students leave with an unparalleled level and range of experience."

Future careers

Our MSci (Hons) Archaeology course offers the specialist knowledge and hands-on skills you’ll need to explore a career in this competitive and fascinating profession.

Archaeology offers more career opportunities in the UK than some might think. It’s a profession that provides more than 5,000 jobs, in over 200 companies and contributes over £100m to the UK economy every year, in both the public and the private sector. Historic England have highlighted the need for more trained archaeologists over the coming decades years, due to the surge in major infrastructure projects.

Today, you’ll find our Archaeology graduates working for a number of different contracting archaeological organisations, while others are working in museums or doing research degrees at a variety of UK universities. With the wide range of desirable transferrable skills our course offers, our graduates have also excelled in other career paths, including teaching, research companies or other areas.

You could also use this course as a foundation for further study. After an integrated master’s degree such as MSci Archaeology you are particularly well qualified to take on a separate postgraduate qualification after you graduate.

Fees and funding

2022/23

Full-time£9250 per year

Part-time£1540 per 20 credits

International

Full-time£14250 per year

2023/24

Full-time£9,250 per year

Sandwich year£1,385 for the sandwich year

Part-time£1,540 per 20 credits

International

Full-time£14,900 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country and see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

This extremely practical course is split between the classroom and the field, not to mention the independent study you’ll do in the library and at home. So, as well as classes on campus, you’ll spend at least 14 weeks on placement in the UK and/or abroad – working on real excavations and helping to do cutting-edge research. While we organise many research projects, you can also organise your own placements with external organisations, either here or abroad.

The course is primarily coursework-based and assessments are designed to help you develop your skills. During excavation you'll receive weekly feedback on how to improve your practical archaeology skills. Essay and real-world report writing will help develop your written communication skills. Presentations, radio broadcasts, and video blogs will improve your verbal communication. Continued assessment in lab books will ensure analytical skills develop. Independent study and the dissertation will help develop your critical analysis and independence.