Postgraduate study
Edinburgh: Extraordinary futures await.

Archaeology MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Archaeology

This programme is taught by experts and specialists in fields such as:

  • European archaeology
  • Mediterranean archaeology
  • science-based archaeology
  • theoretical archaeology

It offers a range of courses and allows you to tailor your studies to suit your interests and take advantage of the experience of our staff, and those in related programmes in history, classics and geography. You will develop an in-depth understanding of archaeological methods and theories, their links with the historical, social and natural sciences, and aspects of archaeological practice.

The programme prepares you for a professional role in archaeology or further study at doctoral level.

Facilities

We have excellent facilities, including:

  • dedicated study space
  • archaeological and computing laboratories
  • teaching and reference collections

Edinburgh is ideal for archaeological study and research, allowing you to benefit from the presence of national and local institutions and heritage agencies, such as:

  • the excellent archaeological collections of the National Museum
  • the archival and bibliographic resources of Historic Environment Scotland
  • several commercial archaeology companies

Breadth of expertise

We have a  wide range of expertise covering different areas, time periods and themes, including

  • Bioarchaeology and isotope studies
  • Egyptology
  • Roman and ‘Celtic’ archaeology
  • The Byzantine World and Late Antiquity  
  • Megalithic monuments
  • Prehistory of Europe, the Mediterranean and North-East Africa
  • Early civilisations and urban societies
  • The archaeology of Scotland
  • Cultural heritage and sustainability
  • Digital heritage and heritage policy
  • Archaeomaterials analysis  
  • Human evolution
  • Conflict archaeology
  • Medieval archaeology
  • Computational archaeology
  • Marine and coastal archaeology
  • Buildings archaeology
  • Archaeological survey - Landscape Archaeology

Focal areas of research include:

  • Bioarchaeology/ Human Osteoarchaeology/ Biological Anthropology
  • Human–environment interactions
  • The transition from hunter-gatherer to farming communities
  • The development of complex societies
  • Cultural heritage perspectives on the past, present, and future

Our wide-ranging programme encompasses theory, methodology and practice. You will undertake a varied schedule of learning, including:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • practicals
  • individual supervisions

You will complete a compulsory course and select a further five options from a wide range on offer. We will help you to develop your research interests and choose a suitable dissertation topic.

The compulsory courses are:

  • Research Sources and Strategies in Archaeology

Option courses previously offered include those listed below. Option courses change from year to year and those available when you start your studies may be different from those shown in the list:

  • Archaeological Illustration
  • Bronze Age Civilisations of the Near East and Greece
  • Archaeology of 'Celtic' Europe: Communities and Interactions
  • The Hittites: The Archaeology of an Ancient Near Eastern Civilisation
  • Human Evolution
  • Conflict archaeology: materialities of violence
  • Biomolecular Archaeology: the appliance of science
  • Issues in Egyptian Archaeology: the Second Intermediate Period until the end of the Late Period
  • Quantitative Methods and Reasoning in Archaeology
  • Archaeology of Late Antique Religion
  • Handling Greek Pottery
  • Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs: The Basics and Beyond
  • Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs II: Texts and Contexts
  • The Archaeology of Children and Childhood
  • Theoretical Archaeology
  • Space, Place and Time: the archaeology of built environments
  • Practical Zooarchaeology
  • Themes in Egyptian archaeology: the foundations of the state to the end of the Middle Kingdom
  • Mariners, Monks and Mobility: the archaeology of the early medieval Atlantic Archipelago
  • Marine Archaeology

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScArchaeology1 YearFull-timeProgramme structure 2023/24
MScArchaeology2 YearsPart-timeProgramme structure 2023/24

You will acquire:

  • an understanding of the distinctive nature of archaeology and its contribution to a critical and informed understanding of the past
  • a good awareness of theoretical and methodological debates within archaeology
  • familiarity with a number of important fieldwork studies
  • a broad knowledge of archaeological methods, techniques and practices in current use

The programme will help you to develop potential research interests and to explore these with a view to progressing to further research. You will also acquire a range of transferable intellectual and practical skills.

Archaeology graduates can follow a variety of career options.

The programme equips you to go on to advanced study, and also provides a solid foundation for a career. You will gain practical as well as academic experience, team working and analytical skills, and will be able to work in a variety of contexts.

Examples of career paths available to archaeology graduates (although some may require additional training) include:

  • higher education
  • heritage management and agencies
  • commercial archaeology
  • teaching
  • tourism industry
  • broadcasting
  • police

An archaeology degree does not restrict you to a career in archaeology.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, a minimum US 3.25 GPA or international equivalent, in a subject related to this programme, preferably Archaeology or Classical Archaeology, or another degree in which Archaeology figures prominently (such as Anthropology in the case of applicants from the USA).

We will also consider an undergraduate degree in some other subjects such as History, Classics, Ancient History, and Geography if your personal statement demonstrates how you are equipped to undertake the programme.

Relevant experience, or professional or other qualifications will also be considered.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Tuition fees

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScArchaeology1 YearFull-timeTuition fees
MScArchaeology2 YearsPart-timeTuition fees

Featured funding

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

  • your programme
  • the duration of your studies
  • your residency status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • School of History, Classics & Archaeology
  • William Robertson Wing
  • Teviot Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9AG
Programme start date Application deadline
9 September 2024 31 July 2024

If you are applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

You must submit one reference with your application.

Please read the application guidance for more information:

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • School of History, Classics & Archaeology
  • William Robertson Wing
  • Teviot Place
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9AG