Archaeology MSc

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.

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.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

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.
• 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:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

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).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Tuition fees

Featured funding

• UK students: School of History, Classics & Archaeology Masters Scholarships
• International students: School of History, Classics & Archaeology funding schemes

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.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding