1.2 Researching the Right Archaeology Degree for You
This lesson outlines some of the most common archaeological degrees taught in the UK, highlighting the similarities and differences between them. The past is an enormous field to tackle, so degrees tend to either focus very broadly, or within a very specific niche. Your own personal interest and excitement in these focuses is what will make a degree right for you.
Types of Courses
ArchaeologyThe study of the human past through material remains such as artefacts, buildings, and landscapes. is a discipline regularly separated into different subcourses with varying focuses and topics. These usually share a number of central similarities, with broader focuses that shift depending on the institution and course.
| Course | Description |
|---|---|
| Archaeology BA | By far and away the most common archaeological course in the UK. These BA programmes are designed to be flexible and general, providing a firm base of understanding that can be honed and focused towards certain time periods, archaeological methods, or themes. If you are not sure what to apply to, go for this one. Chances are that within your first year of study you can even change to or from this course if desired. |
| Archaeology BSc | A less common course similar to the BA type. Also focusing on general purpose and flexibility, BSc Archaeology courses are more rooted in the scientific methods we use, and are a fascinating alternative for students who don’t mind statistics, mathematics, and diving deeper into biology and chemistry. |
| Archaeology of X | X being pretty much anything. Lots of universities offer courses such as “Archaeology and Ancient Civilisations” or “Medieval Archaeology”. At an undergraduate level these courses will tend to provide the same foundational information the more general courses do, while also providing specialisation and focusing from the beginning of a course. If you know you have a particular love of a certain time period or theme, it’s worth looking into a course focused on that. |
| ConservationThe professional care, preservation, and restoration of archaeological materials and sites, often requiring scientific expertise. | Conservation related courses are relatively rare, and are usually even more specialised than period/theme specific courses. These programmes are designed to give you the ability and knowledge requisite for the many different kinds of conservation in archaeology. Conservation is generally offered at a postgraduate level, but undergraduate courses are also possible. |
| Archaeology and Classics | Archaeology and Classics (sometimes called Archaeology and Ancient History) is a dual honours course where a university's archaeology and classics departments take an equal share in a student's teaching. These courses place you in a highly interdepartmental and interdisciplinaryInvolving two or more academic disciplines or areas of knowledge. situation. This is extremely valuable in a discipline as multidisciplinaryDrawing knowledge and methods from multiple academic disciplines. as archaeology, but can also mean you lose out on studying the breadth of archaeology - instead getting a lot of depth from both archaeology and classics. |
| Archaeology and AnthropologyThe study of humans, their societies, and cultures, often closely linked with archaeology in university degree programs. | Archaeology and Anthropology is another dual honours course where a university's archaeology and anthropology departments take an equal share in a student's teaching. This sort of course has all the advantages and drawbacks of the one above. |
These undergraduate degree courses can be subject to change at the universities’ discretion. To stay up to date, visit your university of choice on an open day or use their intranet page to stay informed about any changes to your course of interest.Note
One thing to remember about different archaeological courses is that in the first year of study they are likely to be extremely similar. An introduction of what archaeology is, how it is conducted, and the status of archaeology in Britain are all extremely likely. If you do apply to a course let yourself be flexible. Turn up to (audit) modules you’re interested in even if you aren’t signed up for them - just make sure to email/ask the lecturer first!