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Start date: September 2022
Our MSc Professional Human Osteoarchaeology course provides advanced instruction on the osteological methods, theories and techniques needed to identify and analyse human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts.
It highlights training for professional practice in the commercial sector, providing details on report writing, project pitches, health and safety, ethics and the law.
Archaeology at the University of Reading is a thriving and research-orientated department, with 97% of the Archaeology department’s research overall judged to be world leading, internationally excellent or internationally recognised in the latest REF (Research Excellence Framework 2014).
You will have the opportunity to learn directly from leading academics in modules that immediately relate to their areas of expertise. Our programme’s teaching staff have established international reputations for research in human osteology and chemical analysis specialising in the study of the life course (infants and children, puberty, old age) and diet.
Modules are designed to provide you with the key skills required for a professional career, following the ‘Osteology Specialist Competence Matrix’ published jointly by the British Association of Biological Anthropologists and Osteoarchaeologists (BABAO) and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). In addition, academic research and writing skills will enable you to engage with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), and Historic England’s Management of Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE).
The Department curates over 800 human skeletons providing an excellent resource for teaching human anatomy, analytical methods, adult and juvenile osteology, and palaeopathology in fully-equipped dedicated laboratories.
This programme has been developed in response to industry need, and in consultation with professional practitioners. You will have the opportunity to engage with professionals through talks and site visits, allowing you to develop vital contacts for your career.
This highly flexible degree is offered both part-time and full-time, and can be used to develop or advance vocational training, or provide a solid foundation for future research. Modules may also be studied on an individual basis as part of your continual professional development (CPD).
For more information, please visit the Department of Archaeology website.
Overview
Our MSc Professional Human Osteoarchaeology course provides advanced instruction on the osteological methods, theories and techniques needed to identify and analyse human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts.
It highlights training for professional practice in the commercial sector, providing details on report writing, project pitches, health and safety, ethics and the law.
Archaeology at the University of Reading is a thriving and research-orientated department, with 97% of the Archaeology department’s research overall judged to be world leading, internationally excellent or internationally recognised in the latest REF (Research Excellence Framework 2014).
You will have the opportunity to learn directly from leading academics in modules that immediately relate to their areas of expertise. Our programme’s teaching staff have established international reputations for research in human osteology and chemical analysis specialising in the study of the life course (infants and children, puberty, old age) and diet.
Modules are designed to provide you with the key skills required for a professional career, following the ‘Osteology Specialist Competence Matrix’ published jointly by the British Association of Biological Anthropologists and Osteoarchaeologists (BABAO) and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). In addition, academic research and writing skills will enable you to engage with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), and Historic England’s Management of Projects in the Historic Environment (MoRPHE).
The Department curates over 800 human skeletons providing an excellent resource for teaching human anatomy, analytical methods, adult and juvenile osteology, and palaeopathology in fully-equipped dedicated laboratories.
This programme has been developed in response to industry need, and in consultation with professional practitioners. You will have the opportunity to engage with professionals through talks and site visits, allowing you to develop vital contacts for your career.
This highly flexible degree is offered both part-time and full-time, and can be used to develop or advance vocational training, or provide a solid foundation for future research. Modules may also be studied on an individual basis as part of your continual professional development (CPD).
For more information, please visit the Department of Archaeology website.
The past 15 years have seen a particularly marked increase in the demand for burial archaeology, due to the growing number of infrastructure projects, housing developments, mineral extraction projects and church re-ordering projects, requiring large teams of professional osteologists. Reading's MSc in Professional Human Osteoarchaeology provides an essential bridge between an academic degree, and the demands of working within the sector.
Entry requirements
IELTS: 6.5 overall with no element less than 5.5 (or equivalent)
Entry requirements: A good second-class honours degree (2:1 or above), or equivalent from a university outside the UK. Previous subjects of study may include, but not be limited to archaeology, anthropology, history or biology.
Structure
Compulsory modules include:
Code | Module | Convenor |
---|---|---|
ARMEPP | In at the Deep End: Professional Practice | PROF Mary Lewis |
ARMIDB | Issues and Debates in Bioarchaeology | DR Gundula Müldner |
ARMSAS | Statistical Approaches: Making sense of your data | DR Rob Hosfield |
ARMSTD | Science and the Dead | DR Gundula Müldner |
ARMRPP | Research Project | PROF Mary Lewis |
ARMMSA | Musculo-Skeletal Anatomy | PROF Mary Lewis |
ARMPAC | Palaeopathology in Adults and Children | PROF Mary Lewis |
ARMAHR | Analysis of Human Remains | PROF Mary Lewis |
Fees
New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £TBC (to be confirmed for 2022 entry) per year
New international students: £TBC (to be confirmed for 2022 entry) per year
Tuition fee information
The fees listed are for full-time study, unless otherwise stated. Fee information will be confirmed in offer letters sent out to successful applicants. You can find further information, including information for part-time study, through our dedicated fees and funding page.
EU student fees
With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.
Additional costs
Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.
Financial support for your studies
You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.
Careers
The demand for trained and skilled archaeologists is set to grow exponentially over the next decade, due to a high number of large scale infrastructure and investment projects planned on a national scale, both in the UK and abroad.
This flexible programme provides the foundation for work within commercial archaeology companies, as curatorial and education staff in the museum sector, or within the University environment. It also prepares you for a PhD in bioarchaeology and related subjects.
As part of your experience, you may be invited to participate in osteology placements, or have the opportunity to produce professional human bone reports on small assemblages, excavated by staff in the department. You may also benefit from opportunities to work abroad on staff projects yielding human remains (e.g. Iran, Spain), and on samples from current research projects (e.g. Grave Goods, Crusades) that require post-excavation analysis, including human bone processing.