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CHOOSE A SUBJECT
2023/24
2024/25
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MA Archaeology

  • Year of entry
    2024/25
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  12 months Part Time: 24 months
  • Year of entry
    2024/25
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  12 months Part Time: 24 months

The MA Archaeology is a flexible degree that prepares you for a career in research, the commercial sector or heritage management.

Archaeology at the University of Reading is a thriving and research-orientated department. The University of Reading is ranked 1st in the UK for research quality and research outputs in Archaeology (Times Higher Education Institutions Ranked by Subject, based on its analysis of the latest Research Excellence Framework 2021). Join us as you take thematic and skills-based options that integrate social and scientific techniques for a deeper understanding of the past.

This course allows you to discover archaeology for the first time, or deepen your existing knowledge. You will gain an effective grounding in archaeological practice and research, with the opportunity to study a suite of modules from prehistory to the medieval period. Alternatively you can opt to follow a focused pathway, enabling you to concentrate your studies on our specialised research areas through your dissertation, and core period modules.

You will also have access to advanced facilities in the Department of Archaeology, including fully-equipped and dedicated laboratories for human skeletal remains and animal bone analysis, stable isotope analysis, microscopic suite and an MA study room. Our analytical suite is extensive, allowing students to access a range of techniques for their research projects.

Our assessments are varied, providing a mix of vocational and research opportunities, including:

  • poster and conference presentations
  • article critiques
  • essays
  • seminar presentations
  • professional reports
  • in-class practical assessments

Class sizes are kept to a minimum but vary depending on the modules selected.

You may also have the opportunity to participate in staff research excavations in Europe (Crusades project), the Isle of Islay, or more locally at an Anglo-Saxon monastery in the vicinity of Holy Trinity church in village of Cookham. 

Research in Archaeology is nurtured by world-class research clusters. These clusters provide an interdisciplinary environment for advancing social and scientific approaches to past communities and environments as well as issues of fundamental significance, including environmental change, health, diet, social diversity and inclusivity, and cultural heritage. We benefit from excellent resources for both humanities-based and science-based archaeological research, and have strong research links and collaborations with departments across the University and external institutions.

As part of your degree you can take an optional Research and Enterprise Placement module, during which you will be placed with a member of staff, or with a museum or archaeological unit such as the British Museum or Oxford Archaeology, to gain experience of working within an external commercial environment.

You can also get a feel for the course by checking out a taster session recording, delivered by academics from the Department.

Overview

The MA Archaeology is a flexible degree that prepares you for a career in research, the commercial sector or heritage management.

Archaeology at the University of Reading is a thriving and research-orientated department. The University of Reading is ranked 1st in the UK for research quality and research outputs in Archaeology (Times Higher Education Institutions Ranked by Subject, based on its analysis of the latest Research Excellence Framework 2021). Join us as you take thematic and skills-based options that integrate social and scientific techniques for a deeper understanding of the past.

This course allows you to discover archaeology for the first time, or deepen your existing knowledge. You will gain an effective grounding in archaeological practice and research, with the opportunity to study a suite of modules from prehistory to the medieval period. Alternatively you can opt to follow a focused pathway, enabling you to concentrate your studies on our specialised research areas through your dissertation, and core period modules.

You will also have access to advanced facilities in the Department of Archaeology, including fully-equipped and dedicated laboratories for human skeletal remains and animal bone analysis, stable isotope analysis, microscopic suite and an MA study room. Our analytical suite is extensive, allowing students to access a range of techniques for their research projects.

Our assessments are varied, providing a mix of vocational and research opportunities, including:

  • poster and conference presentations
  • article critiques
  • essays
  • seminar presentations
  • professional reports
  • in-class practical assessments

Class sizes are kept to a minimum but vary depending on the modules selected.

You may also have the opportunity to participate in staff research excavations in Europe (Crusades project), the Isle of Islay, or more locally at an Anglo-Saxon monastery in the vicinity of Holy Trinity church in village of Cookham. 

Research in Archaeology is nurtured by world-class research clusters. These clusters provide an interdisciplinary environment for advancing social and scientific approaches to past communities and environments as well as issues of fundamental significance, including environmental change, health, diet, social diversity and inclusivity, and cultural heritage. We benefit from excellent resources for both humanities-based and science-based archaeological research, and have strong research links and collaborations with departments across the University and external institutions.

As part of your degree you can take an optional Research and Enterprise Placement module, during which you will be placed with a member of staff, or with a museum or archaeological unit such as the British Museum or Oxford Archaeology, to gain experience of working within an external commercial environment.

You can also get a feel for the course by checking out a taster session recording, delivered by academics from the Department.

Entry requirements

IELTS: 6.5 overall with no element less than 5.5 (or equivalent)

Entry requirements: Normally a good undergraduate honours degree (2:1 or above), or equivalent from a university outside the UK. Your degree should be in archaeology, history, environmental studies or any related field.

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score, you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree. 

  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Structure

  • Modules

Compulsory modules

Theoretical Approaches and Contemporary Challenges in Archaeology

Explore the different approaches to archaeological theory as you compare their strengths, weaknesses and relevance. You’ll articulate complex arguments on approaches to subjects such as gender and identity, sustainability and global challenges, examining the inferences archaeologists make on human behaviour of the past and tackling how archaeology can help build a better future. 

Dissertation

Embark on an independent project that critically evaluates current problems at the forefront of archaeological method and theory. You’ll evaluate primary and published sources, analyse primary data, and potentially conduct original archaeological fieldwork.   

Optional modules

From Excavation to Publication: Professional Practice in Archaeology

Learn pre-evacuation and post-excavation techniques as you follow an excavation project from start to finish. You’ll plan an excavation from inception to completion, creating a Post-Excavation Site Report using stratigraphic evidence and site data.  

Themes and Approaches in the Study of Mesopotamia

Examine themes, issues and approaches in the archaeology of Iraq (Mesopotamia), with a focus on the early urban societies of the region, ca. 4000-1500BC. You’ll gain a systematic understanding and critical awareness of current knowledge and issues in studies of changes in Mesopotamian during this period.  

Material Culture and Identities in the Roman Empire 

Becoming Urban in the Middle Ages 

Food and Culture 

Research and Enterprise Placement 

Interpreting the Neolithic and Bronze Age of Britain 

Archaeological Graphics 

Contemporary Issues and Debates in Heritage and Cultural Property 

These are the modules that we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £10,800

New international students: £22,350

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.

  • See list of Archaeology scholarships

 

Careers

Our recent graduates have gone on to further study through funded PhD projects, as well as finding employment in professional archaeology, museums, publishing, journalism, radio and television, the heritage and leisure industries, the fields of conservation including the natural and built environment, government office, and teaching.

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