Archaeology
University of Central Lancashire
UCAS Code: V401 | Master of Science (with Honours) - Msci (Hon)
Entry requirements
96 to 112 UCAS points at A2
96 to 112 UCAS points
GCSE/National 4/National 5
5 GCSEs at Grade C/4 or above including Maths and English or equivalent. Equivalent qualifications are Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English or Level 3 Key Skills in Maths and Communication.
96 to 122 UCAS points at Higher Level subjects
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
96 to 112 UCAS points
96 to 112 UCAS points
UCAS Tariff
About this course
**Course Overview**
- Accredited by both the Chartered Institute for Archaeology and University Archaeology UK, with hands-on fieldwork at its core, MSci Archaeology is designed to be the ideal start to a professional archaeology career.
- Archaeology is a multidisciplinary practical degree. It produces graduates with sought-after transferable skills including critical analysis, communication and team working.
- From week one you will be in the field learning these skills on a real archaeological excavation. During the degree you’ll examine and interpret a variety of evidence from human remains, Palaeolithic stone tools, Anglo-Saxon jewellery and the latest ancient DNA evidence.
- As well as lectures and tutorials, you’ll spend time each year on placement in the UK and/or abroad, working on excavations, making real discoveries and helping carry out cutting-edge research. Our graduates have been on digs at Avebury and Stonehenge in Wiltshire, Neolithic settlements and tombs in Orkney and an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in Cambridgeshire, to name but a few.
In the fourth year the MSci students transition to a supervisor role, experiencing day-to-day management of an archaeological project. In addition, they undertake a major piece of independent research often involving their own field or laboratory work. With the mixture of academic understanding, practical skills and fieldwork experience, the MSci in Archaeology is ideal for those seeking a career in archaeology.
**Why study with us**
- Spend 14 weeks in the field, working on real research excavations across the UK, making significant finds while developing both specialist and transferrable skills and knowledge.
- Undertake a major independent research project on a topic of your choice in the 4th year, further developing your skills and employability.
- We have state-of-the-art facilities, including an on-campus training excavation site, archaeological science lab, soil flotation unit, dedicated human bone labs, 3D scanners and cutting-edge excavation equipment.
**Further Information**
Modules
Year 1: Compulsory modules; The Archaeology of Britain, History of Archaeological Thought, Introduction to Archaeology, Study Skills & IT for Archaeology, Introduction to Osteology and Anthropology, Optional modules (one is selected; not all are available each year): Bones, Bodies and Burials, Museums, Heritage and History, Other electives are available across the University
Year 2: Compulsory modules; Archaeological Research & Study, Archaeological Fieldwork I, Thinking About the Past: Archaeological Theory,
Optional modules (choose three modules from this list; not all modules are available each year): Environmental Change, Forensic Anthropology, Later Bronze Age and Iron Age Britain, Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Britain and Ireland, Roman and Post Roman Britain, Hunter Gatherers: Past and Present, Life and Death in Medieval Britain, Archaeology of the Modern World
Year 3: Compulsory modules; Archaeological Project, Archaeological Fieldwork II, Introduction to Professional Practice, Optional modules (choose three modules from the list below; not all modules are offered each year); Forensic Taphonomy, Hunter Gatherers: past and present, Neolithic & Early Bronze Age Britain, Later Bronze Age & Iron Age Britain, Roman and Post-Roman Britain, Life & Death in Medieval Britain, Archaeology of the Modern World, Designing Exhibitions for Museums
Year 4: Compulsory modules; Research Methods, Approaches to Archaeology, Archaeological Fieldwork III, Research Project (triple module)
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University of Central Lancashire
School of Natural Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Archaeology
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
History and archaeology
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
Want to do a job in the arts - with lots of the great outdoors? Try archaeology! There don't tend to be many archaeology undergraduates out there (just under 700 graduated in 2015) - but it's quite a popular subject at postgraduate level. In fact, over a quarter of archaeology graduates take some kind of further study when they graduate - usually more study of archaeology. When you look at the stats, be aware that junior jobs in archaeology are not always well paid at the start of your career, and that temporary contracts are not uncommon. Thankfully, though, unpaid work, whilst not completely gone, is less common than it used to be. The archaeology graduates of 2015 found jobs in archaeology, of course, but also management and heritage and environment work, as well as more conventional graduate jobs in marketing and the finance industry.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
History and archaeology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£20k
£26k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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