Archaeology
University of Nottingham
UCAS Code: V400 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Pass access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at level 3. Of the 45 level 3 credits at least 24 should be achieved at merit or above.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Extended Project
If you have already achieved your EPQ at Grade A you will automatically be offered one grade lower in a non-mandatory A level subject. If you are still studying for your EPQ you will receive the standard course offer, with a condition of one grade lower in a non-mandatory A level subject if you achieve an A grade in your EPQ.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Considered on an individual basis. Please contact the school for further information.
Considered on an individual basis. Please contact the school for further information.
Considered on an individual basis. Please contact the school for further information.
Scottish Advanced Higher
including Scottish Highers BBBBB.
Scottish Higher
This qualification is only acceptable when combined with Advanced Higher grades BB and above.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
This qualification is considered alongside other UoN accepted qualifications such as A Levels.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
We are constantly making new discoveries that change our understanding of past human societies.
At Nottingham, archaeology covers the human story from prehistory to the development of the modern world. Using your foundation knowledge from year one, you will select specialist modules such as human bones or medieval castles to complete your degree.
On this course, you will complete 20 days of archaeological fieldwork. This includes taking part in an approved excavation project, or a related placement, in the UK or overseas.
In the core module, 'Communicating the Past' you will consider how best to present heritage to the public, working in groups to create an interactive activity based on your studies. Recent project titles have included:
- Europe’s Ice Age Hunter-Gatherers – museum exhibition design
- Hadrian’s Wall – an Archaeology Escape Room experience
- HMS Royal George – a digital shipwreck tour
- Seeking out Nottingham’s Past – an Archaeology puzzle game
- Travel the Apennine Way – Roman Board Game
- We work closely with the British Geological Survey and the University Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre, and offer artefact-handling sessions and educational projects at the on-campus University Museum.
Throughout the course, you will gain an understanding of archaeological theory and practice, and a broad view of human culture from around the world. You can also take subsidiary modules from other departments – such as history, philosophy or history of art – or study a language.
Modules
You will take 120 credits each year.
In year one your core modules cover the general principles and scientific methods of archaeology. You will also study some of the key aspects and periods. You will also choose from optional modules, some of which will include elements of ancient history and classical civilisations, and some of which can be from other departments, including languages.
There is a requirement for you to complete 20 days of archaeological fieldwork or other professional experience, with funding available to support this.
In year two you will study a core module in archaeological research, preparing you for your third-year dissertation work, as well as the Communicating the Past module.
Through optional archaeology modules you will explore a range of periods in European and Mediterranean archaeology. Some modules will include elements of ancient history and classical civilisations. As with year one you may also choose from a range of complementary modules in other subjects
In your third year you will undertake your own research project, presented as a dissertation, with the support of a member of staff. In addition you will choose from a variety of optional modules covering a wide array of archaeological topics and periods from prehistory to the medieval world. Some modules will include elements of ancient history and classical civilisations. You may also choose up to 20 credits from choose from a range of complementary modules in other subjects
Placement and volunteering opportunities are available in the School of Humanities, as well as via the Nottingham Advantage Award.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University Park Campus
Department of Classics and Archaeology
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.
£20k
£26k
£31k
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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You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
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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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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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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