Archaeology MA

Durham University

Drawing on the wealth of expertise and experience within the department, the MA in Archaeology offers you the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to build a fascinating and challenging career in commercial archaeology or in research.

The course is available as a full-time option over one year or part-time over two years and features specialist modules, taught classes and workshops alongside dissertation research. You will also have the opportunity to engage with the broader student community within the department by participating in shared research, presentation and practical skills learning, and through discussions and events.

An exceptionally wide scope of research expertise exists within Durham’s Department of Archaeology, and you can draw on this expert knowledge to advance your own area of archaeological interest. Subjects offered include the Palaeolithic period of western Europe, through Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe to the Classical archaeology of the Greek and Roman worlds, through Egyptology, the archaeology of the ancient and Islamic Near East and Arabia to Buddhism in South Asia and trade in the Indian Ocean, as well as the archaeology of the medieval, post-medieval and historic periods.

During the course, you will also develop your abilities and experience in areas such as the collection, management and analysis of archaeological data and materials, current archaeological approaches, methods and practice and the presentation of archaeological research.

Our MA in Archaeology will undoubtedly equip you for a wide range of careers in archaeology, cultural heritage management, research in the academic world, cultural research and journalism, as well as many other careers that have a cultural or heritage focus.

Course Structure

Core module

Research and Study Skills in Social Archaeology provides you with an understanding of the latest tools, skills and methods for learning, research and presentation in archaeology. You will be shown how to think critically about source material, how to use bibliographic research and resources such as libraries, databases, online sources as well as other sources including archives, grey literature and maps.

You will be introduced to compiling and using databases, and the use of visual presentations, tools and conventions. Your dissertation will challenge you to practise, develop and demonstrate your research skills involving published literature and the compiling of new data on a specific research topic. The Dissertation is an opportunity for you to carry out in depth research on a particular area of the course of your choice. Under the guidance of your assigned dissertation supervisor, you will familiarise yourself with published literature on your chosen topic, develop a research design, collect data and draw your own conclusions.