University of Birmingham
Archaeology & Ancient History and History BA (Hons)
University of Birmingham

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews of 220 graduates of Archaeology & Ancient History and History BA (Hons) and other courses in History at University of Birmingham for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in History.

Overall student satisfaction
80 /100
220 total respondents

Primarily based on data from undergraduate degree students.

The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in History

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of History at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £26000 £25000 £31000
25-75 percentile range £23000 - £28500 £21000 - £30500 £25000 - £39500


Salary of all UK Graduates of History

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £24405 £22643 £27403
25-75 percentile range £20545 - £28120 £17457 - £28376 £20781 - £35411

Course Description

The University of Birmingham's Archaeology & Ancient History and History degree is taught in an intellectually challenging and stimulating environment, focused on ensuring you are a fully supported and active learner.

You will explore the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Western Asia, Greece and Rome, the prehistoric and historic societies of Europe and Britain though to the Middle Ages, and then follow events around the world almost to the present day. During the course you will have the chance to study unfamiliar territory and to question some of the myths, preconceptions and prejudices that surround the three disciplines. By interpreting historical and archaeological evidence together, you can build a rounded picture of the life and culture of these societies.

You will be taught by ancient historians specialising in the period, archaeologists whose expertise covers north-west Europe, Classical Greek and Roman societies, early medieval states in Europe and the Mediterranean and historians whose interests are global in cultural, social, diplomatic, military, political, economic or religious history.

We place a distinctive emphasis on the combination of archaeological and historical approaches in the study of the ancient world, and the range of expertise available across the three disciplines ensures that a wide choice of periods, countries and cultures may be studied.

Why study this course?

Breadth of expertise - While many Ancient History programmes focus on Greece and Rome, at the University of Birmingham you will have the opportunity to study a wide range of ancient societies with exciting opportunities for specialisation in Archaeology, Ancient History, or both disciplines. Immerse yourself in an ancient language – Take advantage of learning another languages and dive deeper into literatures that will shape your knowledge of the Classics. Personalised support – Benefit from smaller class sizes including one-to-one support on coursework and feedback whilst also becoming part of our ever-growing careers network of highly skilled graduates. Learn from the very best – You will study alongside some of the finest minds in the field. Times Higher Education ranked the Department in the Top 10 in the country for its performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework exercise Unparalleled access to history - Explore our Cadbury Research Libraries collections consisting of over 200,000 rare books dating from 1471 and more than four million manuscript items. Be a part of an exciting department – You will join a lively University environment with many opportunities to enhance your student experience, including the highly active Birmingham Ancient History, Classics and Archaeology Society (BACAS), which organises events such as film nights and museum trips throughout the academic year.

Top 10 for Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology in the Guardian University Guide 2023

8th Times Higher Education ranked the Department of History 8th in the country for its performance in the latest Research Excellence Framework exercise 2021 based on a Grade Point Average

Top 10 for History in the Complete University Guide 2023

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Archaeology & Ancient History and History BA (Hons) at University of Birmingham

23% Media Professionals
13% Skilled trades occupations
8% Leisure, travel and related personal service occupations
7% Managers, directors and senior officials
7% Elementary occupations
5% Artistic, literary and media occupations
4% Web and Multimedia Design Professionals
3% Sales occupations
3% Business and public service associate professionals
3% Administrative occupations

Grading & Study Time

Grading Distribution

Students of the course received the following grades

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for this course

Qualification requirements

Including a relevant subject/science @ C or above (80 UCAS tariff points)

31-30 overall or 665-655 in 3 HL subjects.

Requirements for international students / English requirements

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

    • 6.5
    • Graduate Degrees
    • (no subscore less than 6.0)
    • 6.5
    • Undergraduate Degrees
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Archaeology & Ancient History and History, BA (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Archaeology & Ancient History and History BA (Hons)

Ireland £9250 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Scotland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
Channel Islands £9250 year 1

Additional fee information

For details of the annual tuition fee for International Students please see the course web page listed in the 'course details' section above.

If you are made an offer to study by the University, the yearly tuition fee will be stated in your offer letter.

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

  • year 1 (Default entry point)

University Rankings

Positions of University of Birmingham in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of University of Birmingham in related subject specific rankings.

Social Studies & Humanities

    • #13 
    • #14 
    History
    CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
    [Published 08 June, 2023]
    • #8 
    • #21 
    History
    URAP University Ranking by Academic Performance - By Field
    [Published 22 July, 2023]
    • #36 
    • #43 
    History
    The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
    [Published 09 September, 2023]
    • #13 
    • #51 
    History
    QS World University Rankings By Subject
    [Published 22 March, 2023]

See all 35 university rankings of University of Birmingham

About University of Birmingham

The University of Birmingham is a research university based in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England. The university’s aim is to be at the cutting edge of educational delivery, and to have their curriculum be continually reshaped by new revelations in research. The main campus is situated a reasonable three miles away from Birmingham city centre, which doesn’t take long to get to via bus if the student decides they’d like to spend some of their free time there.

List of 469 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Birmingham - Course Catalogue

Student composition of University of Birmingham

undergraduates:
24385
postgraduates:
9185
Total:
33570
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Where is this programme taught

Main Site
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