Archaeology combines the interest in past societies and the lives of ancient people with modern methods of investigation, borrowed from the humanities and sciences. Detective work is required to paste together evidence from literature, historic texts, archives, excavations, animal and plant remains, human bones, geophysical surveys, aerial photographs, chemical tracers, ancient DNA and many other areas. Studying a graduate course in Archaeology is the start of a career that can take you around the world. Why not start your international career now by studying a graduate program in Archaeology?

 

Which Degree?

To gain specialist training or deepen your understanding of a particular branch of archaeology, a graduate course is a must. Some graduate programs are research-oriented and prepare students for further research, for example at PhD level. Others are more vocational and mainly provide practical skills training. Most courses, however, include both elements and hence make it easier for students to choose the direction of their future career after they have completed a course.

Why Graduate Study?

Most organisations require specialist qualifications for their more senior positions and are hence looking for graduates with either a Masters or Diploma degree. A Masters degree is an excellent foundation for further research at PhD level and many doctoral programs expect that applicants have already gained subject knowledge and research skills through a graduate program. The in-depth research of such advanced courses in Archaeology may be required for the most senior posts in an organisation, not to mention a career in academia. Graduate degrees can hence be seen as stepping-stones for any more advanced position in archaeology, involving insight, judgement and a thorough understanding of the subject.

What Will I Learn?

There are many different graduate courses in archaeology, ranging from being very broad (e.g. MA in Archaeology) to very specific (e.g. MSc in Archaeological Prospection). The former allow great flexibility in the design of the modules that make up the course and this will be reflected in the number of available option choices. The latter may have a clearly prescribed path of study, condensing all-important material into a very focussed degree program. Most archaeology courses at graduate level will also include a dissertation that allows students to work on an extensive project and undertake substantial research. The extent of such independent work, its supervision and the resources available vary considerably between different universities and colleges and are often a good indicator for how much research is included in a graduate degree. Laboratory and field classes are important aspects of archaeological training but require a lot of resources and support from a university or college. If you are particularly interested in such hands-on training it is important to enquire about the support for, and number of, such activities.

Whether you already know how you want your future career to go or if you have started work in the field and feel you can benefit from more training, a graduate degree in archaeology is bound to enhance your prospects. Furthermore, studying a graduate program overseas increases your breadth of skills and knowledge, which you can apply in your future career as an archaeologist. The next step is to find the right archaeology graduate course that suits your needs and caters for your interests!

 

With thanks to:
Armin Schmidt (A.Schmidt@Bradford.ac.uk)
Course manager MSc Archaeological Prospection
Department of Archaeological Sciences, University of Bradford
www.bradford.ac.uk/archsci