About this course
Explore another culture on this BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Year Abroad degree. Learn about the ancient world and understand the foundations of how we live today. You'll develop specialist knowledge in your chosen areas of study and learn in an engaging and supportive research environment. Research and archiving skills will prepare you for further study, or for a wide choice of careers, including heritage management and archaeological research.
Study ancient history and archaeology with year abroad to learn key topics in both subjects and experience another country.
You'll have the choice of a wide range of historical topics, from Ancient Egypt to the rise of Islam in the Middle East. You can also learn what happened during the conquests of Alexander the Great and at the end of the Roman Empire.
The complementary subject of archaeology is the study of the human past through its material remains. These include buildings, monuments, artefacts, biological remains, written sources and landscape.
On BA Ancient History and Archaeology Placement you can:
- spend your third year at a partner university in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea or Australia
- learn from experts in the ancient world (including history, archaeology, ancient and modern languages and literatures, philosophy and film)
- use cutting-edge technology to discover and map new sites, or develop archival research skills
- do at least 3 weeks of field work as part of an active research project, including excavating archaeological sites or collecting archaeological material from ploughed fields
- challenge yourself by learning Latin and Ancient Greek
Learn more about these subject areas
Course location
This course is based at Avenue.
Awarding body
This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.
Download the Course Description Document
The Course Description Document details your course overview, your course structure and how your course is taught and assessed.
Entry requirements
For Academic year 202324
A-levels
AAB to ABB including a Humanities subject*
A-levels additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Related subject includes subjects such as English, Philosophy, Politics, Law, Criminology, Sociology, Geography, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Students applying without History will need to make a case in their personal statement.
A-levels with Extended Project Qualification
If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer: ABB including a Humanities subject* and grade A in the EPQ
A-levels contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all applicants with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise an applicant's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme, as follows: ABB including a Humanities subject
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass, with 34 to 32 points overall with 17 to 16 points at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in a Humanities subject*
International Baccalaureate Diploma additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
International Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) statement
Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
BTEC
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Diploma plus A to B in an A level Humanities subject*. Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus A to B in an A level Humanities subject* Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus AA to AB to include an A level Humanities subject*
RQF BTEC
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.0
QCF BTEC
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Extended Diploma plus A to B in an A level Humanities subject*. or Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus A to B in an A level Humanities subject* or Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus AA to AB to include an A level Humanities subject*
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 39 must be at Distinction and 6 credits at Merit, to include 6 Distinctions in a Humanities subject* OR 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit, to include 6 Distinctions in a Humanities subject*
Access to HE additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Irish Leaving Certificate
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 to H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 including a Humanities subject*
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)
A2 A2 A2 B1 B1 B1 to A2 A2 B1 B1 B2 B2 including a Humanities subject* at B1
Irish certificate additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Scottish Qualification
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.
Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Cambridge Pre-U
D3 D3 M2 to D3 M2 M2 in three principal subjects including a Humanities subject*
Cambridge Pre-U additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Welsh Baccalaureate
AAB to ABB from 3 A levels including a Humanities subject* or AA to AB from two A levels including a Humanities subject* and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Welsh Baccalaureate additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Welsh Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Other requirements
GCSE requirements
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
Find the equivalent international qualifications for our entry requirements.
English language requirements
If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:
IELTS score requirements
- overall score
- 6.5
- reading
- 6.0
- writing
- 6.0
- speaking
- 6.0
- listening
- 6.0
We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.
You might meet our criteria in other ways if you do not have the qualifications we need. Find out more about:
- our Access to Southampton scheme for students living permanently in the UK (including residential summer school, application support and scholarship)
- skills you might have gained through work or other life experiences (otherwise known as recognition of prior learning)
Find out more about our Admissions Policy.
For Academic year 202425
A-levels
AAB to ABB including a Humanities subject*
A-levels additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Related subject includes subjects such as English, Philosophy, Politics, Law, Criminology, Sociology, Geography, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Students applying without History will need to make a case in their personal statement.
A-levels with Extended Project Qualification
If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer: ABB including a Humanities subject* and grade A in the EPQ
A-levels contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all applicants with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise an applicant's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass, with 34 to 32 points overall with 17 to 16 points at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in a Humanities subject*
International Baccalaureate Diploma additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
International Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) statement
Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
BTEC
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Diploma plus A to B in an A level Humanities subject*. Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus A to B in an A level Humanities subject* Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus AA to AB to include an A level Humanities subject*
RQF BTEC
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.0
QCF BTEC
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Extended Diploma plus A to B in an A level Humanities subject*. or Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus A to B in an A level Humanities subject* or Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus AA to AB to include an A level Humanities subject*
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 39 must be at Distinction and 6 credits at Merit, to include 6 Distinctions in a Humanities subject* OR 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit, to include 6 Distinctions in a Humanities subject*
Access to HE additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Irish Leaving Certificate
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 to H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 including a Humanities subject*
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)
A2 A2 A2 B1 B1 B1 to A2 A2 B1 B1 B2 B2 including a Humanities subject* at B1
Irish certificate additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Scottish Qualification
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.
Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Cambridge Pre-U
D3 D3 M2 to D3 M2 M2 in three principal subjects including a Humanities subject*
Cambridge Pre-U additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Welsh Baccalaureate
AAB to ABB from 3 A levels including a Humanities subject* or AA to AB from two A levels including a Humanities subject* and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Welsh Baccalaureate additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Geography, Law, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Welsh Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Other requirements
GCSE requirements
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
Find the equivalent international qualifications for our entry requirements.
English language requirements
If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:
IELTS score requirements
- overall score
- 6.5
- reading
- 6.0
- writing
- 6.0
- speaking
- 6.0
- listening
- 6.0
We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.
You might meet our criteria in other ways if you do not have the qualifications we need. Find out more about:
- our Access to Southampton scheme for students living permanently in the UK (including residential summer school, application support and scholarship)
- skills you might have gained through work or other life experiences (otherwise known as recognition of prior learning)
Find out more about our Admissions Policy.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
Course structure
In your first year, you'll focus on discovering the nature of archaeology and ancient history, and the relationship between these two disciplines.
In year 2 you'll enhance your knowledge of the human past and study historical and archaeological methodology. In your final year, you'll specialise in the study of selected periods, regions or themes.
During your year abroad, you'll record your experiences in a blog and produce an end-of-year report. You can also broaden your experience beyond ancient history and archaeology by choosing:
- interdisciplinary modules from another subject
- language modules, Latin or ancient Greek
You do not need to choose your modules when you apply. We'll guide you through the process before you start.
Year 1 overview
Compulsory modules will give you an introduction to the ancient world and to archaeological fieldwork and analysis.
You can also choose from optional modules. These cover topics such as:
- human origins
- death in the ancient world
- debates in archaeological science
Year 2 overview
You'll deepen your understanding of archaeology with at least 3 weeks of practical experience in a field school or research project in the UK or overseas.
You'll delve deeper into the issues and debates surrounding contemporary archaeology, as well as examining professional and academic practice in archaeology. You'll also prepare for your year abroad.
Optional modules include the studies of:
- bones, bodies and burials
- myths of the ancient world
- scientific diving
Year 3 overview
You'll study for a year at one of our partner institutions in locations such as:
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- France
- Germany
- Norway
- Poland
Alternatively, you can arrange an approved work placement.
Year 4 overview
You'll be able to follow your interests and complete a research project and dissertation on either ancient history or archaeology. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your planning, research, analysis, and communication skills. You'll also show how you engage with primary source materials.
You can choose from specialist module options, including:
- the Emperor Julian
- Ancient Egypt
- molecular archaeology
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
Modules
For entry in Academic Year 2023 to 2024
Year 1 modules
You must study the following modules in year 1:
Ancient Sources in Context
The history of the ancient world is hugely significant for understanding subsequent periods of history and the origins of ideas and institutions of global significance. However, the nature of the ancient world continues to be highly debated due to the sou...
Archaeological Methods for Fieldwork and Analysis
How do archaeologists find sites, gather data and proceed to make sense of archaeological traces? This module provides a detailed introduction to fieldwork methods and analysis, covering site prospection techniques (e.g., aerial photography and geophysica...
Introduction to the Ancient World
The Ancient World has profoundly influenced subsequent generations of history, and helps us to understand the foundations of today’s world. This module provides an introduction to this momentous period of history from Dark Age Greece to the emergence of I...
The development of Archaeological and Anthropological Thought
As is well-known, archaeology has very strong connections with other disciplines. This module explores how the study of archaeology has developed over the centuries, both as a discipline in its own right and as a sister discipline within Anthropology. It ...
Wonderful things: World history in 40 objects
As he broke the seal and opened the door to Tutankamun’s tomb, archaeologist Howard Carter declared, breathlessly, that he could see ‘Wonderful things’. Ancient things have this special appeal. They enchant and captivate. They excite curiosity and unleash...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 1:
Ancient and Medieval Worlds
Classics, Christianity and Islam: these are the three cultural forces which have shaped the modern west. All three impacted on the Mediterranean between between 1000BC and AD1000, and can be traced through the archaeology. In this module, you will have th...
Debates and Issues in Archaeological Science
The application of scientific techniques is increasingly embedded in archaeological studies and is an area where the UK currently leads the world. Techniques such as dating methods, the use of isotopes to reconstruct past diet or human migrations and the ...
Exploring Other Cultures
We understand that few students have had the previous opportunity to study social and cultural anthropology. In this introductory module you will consider questions like: What is anthropology? What do anthropologists study? What is it like to do anthropol...
From Constantine to Theodosius: Christians, Pagans and Emperors
The 4th century BCE was a time of upheaval and change. Christianity became established as the state religion of the Roman empire, the split between the eastern and western empire was cemented, and the first large group of Goths crossed the Roman border. I...
Introduction to Ethnography: Food and Culture
Biological science tells us what items in our world are potentially edible, but culture decides what constitutes food. Culture informs us as to whether a specific item is appropriate, appetising, valued, desirable, prohibited, restricted, staple or medici...
Landscapes and Seascapes of Britain’s Past
The landscapes and seascapes of Britain play host to one of the world’s most varied and intriguing archaeological records. With an occupational history spanning one million years, it tells a complex inter-twined story of social, physical and environmenta...
The Roman Army in Britain: life on the northern frontier
In this module, you will examine one of the greatest armies in European history. The Roman army has long excited interest, whether out of an interest in the past, or as a model for more recent military powers. The far-flung province of Britain hosted the ...
Year 2 modules
You must study the following modules in year 2:
Contemporary Issues and Debates in Archaeology
Contemporary archaeology operates within a broad remit: its traditional focus on understanding a deep past is now supplemented by studies of more recent material cultures, and issues of heritage, representation and the politics of the past. All of these d...
Professional and Academic Practice in Archaeology
Fieldwork is an integral part of the archaeological process and we want all our students to experience directly the generation of primary data by means of field and related practical activities. At the core of this module, therefore, is participation in a...
Study Abroad Preparation Module
This module will prepare you for study abroad. You are required to take out appropriate insurance policies and engage in on-going monitoring of risk and this module will provide professional input in both areas as well as rigorous assessment of the docume...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 2:
Ancient Greek Language Stage 1A
This is a beginner’s course in Ancient Greek Language with the emphasis on Classical Attic.
Ancient Greek Language Stage 1B
This is second half (Stage 1B) of a beginner’s course in Ancient Greek Language with the emphasis on Classical Attic.
Ancient Greek Philosophy
Philosophy has always progressed by being aware of its past, and it has been said that the legacy of the ancient Greek thinkers to Western philosophy is nothing less than Western philosophy itself. The ancients invented our subject, and Plato and Aristotl...
Ancient Greeks at War
From the legendary tales of the Trojan War up to the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great, warfare played a central role in ancient Greek history and society. This module allows you to examine ancient Greek warfare from a range of different sources a...
Ancient Rome: the First Metropolis
This module focusses on the city of Rome and its development from its early foundation through to the third century AD. It explores the evidence for one of the most important cities of the ancient world, which at its height was home to approximately a mil...
Bones, bodies and burials: osteology and comparative anatomy
This module examines the variation within the mammalian skeleton from an evolutionary and functional perspective. Additionally, it gives an overview of the main methodological and theoretical issues in the retrieval, treatment and interpretation of bone f...
Cosmology, Ritual and Belief
This module is concerned with how people in different cultures make sense of their world. The spiritual beliefs and ritual practices of a range of different cultures across the world are considered together with some of the ways in which anthropologists ...
Digging Data: quantitative data analysis in Archaeology
Archaeology is an immensely data-rich activity that records the characteristics of sites, landscapes and artefacts, sometimes in great detail. Making sense of that data often relies on quantitative or statistical methods to identify patterns, associations...
Experimental Archaeology: the social prehistory of technology
This module will engage you with prehistoric societies and their available economic options through the active reconstruction and evaluation of their technologies. Knapped stone is the oldest-known surviving technology, and persisted until the 1950s, whe...
Human Dispersal and Evolution
This module explores human evolution in the context of expanding and contracting populations. We shall review the evolutionary landscape and the big questions that face archaeologists. We shall cover the hominin fossil record, learning about the major spe...
Imperial China: From China’s mythical emperors to the 19th century
This module will discuss Chinese history from its mythical beginnings to the 19th century (the time when China encountered the West). We will encounter famous figures like the philosopher Confucius, discuss the origins of the Silk Road and the Great Wall,...
Introduction to Ethnography: Food and Culture
Biological science tells us what items in our world are potentially edible, but culture decides what constitutes food. Culture informs us as to whether a specific item is appropriate, appetising, valued, desirable, prohibited, restricted, staple or medici...
Introduction to European Prehistory
The 10,000 years from the end of the last glacial to the emergence of Roman as a major European power were marked by dramatic changes in subsistence, social organisation, material worlds and cosmology. This module provides an introduction to the major the...
Introduction to Film Studies
This module will familiarise you with the basic principles of film form, narrative and style. It will introduce specialist terminology needed to describe formal elements of audio-visual language and foster your analytical ability in the interpretation of ...
Introduction to Scientific Diving
This fifteen credit module will introduce you to the theoretical, logistic, technical and legislative issues that have to be addressed if the theory and practice of archaeology are to be successfully applied in the investigation of sites underwater - thes...
Maritime Archaeology
This course aims to give students a sound introduction to the way archaeology is carried out underwater.
Myth and the Ancient World
What are myths and what do they do? In “Myth and the Ancient World” you will explore how the Ancient Greeks used myths to make sense of the world and their position in it. The module covers a time span of some 900 years, from the time of Homer and Hesiod ...
Peasants, Empresses and Holy Virgins: Women in Late Antiquity
Late Antiquity can be narrated as a period of powerful emperors, domineering bishops, and barbarian warlords. In this module we will be looking, instead, at the lives and agency of women during the same period. We look at women’s legal and social status a...
Rome: Politics and Power
The ancient Roman elite was highly competitive, with families and individuals fighting for control and influence in all spheres of social and political life, in elections, in the law courts, in the arenas, theatres, and temples of Rome, and outside of the...
The Life and Afterlife of the Vikings
Blood, violence, terror, raids, pirates, rape and pillage are just some of the words associated with the Vikings in both the medieval and modern imagination. Their fearsome reputation is underlined by nicknames such as ‘Blood Axe' and ‘Skull-splitter', bu...
The power of Rome: Europe’s first empire
The Roman empire has held the imagination of successive generations. Conquest by Rome brought social, cultural and economic change to large swathes of what is now Europe, the Middle East and north Africa. Never before or after did these parts of the world...
Year 3 modules
You must choose your modules from the following modules in year 3:
Year 4 modules
You must study the following modules in year 4:
Ancient History Dissertation
The dissertation is a key component of your degree; in it you have a chance to show the skills of analysis and research you have learned during the three years of your programme.
Archaeology Dissertation
The dissertation is a key component of your degree, and the culmination of your programme of study. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate the skills of planning, research, data collation, analysis, and communication that you have learned during your p...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 4:
A Short History of the Ethics of War
Wars have been fought throughout the history of mankind. Ethical concerns that they raised, or, in other words, the rights and wrongs of waging war, have been discussed from time immemorial. War has often been seen as an evil, a necessary evil, to be avoi...
Ancient Greek Language Stage 1A
This is a beginner’s course in Ancient Greek Language with the emphasis on Classical Attic.
Ancient Greek Language Stage 1B
This is second half (Stage 1B) of a beginner’s course in Ancient Greek Language with the emphasis on Classical Attic.
Archaeology of Seafaring
Seafaring lies at the heart of human activity across the world and has taken place from the earliest times to the present day. Reflecting this, in recent years the study of seafaring has become an increasingly important area in our understanding of the hu...
Cultures in Contact: A Diverse Ancient World
Ancient History goes beyond Greece and Rome. The ancient world was incredibly diverse, inhabited by different cultures, religions, and societies which were closely connected and left their mark on each other, through interaction, conflict, and exchange. I...
Cultures in Contact: Resisting Rome
This module explores the Roman Empire, but from the perspective of those who resisted it, fought it, and rebelled against it. The study of the ancient world, throughout its different periods, is greatly influenced by Rome. Starting from its expansion duri...
Ecology of human evolution: biological, social and cultural approaches to hominin adaptations.
This module explores human evolution in terms of physiological, social and cultural adaptations. It explores human ecology in the broad sense, combining not just cultural and social variability, but also physiological adaptations in past and present-day h...
Framing the Past:Stardom, History and Heritage in the Cinema
This module explores cinema’s relationship to the past, whether distant, as in that of ancient Greece, Rome or Egypt, or from a more recent history.
GIS for Archaeology
This module aims to acquaint you with Geographic Information Systems including their use for mapping and analysing archaeological sites and landscapes, and to explain the broader context of their application to a range of archaeological research and manag...
Later Anglo-Saxon England
This module examines the major social, economic and cultural developments that took place in England during the period between c. 800 and c. 1100 AD. It makes use of evidence from diverse disciplines, including the study of documentary, archaeological, ar...
Living with the Romans: Urbanism in the Roman Empire
The towns in which the Romans lived are some of the most familiar features of the Roman world. Although they seem to look and feel like modern towns, they actually worked in quite different ways, a reflection of the fact that ancient Roman society was dis...
Molecular Archaeology
The extraction and characterization of ancient molecules and the measurement of stable and radioactive isotopes has revolutionized archaeology over the past two decades and remains at the cutting edge of archaeological science. From the identification of ...
More than Pyramids & Pharaohs? Ancient Egypt in Context
The module provides an introduction to the history and archaeology of ancient Egypt. The module provides a broad sweep of Egyptian history from the Predynastic through to later periods. It introduces aspects of death, burial and commemoration, compares an...
Presenting the past: Museums and Heritage
In this module we will examine how knowledge about the past is presented in museum exhibition and display. We will look at current practices in exhibition design and discuss the contemporary literature on communicating heritage to a range of audiences. Yo...
Reading Histories
The culmination of your history degree at Southampton will be the completion of your final year independent research dissertation (HIST3021 for History programmes or HIST3210 for Ancient History programmes). In this module you will learn how to apply the ...
Seeing beneath the soil: geophysical survey for archaeology
The development of geophysical survey methods has provided archaeologists with a wholly new approach to buried archaeological remains allowing - in some circumstances - plans of entire archaeological sites to be obtained prior to any excavation. The use o...
Stonehenge to Skara Brae: the Neolithic of Britain
The Neolithic period heralds some of the most momentous changes in human history; it is the period when prehistoric people began to live in permanent settlements and adopted agriculture. In Britain, this period is dominated by rich evidence for large monu...
The Archaeology and Anthropology of Adornment
The impulse to adorn the body is as old as human history. This module explores the extraordinary variety of ways in which people have adorned their bodies in a range of archaeological and anthropological contexts, from body painting and tattooing, to the ...
Learning and assessment
The learning activities for this course include the following:
- lectures
- classes and tutorials
- coursework
- individual and group projects
- independent learning (studying on your own)
Course time
How you'll spend your course time:
Year 1
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 1:
How we'll assess you
- dissertations
- essays
- individual and group projects
- written and practical exams
Your assessment breakdown
Year 1:
Year 2
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 2:
How we'll assess you
- dissertations
- essays
- individual and group projects
- written and practical exams
Your assessment breakdown
Year 2:
Academic support
You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.
Course leader
John McNabb is the course leader.
Careers
You'll graduate with a wide range of transferable skills such as research, critical thinking, analysis and team working. Career skills are embedded at every stage of our courses and certain modules offer specific teaching in reasoning and communication. Our graduates have secured roles as diverse as:
- academic librarian
- archaeologist
- conservator
- archivist
- heritage manager
- historic buildings inspector
- museum curator
- secondary school teacher
- civil servant
Our ancient history and archaeology degrees are also a good foundation for further study at master's or PhD level.
Careers services at Southampton
We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you. This support includes:
- work experience schemes
- CV and interview skills and workshops
- networking events
- careers fairs attended by top employers
- a wealth of volunteering opportunities
- study abroad and summer school opportunities
We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.
Work in industry
You can choose to spend a year in employment during this course.
Fees, costs and funding
Tuition fees
Fees for a year's study:
- UK students pay £9,250.
- EU and international students pay £22,300.
What your fees pay for
Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations.
Find out how to:
Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:
Bursaries, scholarships and other funding
If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £25,000 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.
If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.
Get in touch for advice about student money matters.
Scholarships and grants
You may be able to get a scholarship or grant to help fund your studies.
We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from under-represented backgrounds.
Support during your course
The Student Services Centre offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.
Funding for EU and international students
Find out about funding you could get as an international student.
How to apply
When you apply use:
- UCAS course code: V1V4
- UCAS institution code: S27
What happens after you apply?
We will assess your application on the strength of your:
- predicted grades
- academic achievements
- personal statement
- academic reference
Some candidates will be invited to a selection day, which will include an interview. If the admissions tutor decides to invite you to a selection day, you'll receive an email. This will include information on how to prepare and what to expect during the session.
We'll aim to process your application within 2 to 6 weeks, but this will depend on when it is submitted. Applications submitted in January, particularly near to the UCAS equal consideration deadline, might take substantially longer to be processed due to the high volume received at that time.
Equality and diversity
We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
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PhDs and research degrees
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Find a PhD project
- A missing link between continental shelves and the deep sea: Have we underestimated the importance of land-detached canyons?
- A seismic study of the continent-ocean transition southwest of the UK
- A study of rolling contact fatigue in electric vehicles (EVs)
- Acoustic monitoring of forest exploitation to establish community perspectives of sustainable hunting
- Acoustic sensing and characterisation of soil organic matter
- Advancing intersectional geographies of diaspora-led development in times of multiple crises
- Aero engine fan wake turbulence – Simulation and wind tunnel experiments
- Against Climate Change (DACC): improving the estimates of forest fire smoke emissions
- All-in-one Mars in-situ resource utilisation (ISRU) system and life-supporting using non-thermal plasma
- An electromagnetic study of the continent-ocean transition southwest of the UK
- An investigation of the relationship between health, home and law in the context of poor and precarious housing, and complex and advanced illness
- Antarctic ice sheet response to climate forcing
- Antibiotic resistance genes in chalk streams
- Assessing changes in astronomical tides on global scales
- Being autistic in care: Understanding differences in care experiences including breakdowns in placements for autistic and non-autistic children
- Biogeochemical cycling in the critical coastal zone: Developing novel methods to make reliable measurements of geochemical fluxes in permeable sediments
- Bloom and bust: seasonal cycles of phytoplankton and carbon flux
- British Black Lives Matter: The emergence of a modern civil rights movement
- Building physics for low carbon comfort using artificial intelligence
- Building-resolved large-eddy simulations of wind and dispersion over a city scale urban area
- Business studies and management: accounting
- Business studies and management: banking and finance
- Business studies and management: decision analytics and risk
- Business studies and management: digital and data driven marketing
- Business studies and management: human resources (HR) management and organisational behaviour
- Business studies and management: strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship
- Carbon storage in reactive rock systems: determining the coupling of geo-chemo-mechanical processes in reactive transport
- Cascading hazards from the largest volcanic eruption in over a century: What happened when Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted in January 2022?
- Characterisation of cast austenitic stainless steels using ultrasonic backscatter and artificial intelligence
- Climate Change effects on the developmental physiology of the small-spotted catshark
- Climate at the time of the Human settlement of the Eastern Pacific
- Collaborative privacy in data marketplaces
- Compatibility of climate and biodiversity targets under future land use change
- Cost of living in modern and fossil animals
- Creative clusters in rural, coastal and post-industrial towns
- Deep oceanic convection: the outsized role of small-scale processes
- Defect categories and their realisation in supersymmetric gauge theory
- Defining the Marine Fisheries-Energy-Environment Nexus: Learning from shocks to enhance natural resource resilience
- Desert dune avalanche processes modern ancient environments
- Design and fabrication of next generation optical fibres
- Developing a practical application of unmanned aerial vehicle technologies for conservation research and monitoring of endangered wildlife
- Development and evolution of animal biomineral skeletons
- Development of all-in-one in-situ resource utilisation system for crewed Mars exploration missions
- Disturbance and recovery of benthic habitats in submarine canyon settings
- Ecological role of offshore artificial structures
- Effect of embankment and subgrade weathering on railway track performance
- Efficient ‘whole-life’ anchoring systems for offshore floating renewables
- Electrochemical sensing of the sea surface microlayer
- Engagement with nature among children from minority ethnic backgrounds
- Enhancing UAV manoeuvres and control using distributed sensor arrays
- Ensuring the Safety and Security of Autonomous Cyber-Physical Systems
- Environmental and genetic determinants of Brassica crop damage by the agricultural pest Diamondback moth
- Estimating marine mammal abundance and distribution from passive acoustic and biotelemetry data
- Evolution of symbiosis in a warmer world
- Examining evolutionary loss of calcification in coccolithophores
- Explainable AI (XAI) for health
- Explaining process, pattern and dynamics of marine predator hotspots in the Southern Ocean
- Exploring dynamics of natural capital in coastal barrier systems
- Exploring the mechanisms of microplastics incorporation and their influence on the functioning of coral holobionts
- Exploring the potential electrical activity of gut for healthcare and wellbeing
- Exploring the trans-local nature of cultural scene
- Facilitating forest restoration sustainability of tropical swidden agriculture
- Faulting, fluids and geohazards within subduction zone forearcs
- Faulting, magmatism and fluid flow during volcanic rifting in East Africa
- Fingerprinting environmental releases from nuclear facilities
- Flexible hybrid thermoelectric materials for wearable energy harvesting
- Floating hydrokinetic power converter
- Glacial sedimentology associated subglacial hydrology
- Green and sustainable Internet of Things
- How do antimicrobial peptides alter T cell cytokine production?
- How do calcifying marine organisms grow? Determining the role of non-classical precipitation processes in biogenic marine calcite formation
- How do neutrophils alter T cell metabolism?
- How well can we predict future changes in biodiversity using machine learning?
- Hydrant dynamics for acoustic leak detection in water pipes
- If ‘Black Lives Matter’, do ‘Asian Lives Matter’ too? Impact trajectories of organisation activism on wellbeing of ethnic minority communities
- Illuminating luciferin bioluminescence in dinoflagellates
- Imaging quantum materials with an XFEL
- Impact of neuromodulating drugs on gut microbiome homeostasis
- Impact of pharmaceuticals in the marine environment in a changing world
- Impacts of environmental change on coastal habitat restoration
- Improving subsea navigation using environment observations for long term autonomy
- Information theoretic methods for sensor management
- Installation effect on the noise of small high speed fans
- Integrated earth observation mapping change land sea
- Interconnections of past greenhouse climates
- Inverse simulation: going from camera observations of a deformation to material properties using a new theoretical approach
- Investigating IgG cell depletion mechanisms
- Is ocean mixing upside down? How mixing processes drive upwelling in a deep-ocean basin
- Landing gear aerodynamics and aeroacoustics
- Lightweight gas storage: real-world strategies for the hydrogen economy
- Long-term change in the benthos – creating robust data from varying camera systems
- Machine learning for multi-robot perception
- Machine learning for multi-robot perception
- Mapping Fishing Industry Response to Shocks: Learning Lessons to Enhance Marine Resource Resilience
- Marine ecosystem responses to past climate change and its oceanographic impacts
- Mechanical effects in the surf zone - in situ electrochemical sensing
- Microfluidic cell isolation systems for sepsis
- Microplastics and carbon sequestration: identifying links and impacts
- Microplastics in the Southern Ocean: sources, fate and impacts
- Migrant entrepreneurship, gender and generation: context and family dynamics in small town Britain
- Miniaturisation in fishes: evolutionary and ecological perspectives
- Modelling high-power fibre laser and amplifier stability
- Modelling soil dewatering and recharge for cost-effective and climate resilient infrastructure
- Modelling the evolution of adaptive responses to climate change across spatial landscapes
- Nanomaterials sensors for biomedicine and/or the environment
- New high-resolution observations of ocean surface current and winds from innovative airborne and satellite measurements
- New perspectives on ocean photosynthesis
- Novel methods of detecting carbon cycling pathways in lakes and their impact on ecosystem change
- Novel technologies for cyber-physical security
- Novel transparent conducting films with unusual optoelectronic properties
- Novel wavelength fibre lasers for industrial applications
- Ocean circulation and the Southern Ocean carbon sink
- Ocean influence on recent climate extremes
- Ocean methane sensing using novel surface plasmon resonance technology
- Ocean physics and ecology: can robots disentangle the mix?
- Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal: Assessing the utility of coastal enhanced weathering
- Offshore renewable energy (ORE) foundations on rock seabeds: advancing design through analogue testing and modelling
- Optical fibre sensing for acoustic leak detection in buried pipelines
- Optimal energy transfer in nonlinear systems
- Optimal energy transfer in nonlinear systems
- Optimizing machine learning for embedded systems
- Oxidation of fossil organic matter as a source of atmospheric CO2
- Partnership dissolution and re-formation in later life among individuals from minority ethnic communities in the UK
- Personalized multimodal human-robot interactions
- Preventing disease by enhancing the cleaning power of domestic water taps using sound
- Quantifying riparian vegetation dynamics and flow interactions for Nature Based Solutions using novel environmental sensing techniques
- Quantifying the response and sensitivity of tropical forest carbon sinks to various drivers
- Quantifying variability in phytoplankton electron requirements for carbon fixation
- Reconciling geotechnical and seismic data to accelerate green energy developments offshore
- Resilient and sustainable steel-framed building structures
- Resolving Antarctic meltwater events in Southern Ocean marine sediments and exploring their significance using climate models
- Robust acoustic leak detection in water pipes using contact sound guides
- Silicon synapses for artificial intelligence hardware
- Smart photon delivery via reconfigurable optical fibres
- Southern Ocean iron supply: does size fractionation matter?
- The Gulf Stream control of the North Atlantic carbon sink
- The Mayflower Studentship: a prestigious fully funded PhD studentship in bioscience
- The calming effect of group living in social fishes
- The duration of ridge flank hydrothermal exchange and its role in global biogeochemical cycles
- The evolution of symmetry in echinoderms
- The impact of early life stress on neuronal enhancer function
- The oceanic fingerprints on changing monsoons over South and Southeast Asia
- The role of iron in nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis in changing polar oceans
- The role of singlet oxygen signaling in plant responses to heat and drought stress
- Time variability on turbulent mixing of heat around melting ice in the West Antarctic
- Triggers and Feedbacks of Climate Tipping Points
- Uncovering the drivers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease progression using patient derived organoids
- Understanding ionospheric dynamics machine learning
- Understanding recent land-use change in Snowdonia to plan a sustainable future for uplands: integrating palaeoecology and conservation practice
- Understanding the role of cell motility in resource acquisition by marine phytoplankton
- Understanding the structure and engagement of personal networks that support older people with complex care needs in marginalised communities and their ability to adapt to increasingly ‘digitalised’ health and social care
- Understanding variability in Earth’s climate and magnetic field using new archives from the Iberian Margin
- Unpicking the Anthropocene in the Hawaiian Archipelago
- Unraveling oceanic multi-element cycles using single cell ionomics
- Unravelling southwest Indian Ocean biological productivity and physics: a machine learning approach
- Up, up and away – the fate of upwelled nutrients in an African upwelling system and the biogeochemical and phytoplankton response
- Using acoustics to monitor how small cracks develop into bursts in pipelines
- Using machine learning to improve predictions of ocean carbon storage by marine life
- Vulnerability of low-lying coastal transportation networks to natural hazards
- Wideband fibre optical parametric amplifiers for Space Division Multiplexing technology
- Will it stick? Exploring the role of turbulence and biological glues on ocean carbon storage
- X-ray imaging and property characterisation of porous materials
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