Archaeology Bioarchaeology (MSc)

You’ll need the minimum of a 2:1 degree in archaeology, anthropology, geography, biology, history or a related subject.

Find the equivalent international qualifications for your country.

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:

We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.

Recognition of professional experience

If you’ve been away from formal study for some time we’ll assess your relevant professional experience, your subject knowledge and your aptitude for learning.

Your application will be considered on individual merit and you may be asked to attend an interview.

Got a question?

Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000

Your studies will run for a full year, from September to the following September.

If you’d like to take longer to complete this master’s you can study part-time over 2 to 5 years.

If you decide that you’d like to change to a different archaeology specialism within the first 2 weeks of term you’ll be able to change your degree.

Throughout your studies we’ll encourage you to engage with the wider research community through attending and presenting at seminars, workshops or conferences. In the summer you’ll focus on your personal research project, which you’ll complete with guidance from a personal supervisor.

What you'll study

This degree gives you ultimate flexibility; you can choose modules from the full range of available archaeology modules. You can also:

• include up to 30 credits from final-year undergraduate archaeology modules
• gain credit through practical placements with other organisations such as museums and heritage sites
• choose to study a module from another University department, subject to the approval of the course leader

Each module requires at least 150 hours of study time. As a full-time student you’re likely to be on campus up to 4 days a week.

Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.

Learning

This course involves a lot of practical lab work as well as seminars and lectures. Learning highlights include:

• summative bone fragment testing
• skeletal identification and methodology
• writing publication standard zooarchaeological reports
• using zooarchaeological data
• osteological analysis of human skeletons

Assessment

You'll be assessed through:

• essays and portfolios
• group presentations
• written exams and reports
• digital projects
• mapping packages
• field, laboratory, and practical tests

Dissertation

Your dissertation is a personal research project which has a 20,000-word limit and takes about 600 hours to complete. You must take the dissertation module to complete this course unless otherwise agreed with the course coordinator.

Your learning and assessment will depend on the modules you take. Explore course modules for full details.

Academic Support

Your contact hours will vary depending on your module/option choices. Full information about contact hours is provided in individual module profiles.

90% of our archaeology master’s graduates are in employment or further study 6 months after graduation (Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey).

Your research project could set you on the road to an academic or research career, and could end up being published in an academic journal. Many of our graduates go on to complete PhD studies.

You’ll gain lots of practical, vocational experience on the course. Most students go on to work in archaeology, the heritage industry and science. Job roles have included:

• bioarchaeologist
• archaeologist
• maritime archaeologist
• project officer
• trainee geophysicist
• community outreach
• coastal process scientist
• civil servant
• teacher
• forensic scientist

Our graduates have gone on to work for:

• Wessex Archaeology
• Historic Scotland
• Heritage Lottery Fund
• Geophysical Surveys of Bradford
• Channel Coastal Observatory
• Portsmouth City Council
• Maritime Archaeology Trust
• Maritime and Coastguard Agency

Your experience here will set you up with many transferable skills that will be valuable whatever career path you choose. You’ll gain experience of team working, presentation skills, networking and data analysis.

Careers services at Southampton

We're a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout your time as a student and for up to 5 years after graduation. This support includes:

• work experience schemes
• CV/resume and interview skills workshops
• networking events
• careers fairs attended by top employers
• a wealth of volunteering opportunities
• study abroad and summer school opportunities

We have a thriving entrepreneurship culture. You'll be able to take advantage of:

• our dedicated start-up incubator, Futureworlds
• a wide variety of enterprise events run throughout the year
• our partnership in the world’s number 1 business incubator, SETsquared

Tuition fees

Fees for a year's study:

• UK students pay £9,250.
• EU and international students pay £21,000.

Check fees for other versions of this course.

What your fees pay for

Your fees also cover:

• the majority of the cost of fieldwork trips
• up to £350 transport costs for placements

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:

• accommodation costs

• living costs

• budgeting advice

10% alumni discount

If you’re a graduate of the University of Southampton you get a 10% discount on your postgraduate tuition fees.

Postgraduate Master’s Loans (UK nationals only)

This can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master's course. Find out if you're eligible.

International Postgraduate Taught Merit Scholarship

You are eligible for this scholarship if you:
•    are an international student who hasn't taken a Master's with us before
•    are enrolling to start a Master's in September 2021
•    gained a 1st class honours degree at undergraduate level

If you meet these criteria you'll be awarded an automatic £3,000 scholarship. This will mean a £3,000 reduction in your tuition fees. We'll confirm your scholarship in your offer letter.

Unfortunately this offer isn't open to UK / EU students.

Full terms and conditions.

Southampton Humanities Postgraduate Global Talent Scholarship

Twenty scholarships of £5,000 are available to international students joining our postgraduate master’s courses at the School of Humanities in September 2023.

Find out more about the Southampton Humanities Postgraduate Global Talent Scholarship, including eligibility, deadlines and how to apply.

Southampton Arts and Humanities Deans Global Talent Scholarship

Ten scholarships of £10,000 each are available to international students studying for an undergraduate degree or a postgraduate master’s degree in Arts and Humanities.

Find out more about the Southampton Arts and Humanities Deans Global Talent Scholarship, including eligibility, deadlines and how to apply.

Other postgraduate funding options

A variety of additional funding options may be available to help you pay for your master’s study. Both from the University and other organisations.

Funding for EU and international students

Find out about funding you could get as an international student.

1. Use the 'apply for this course' button on this page to take you to our online application form.
2. Search for the course you want to apply for.
3. Complete the application form and upload any supporting documents.
4. Submit your application.

Application deadlines

The deadline for applying for your course for the 2023 year of entry depends on where you're domiciled (where your permanent home is and where you have the closest ties).

This is because:

• students from different countries tend to apply at different times of year
• we want a diverse and balanced mix of international students with exceptional academic ability

We must receive new applications by midday GMT.

The deadlines may still move to:

• an earlier date if we have already received enough applications before the deadline
• a later date if there are still places available on the deadline

We receive many high-quality applications, so places for many of our courses are very competitive.

Application assessment fee

We’ll ask you to pay a £50 application assessment fee if you’re applying for a postgraduate taught course.

This is an extra one-off charge which is separate to your tuition fees and is payable per application. It covers the work and time it takes us to assess your application. You’ll be prompted to pay when you submit your application which won’t progress until you've paid.

If you're a current or former University of Southampton student, or if you’re applying for certain scholarships, you will not need to pay the fee. PGCE applications through GOV.UK and Master of Research (MRes) degree applications are also exempt. Find out if you’re exempt on our terms and conditions page.

Supporting information

When you apply you’ll need to submit a personal statement explaining why you want to take the course. 

You’ll need to include information about: 

• your knowledge of the subject area
• why you want to study a postgraduate qualification in this course
• how you intend to use your qualification

You'll also need to send 2 academic references. 

Please include the required paperwork showing your first degree and your IELTS English language test score (if you are a non-native English speaker) with your application. Without these, your application may be delayed.

You may also be asked to provide:

• a degree transcript
• evidence of professional qualifications

What happens after you apply

You'll be able to track your application through our online Applicant Record System.

We'll assess your application on the strength of your:

• academic achievements
• relevant professional experience
• personal statement
• academic references

We will aim to send you a decision 6-8 weeks after you have submitted your application.

If we offer you a place, you will need to accept the offer within 30 working days. If you do not meet this deadline, we will offer your place to another applicant.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to give you specific feedback on your application if you are unsuccessful.

Equality and diversity

We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.

Got a question?

Please contact us if you're not sure you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.

Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000