About this course
From the Aztecs and Maya to Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and the medieval world, you'll study the story of human activity and the origins of civilisation. You'll gain an understanding of how human societies came into being, how and why they changed over time, and the underlying reasons for human diversity today. In your final year, you'll develop in-depth knowledge and skills in a specific area of archaeology.
Archaeology is the study of the human past through its material remains. This integrated undergraduate and Master's degree will teach you the many methods and techniques we use to find, excavate and investigate historical sites and materials.
During your studies, you'll learn how to handle, describe and interpret archaeological objects and data. As you become more confident, you'll recognise and interpret your finds in the field and carry out advanced archaeological techniques.
The undergraduate grounding (following the framework of the BA in Archaeology) will give you a foundation in archaeology. The final year enables you to develop your own interests in specialist fields so that you can target the career path you want to follow. For example, you could choose to move into commercial archaeology or the museums and heritage sector.
This course is flexible so you can choose your own path. You'll have options to focus on areas like:
museums and heritage management
studying human and animal bones
environmental impact assessment
maritime archaeology
We have a purpose-built archaeology building, equipped with the latest science-based laboratories. You'll gain hands-on experience with archaeological artefacts and materials, and receive the practical training needed for a career in archaeology.
Archaeology students also gain a wide range of transferable skills such as:
evidence-based reasoning
problem-solving
project management
We’re also offering up to 10 bursaries of £1000 each to incoming students (subject to criteria). These are from the Terry Mason Bursary and the University of Southampton Archaeology Bursary Fund.
You can download the course details, including modules, in the programme specificationPDF opens in a new window (PDF, 415.83 KB).
Location and awarding body
The course location is Avenue campus in Southampton. The awarding body is University of Southampton.
Entry requirements
A-levels
AAB to ABB
A-levels additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Specific offer is ascertained at interview.
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass, with 34 to 32 points overall with 17 to 16 points at Higher Level
International Baccalaureate Diploma additional information
Specific offer is ascertained at interview. Applications where Higher Level subjects have been studied without the full Diploma, will also be considered on a case by case basis.
BTEC
Distinction, Distinction, Distinction to Distinction, Distinction, Merit in the BTEC National Extended Diploma
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus A to B in an A level
Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus AA to AB in two A levels
BTEC additional information
Specific offer is ascertained at interview.
Other qualifications
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 and grade A in the EPQ
A-levels contextual offer
Students who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme, as follows:
ABB
International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) offer
Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) StatementPDF opens in a new window (PDF, 62.17 KB) for further information.
Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
BTEC (RQF) (reformed)
Distinction, Distinction, Distinction to Distinction, Distinction, Merit in the BTEC Extended Diploma.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus A to B in an A level
Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus AA to AB in two A levels
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
OR
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit
Access to HE Diploma additional information
Specific offer is ascertained at interview.
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 to H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)
A2 A2 A2 B1 B1 B1 to A2 A2 B1 B1 B2 B2
Irish Leaving Certificate additional information
Specific offer is ascertained at interview.
Scottish Qualification offers
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, 111.01 KB) 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
Cambridge Pre-U additional information
Specific offer is ascertained at interview.
Welsh Baccalaureate
AAB to ABB from 3 A levels
or
AA to AB from two A levels and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Welsh Baccalaureate additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. Specific offer is ascertained at interview.
European Baccalaureate
80% overall
OR
77% overall
GCSE requirements
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
English language requirements
All applicants must demonstrate they possess at least a minimum standard of English language proficiency. Applicants requiring a visa to study in the UK who do not offer GCSE English language (or GCSE English) at the required level will need to meet the following English language proficiency requirement. Find out more about the University’s English Language requirements.
Band C IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components
IELTS score requirements
- reading
- 6
- writing
- 6
- speaking
- 6
- listening
- 6
We also accept other English language tests.
Non-academic entry requirements
There are no additional requirements
International qualifications
Find a list of accepted international qualifications listed by country.
This is a list of the international qualifications that are recognised by the University of Southampton. If you are not sure that your qualifications meet the requirements of this course please contact our Admissions Teams.
Other ways to qualify
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.
Course structure
Your first 3 years will follow the track of the BA in Archaeology. The fourth year gives you the chance to develop your interests with an integrated Master's degree.
During your fourth year, you can choose to focus on a particular area or to continue with a broad curriculum. You'll have the freedom to shape your degree to suit your interests by choosing modules from a wide range of options.
Throughout your studies, you can choose to complete 25 per cent of the course programme in another subject, such as modern languages or ancient history.
Year 1
Compulsory modules provide you with a grounding in archaeology, fieldwork and analysis. These cover the development of archaeological and anthropological thought, and the archaeological methods needed for fieldwork and analysis.
You'll also be able to choose from a range of optional modules which cover periods and topics such as:
human origins
landscapes and seascapes of Britain's past
the ethnography of food and culture
a study of world history through 40 historical objects
Year 2
You will develop your understanding of how archaeology relates to the modern world. You'll also prepare for fieldwork with at least 3 weeks of practical experience in a field school or research project in the UK or overseas. In addition to these compulsory modules, you can choose modules from a wide range of approaches and periods, including:
body and society
archaeological dating
landscapes of conflict
scientific diving
Year 3
You'll develop your own specialist interest with a dissertation on a research topic of your choice. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your planning, research, data collation, analysis, and communication skills.
You'll also take a further 6 modules from a wide range of options. You'll be able to specialise in different periods, regions or methods in archaeology. For example, you could study:
Neolithic Britain, Iron Age societies or Ancient Egypt
museums and heritage
geographic information systems (GIS)
molecular archaeology
Year 4
In your final year, you will follow Masters-level modules. An important part of year 4 is your dissertation, which is a research project completed with guidance from a personal supervisor. It takes place over both semesters of your fourth year, and must involve original research and high-quality formal presentation of material.
For your optional modules, you can embark on a focus area such as:
ancient Mediterranean seafaring
cultural heritage within environmental impact assessment
bioarchaeology
Palaeolithic archaeology
You can also choose to take a professional placement in the archaeological and cultural heritage sector. This will give you the chance to go beyond the lecture room to a placement in an archaeological unit, a museum, or laboratory for example.
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
Modules
Modules year 1
Compulsory modules
You must take the following compulsory modules in year 1:
- Archaeological Methods for Fieldwork and Analysis
- The development of Archaeological and Anthropological Thought
Optional modules
You can choose from the following optional modules in year 1:
Modules year 2
Compulsory modules
You must take the following compulsory modules in year 2:
Optional modules
You can choose from the following optional modules in year 2:
- Arabian Nights and Days: The World of the 1001 Nights
- Archaeological Survey for Landscapes and Monuments
- Body and Society
- Bones, bodies and burials: osteology and comparative anatomy
- Critical Chronologies: Archaeological dating
- Digging Data: quantitative data analysis in Archaeology
- Human Dispersal and Evolution
- Introduction to European Prehistory
- Introduction to Scientific Diving
- Landscapes of Conflict
- Maritime Archaeology
- The Life and Afterlife of the Vikings
- The power of Rome: Europe’s first empire
Modules year 3
Compulsory modules
You must take the following compulsory modules in year 3:
Optional modules
You can choose from the following optional modules in year 3:
- Archaeology of Seafaring
- Ecology of human evolution: biological, social and cultural approaches to hominin adaptations.
- GIS for Archaeology
- Iron Age Societies
- Later Anglo-Saxon England
- Living with the Romans: Urbanism in the Roman Empire
- Molecular Archaeology
- More than Pyramids & Pharaohs? Ancient Egypt in Context
- Presenting the past: Museums and Heritage
- Seeing beneath the soil: geophysical survey for archaeology
- Specialist Research Topic in Archaeology
- Stonehenge to Skara Brae: the Neolithic of Britain
- The Archaeology and Anthropology of Adornment
Modules year 4
Compulsory modules
You must take the following compulsory modules in year 4:
Optional modules
You can choose from the following optional modules in year 4:
- Analysis of archaeological faunal remains
- Ancient Mediterranean Seafaring
- Applied Maritime Archaeology
- Bioarchaeology of Human Remains
- Contexts for Human Origins Research
- Cultural Heritage within Environmental Impact Assessment
- Maritime Aspects of Culture
- Maritime Museums and Heritage Management
- Materials, Technology and Social Life
- Nautical Archaeology
- Palaeopathology in Context
- Professional Placement in the Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Sector
- Professional Practice
- The Analysis of Palaeolithic Stone Tool Assemblages
- Themes in Osteoarchaeology
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)
Support for your studies
You'll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.
How you’ll spend your study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study, year by year:
Year 1
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 22%
- Independent study
- 78%
- Placement
- 0%
Year 2
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 20%
- Independent study
- 80%
- Placement
- 0%
Year 3
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 14%
- Independent study
- 86%
- Placement
- 0%
Year 4
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 12%
- Independent study
- 88%
- Placement
- 0%
Course leader
Simon Davies is the course leader.
How we’ll assess you
We’ll assess you using:
- coursework, laboratory reports and essays
- essays
- individual and group projects
- oral presentations
- written and practical exams
Your assessment breakdown, year by year:
Year 1
- Written exam
- 13%
- Practical exam
- 11%
- Coursework
- 76%
Year 2
- Written exam
- 31%
- Practical exam
- 0%
- Coursework
- 69%
Year 3
- Written exam
- 13%
- Practical exam
- 9%
- Coursework
- 78%
Year 4
- Written exam
- 12%
- Practical exam
- 0%
- Coursework
- 88%
Careers
An archaeology degree is excellent preparation for future employment, offering a balance of sciences and arts, and providing a range of practical and intellectual components. With a highly respected degree that demonstrates your intellectual and problem-solving capabilities, plus transferable team-work, project management and evidence-based research skills, you'll be welcome in a wide range of other sectors. This degree is also a great foundation for further study at PhD level.
Our archaeology graduates move into a wide range of industries, including:
professional archaeology
museums and the heritage sector
cartography and aerial photography
animation and virtual reality game design
police and forensic services
the NHS
local government and planning
You'll also get support from your personal academic tutor and an employability coordinator, who can advise you on your career path throughout your course.
Contact us to speak to a careers advisor.
Careers services at Southampton
We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2019). 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 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.
Fees, costs and funding
UK/EU fees
You'll pay £9,250 in tuition fees for the academic year 2020 to 2021. This fee might change for further years of your course.
International student fees
You’ll pay £17,560 each year. This fee will stay the same throughout your studies.
What your fees pay for
Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations.
Find out how to:
Extra costs you might have to pay
- Field Trips
- Printing and Photocopying Costs
- Clothing
- Anything else not covered elsewhere
- Materials
- Travel Costs for placements
- Software Licenses
- Books and Stationery equipment
- Work experience and Placements
- Placements (including Study Abroad Programmes)
See the full list of extra items and costs in the programme specificationPDF opens in a new window 2020 to 2021 (PDF, 415.83 KB).
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 that's linked to your chosen subject area.
We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from underrepresented 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 international students
Find out about funding you could get as an international student.
University life
The University offers a friendly, diverse and welcoming home for you while you study. You'll work, live and socialise with students from more than 130 countries.
Clubs, societies and facilities
Our campuses have:
cafes and restaurants
bars
health centres
banks
a post office
student shops
a hairdresser
Our sports facilities include a 25-metre swimming pool, a gym with 140 fitness stations, squash courts, a bouldering wall, outdoor pitches and much more. There are over 80 sports clubs you could join, and activity classes including yoga and spin.
We have an internationally known theatre, concert hall, art gallery and cinema showing everything from mainstream blockbusters to international arthouse classics. You could perform at a gig, concert or show, take part in an exhibition or join a writers’ workshop. Find out more about arts and culture at Southampton.
Whatever your passion or community, you can find like-minded people at one of the Students’ Union clubs and societies. There are more than 200 to join, and social activities in every hall of residence.
Support while you study
We aim to help you deal with any problems you might come across, so you can make the most of your time at university. We offer support with:
mental health, learning difficulties and disability
money and accommodation
childcare
computers and IT
How to apply
When you apply use:
UCAS Course Code: V405
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
We aim to respond to you within 2 to 6 weeks with a decision about your application.
We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.