Department of Archaeology | MA Archaeology

MA Archaeology at Durham University

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Explore your interests in this wide-ranging and fascinating subject and develop the skills to progress into a fulfilling career in commercial archaeology or in research.

Drawing on the wealth of expertise and experience within the department, the MA in Archaeology offers you the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge you will need to build a fascinating and challenging career in commercial archaeology, heritage management, research, or the wider employment market.

The course is available as a full-time option over one year or part-time over two years and features specialist modules, taught classes and workshops alongside dissertation research. The course is organised around 6 diverse strands to allow you to specialise in your chosen area of archaeology. These are Landscape Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, the Archaeology of Egypt, the Near East and Asia, the Archaeology and Heritage of East Asia, Classical and Roman Archaeology, and Medieval and post-Medieval Archaeology.

Each route will give you the opportunity to advance your skills and expertise dependent upon your interests and career aims, with a view to progressing either to doctoral-level research or to developing your career in archaeology and a range of other fields. You will also have the opportunity to engage with the broader student community within the department by participating in shared research, presentation and practical skills learning, and through discussions and our full calendar of events.

An exceptionally wide scope of methodological and research expertise exists within Durham’s Department of Archaeology, and you can draw on this expert knowledge to advance your own area of archaeological interest. Subjects offered include the Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages of Europe to the Classical archaeology of the Greek and Roman worlds, through Egyptology, the archaeology of the ancient and Islamic Near East and Arabia to Buddhism in South Asia and trade in the Indian Ocean, as well as the archaeology of the medieval, post-medieval and historic periods.

During the course, you will also develop your abilities and experience in areas such as the collection, management and analysis of archaeological data and materials, current archaeological approaches, methods and practice and the presentation of archaeological research.

Our MA in Archaeology will undoubtedly equip you for a wide range of careers in archaeology, academia, cultural heritage management, research, and journalism, as well as many other careers that have a cultural, social, or heritage focus.

Many of our postgraduates move into an academic career, either teaching or by taking up post-doctoral research positions in universities. Others join museums or national and regional heritage organisations. Some work in professional archaeology, in national or local planning departments, while others elect to use their analytical and presentation skills to gain positions in industry, commerce and government.

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