Undergraduates

Why choose Archaeology?

Because Archaeology is important...

Archaeology is fundamental to our understanding of the human past. Understanding the development of humans themselves as well as technology, farming, towns, civilisation and the environment, all depends on archaeology. Archaeology can go where other subjects cannot - further back in time than other subjects and into aspects of society and human behaviour that other subjects can never reach.

Because Archaeology is fascinating and challenging...

Archaeology is a very broad and dynamic subject that changes constantly with new discoveries and the development of new research techniques. During an archaeology degree you will learn about fieldwork, finds, historic buildings, scientific methods, archaeological theories, computer techniques and how they all help us to understand the past. You will have the chance to study a wide range of topics ranging from human evolution to the industrial revolution, from late-medieval Britain to ancient India.

Archaeology gets to grips with the physical remains of the past. It is well suited to students who are curious about human society and its past and who want to combine practical, hands-on work with traditional academic study.

Because Archaeology is an excellent, flexible degree...

Whether you are interested in a career specific to archaeology, such as heritage management, museums, contract-archaeology, local government, or research or in a career such as media, banking, management-consultancy or research, archaeology is an excellent general degree. Employers in all areas appreciate our graduates because of their good academic training, their broad perspective and their well-developed practical skills in organisation, teamwork, fieldwork, presentation and computing. As is stated below, our graduates have an excellent track record of finding suitable employment and in developing successful careers.

We offer you a wide range of modules and teach you a flexible and diverse series of skills that you can draw on in almost any career. Recent graduates have entered careers in archaeological units, local authority planning departments and museums, state sponsored agencies such as English Heritage and Historic Scotland as well as business, law, management, research and teaching. So if you were worried that archaeology is not for you, perhaps you should think again!

Why choose Durham?

A leading department

The Department is one of the most highly-rated, largest, most modern and best equipped in the country. Its excellent facilities include laboratories for archaeological chemistry, conservation, environmental archaeology, human osteology and luminescence, as well as teaching laboratories, a drawing office, photographic studio, computer room and a common room. The Department is located at the heart of the main university complex, in recently refurbished accommodation. It is situated right next to the University Library and is centrally placed for Durham colleges.

The Department has consistently been very highly rated for both its research and teaching; it was rated the best in the country in the Government's 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, beating all other UK departments, including Oxford and Cambridge, and confirming the Department as a leading centre of international research excellence. Most recently the Department was placed second in The Times 2009 Good University Guide. This survey provides a good indicator of the overall quality of the student experience, taking teaching, research, employment and institutional spending / infrastructure into consideration.

Durham is one of Britain's leading universities for teaching and research. Archaeology has been taught in Durham since 1931, and the Department now has one of the largest teaching groups in the UK, totalling 28 full-time members of teaching staff, as well as research staff working on a variety of archaeological projects. You will be taught by experts in the field of archaeology, whose interests cover World, European and British archaeology from the last Ice Age to the post-Medieval period. This wide range of expertise is reflected in the degree structure where, in the second and third levels, you can choose from a wide range of optional modules which allow you to follow a programme of study designed to suit your individual interests.

The Department is also the intellectual home of The Human Past, the leading textbook of World Prehistory.

Excellent employment prospects

Durham Archaeology graduates have an excellent employment record. According to the Good University Guide 2009, 73% of our graduates are either in ‘graduate level' employment or further study six months after graduating. This is equal fourth highest in the country and is significantly ahead of other top universities such as Oxford (64%), Cambridge (64%) and Bristol (67%). This reflects both the quality of our teaching and our commitment to producing well-rounded, employable graduates.

The Department houses a major professional archaeological organisation, Archaeological Services Durham University , which runs archaeological field schools, offering professional training to undergraduates who wish to follow a career in this area.

Excellent students

Having a strong reputation means Durham Archaeology is able to recruit top-quality students from all over the UK and abroad and from a wide range of social groups. Whilst we take academic achievement very seriously, we also pride ourselves on having a friendly and informal atmosphere and on being approachable, helpful and supportive.

A historic location

Durham University, founded in 1832, is situated in and around Durham city. Durham is one of the architectural gems of Europe. The medieval city, with its steep winding streets, is dominated by two great examples of Romanesque architecture, Durham Cathedral and the Castle, which together form a UNESCO World Heritage site right in the midst of the University.

Some of the country's foremost archaeological sites - such as Hadrian's Wall and the Saxon monastery of Jarrow - are nearby. The city is within easy reach of countryside of outstanding beauty - the North Yorkshire Moors, the Durham Dales and the Northumberland coast - and only a short distance from the shops, cinemas and nightlife of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Close links to museums and professionals

The Department has close links with the University Museums, the Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology, and The Oriental Museum. The Old Fulling Mill Museum was founded in 1833 and houses a permanent exhibition concentrating on material from Durham, as well as temporary exhibitions of archaeological interest. The Museum is the venue for a number of practical classes and provides opportunities for students to gain experience of museum work. The Oriental Museum is devoted to art and archaeology from cultures throughout the Orient. The collections range from prehistoric Egypt and China to the work of living artists. The Museum opened in 1960 and also serves as a teaching and research resource used by university staff and students as well as researchers throughout the world. Both museums are open to the public.

We have close links with the main professional archaeological organisations in the region and elsewhere in Britain such as Historic Scotland and English Heritage.

Applying to Durham to study Archaeology: Colleges

Durham University is collegiate, which means that all students belong to a College or Society. Students normally live in College in their first year, but then live out in subsequent years. The Colleges provide students not only with welfare support but also with many social and intellectual opportunities, in addition to the many facilities, sports clubs and social activities that the University offers you. When applying to Durham you can choose which College you wish to join. You can find more information on the Durham Colleges at www.dur.ac.uk/colleges.htm or by looking in the University prospectus.