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BA Historical Archaeology (F411)

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This exciting BA Single Honours programme enables students to develop their passion for studying history in combination with archaeological training in historic-period material and visual culture, museum collections, buildings and landscapes and world heritage. With a particular focus on the archaeology of the last 2000 years, this programme offers a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning and skills providing an opportunity across all three years to study a combination of modules in the Departments of Archaeology and History and complement this with modules from other subject areas.

 

Classroom-led teaching and small-group seminar work are combined with practical, lab and collections-based training, field visits and participation in the annual field school. Students can choose from a range of specialist modules on the archaeology of historic period societies in Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, East and South East Asia, the Indian Ocean and Middle East as well as thematic modules covering aspects of the early modern and modern world, such as colonialization, transatlantic connections, slavery, trade and industrialisation.

 

In the first year, students acquire the basic range of intellectual and practical archaeological skills. In the second and third years students move to more in-depth study of particular topics and methods working closely with staff and developing their own independent research project in their third year.

 

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Develop your knowledge and practical skills

You will benefit from field trips and field training and the chance to participate in UK and international field schools focused on unique historical sites and collections accessible in the UK and overseas.  Modules provide access to our state-of-the-art facilities, from training in artefacts, to geoinformatics, landscape and environmental studies, while Durham University Museums and the Durham World Heritage Site also offer unique opportunities for studying outstanding and internationally important heritage and collections.

Our graduates work in a broad range of employment sectors in many countries, taking their knowledge and skills into careers in heritage protection and planning, tourism, environmental work, law, collections and archival work around the world. Many continue to further postgraduate studies at Durham or other top-ranked Universities and institutions worldwide.

Students studying this course can also follow a route accredited by CIfA, the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. Choosing an accredited undergraduate degree is widely recognised as the first step on a career pathway leading to professional status. To obtain a CIfA accredited degree, students study modules that equip them with the requisite theoretical and practical knowledge to act as a foundation for a career in the UK commercial archaeology sector. A degree with placement year route is available, allowing students to benefit from dedicated professional placements offered by our own commercial services.

Entry requirements for international students