The University of Sheffield
Prospective Postgraduates

MA Medieval Archaeology

Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts and Humanities

We draw on the humanities and the sciences to explore our relationship with the world.

About the course

1 year full-time/2 years part-time

This course examines European societies from the end of the classical period to the early modern period. It includes a field placement on a medieval project, giving you hands-on experience. One of our current field projects is an investigation into material recovered from a 16th-century shipwreck in Croatia.

Sheffield has one of the biggest communities of medieval archaeologists in the UK. The course draws heavily on their research.

Entry requirements

2:1 honours degree in a relevant subject such as archaeology, history, classics or anthropology.

English language requirements for overseas students

Overall IELTS grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

Entry requirements for international students

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Core modules

  • Method and Theory in Medieval Archaeology
  • Research Design: planning, execution and presentation
  • Heritage, Museum and Field: Medieval Archaeology in Practice
  • at least two from Dark Age
  • Viking-Age Europe
  • Wars of the Roses to Elizabeth: Archaeology of England 1455–1603

Optional modules

Choose two from a list including:

  • Introduction to Material Culture Studies
  • Method and Theory in Zooarchaeology
  • Death and Burial in Anglo/Saxon England
  • Material Life and Culture in the Medieval and Early Modern World
  • Imagining the Unseen in the Middle Ages (History)
  • Order and Disorder around the Year 1000 (History)
  • The Dawn of Modernity in the Late Middle Ages (History)

Teaching

  • Seminars
  • Lectures
  • Practical classes
  • Field placement on a medieval project

Some optional modules (see above) are taught by the Department of History.

Assessment

  • Coursework assignments
  • Dissertation

Fees and funding

You may be eligible to apply for AHRC and University of Sheffield studentships. If you're considering applying for funding, we recommend you contact us as soon as possible.

Financial information for postgraduate taught courses

Part-time study

This course can be taken full-time or part-time. If you choose to study part-time, you'll take two 15 credit modules in each semester during Year 1 and Year 2, and undertake either a dissertation or placement module over the summer of Year 2.

We will arrange for part-time students to attend two days per week but we try to be as flexible as possible to meet your needs.

Any questions?

If you'd like to know more about any aspect of our courses, contact us:

Kathryn Goldsack
E: k.goldsack@sheffield.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)114 222 5104

Margaret James - MA European Historical Archaeology


Your future

This course is excellent preparation for a PhD and a research career. It has an optional vocational track, designed to prepare you for specific types of jobs.

Sheffield graduates hold archaeological posts in Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia.

They use their expertise in universities, museums, archaeological consultancies, heritage parks and government.

World-leading expertise

You'll be joining a department that nurtures leaders, not followers. Our track record is excellent – in every national assessment since 1992 we've made the UK top ten for archaeology research. This strength in research feeds directly into our teaching, so as a masters student you learn from the best.

The foundations of great teaching

The research that underpins our teaching is organised into four areas: bioarchaeology and human evolution; landscapes and environments; material culture and technologies; and Old World archaeology.

There are several specialised research centres here: Sheffield Centre for Aegean Archaeology; Sheffield Centre for Archaeobotany and Ancient Land-Use; Sheffield Centre for Historical Archaeology; Zooarchaeology Laboratory. Their projects, conferences and seminars all add to the quality of your course.

Jobs include Historic Buildings Projects Officer, Commercial Field Archaeologist and Postdoctoral Researcher.

Specialist facilities

We make sure you have everything you need to explore your ideas. We have a complex of laboratories, imaging and GIS resources and storage facilities. There are labs for research and teaching in environmental archaeology, human and animal skeletal analysis, landscape and aerial archaeology, dendrochronology and materials sciences.

Global fieldwork

You'll also have the opportunity to get involved in our research projects in the UK and abroad.

Apply now

You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It is a quick and easy process.

Postgraduate Online Application Form