Archaeological Science
Department of Archaeology,
Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Course description
You'll choose from two different pathways to design your own course through a combination of core and optional modules. You'll have the choice of the Bioarchaeology or Cross-disciplinary pathway. The Cross-disciplinary pathway is suited to students who desire greater freedom of choice outside of the core modules or wish to study a combination of organic and inorganic materials.
MSc students
This course is structured to lead up to the writing of a journal-style paper. You’ll select a specialist analytical approach and develop this in-depth to address a specific archaeological problem.
Modules
Core modules
Cross-discipline
- Quantitative Methods
- Research Design: Planning, Execution and Presentation
- Applied Archaeological Science
- Journal-style Paper: c. 6000 words
Bioarchaeology
- Human Osteology
- Archaeobotany
- Zooarchaeology
- Investigating Ancient Environments
- Quantitative Methods
- Research Design: Planning, Execution and Presentation
- Journal-style Paper: c. 6000 words
Optional modules
Cross-discipline
- Mineralogy and Petrography of Archaeological Ceramics
- Materialising Culture: Agents, Things and Social Processes
- Experimental Archaeology
- Rethinking the Ancient Economy
- Reinventing Archaeology
- Human Osteology
- Archaeobotany
- Zooarchaeology
- Reconstructing Ancient Technology: Metals
- Reconstructing Ancient Technology: Ceramics
- Investigating Ancient Environments
Bioarchaeology
- Biological Anthropology I
- Advanced Archaeobotany
- Advanced Archaeozoology
- Applied Archaeological Science
- The History of the Human-Animal Relationship
- Funerary Archaeology
- Osteoarchaeological Assemblage Analysis
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption. We are no longer offering unrestricted module choice. If your course included unrestricted modules, your department will provide a list of modules from their own and other subject areas that you can choose from.
Teaching
You'll be taught through a mix of lectures, tutorials, seminars and workshops.
Assessment
Your assessments will include essays, portfolio work, practical work, exams and a journal-style paper.
Duration
MSc: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time
Postgraduate Diploma: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time
Postgraduate Certificate: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time
Entry requirements
Usually a minimum 2:1 honours degree in an arts, humanities or science subject. But your interest in and understanding of archaeology is more important than what you studied at undergraduate level.
Overall IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.
We also accept a range of other UK qualifications and other EU/international qualifications.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.
Fees and funding
Apply
You can apply for postgraduate study using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.
Contact
Contact
Dr Katie Hemer
Programme Director
k.hemer@sheffield.ac.uk
0114 222 2925
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.