Archaeology MA

Program Overview

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The MA in Archaeology at the University of Liverpool equips graduates in related fields with the knowledge and skills to explore major developments in human societies. Through modules in archaeological analysis, field and laboratory work, and theoretical concepts, students gain expertise in research, problem-solving, and discursive writing. The program prepares students for further research or a range of careers in archaeology and other sectors requiring critical and analytical skills.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

The MA in Archaeology is a postgraduate degree designed for graduates in Archaeology or related disciplines who want to study the major developments in human societies and aspire to a career in research or Archaeology.

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Objectives:

• Gain knowledge and critical understanding of the nature and development of past and contemporary cultures.
• Enhance experience in archaeological field and/or laboratory work.
• Develop skills of archaeological analysis and interpretation, from assessing data from past societies to the analysis and interpretation of specific monuments/sites and their modern published records.
• Acquire broad comparative knowledge of the archaeology of selected geographical regions and chronological periods.
• Understand the principles and methods by which archaeological data are acquired and analyzed and the problems associated with these processes.
• Learn how to design, research and present a sustained piece of archaeological writing.
• Apply and demonstrate a good understanding of theoretical concepts within archaeology.
• Develop problem-solving and discursive writing skills.

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Outline:

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Structure:

• Full-time: 12 months
• Part-time: 24 months

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Course Schedule:

• Semester One:
• 30 credits of required modules
• 30 credits of optional modules
• Semester Two:
• 15 credits of required modules
• 45 credits of optional modules
• Final Project:
• Dissertation (ALGY600) taken over the summer period

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Modules:

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Semester One:

• Compulsory Modules:
• RESEARCH SKILLS FOR ACE M-LEVEL STUDENTS (ALGY601):
This module provides students with a set of skills necessary for the development, structuring, and presentation of their dissertation topic, alongside transferable skills applicable to academic and non-academic work environments. It also aims to develop abilities to engage with current historiographical and theoretical debates appropriate to MA level.
• Optional Modules:
• RESEARCH THEMES IN THE NEOLITHIC OF THE NEAR EAST (ALGY656):
This module examines the conceptual frameworks and research methods used in investigating the development of the world’s first agricultural, pastoralist, and sedentary communities. It explores the behaviors of these ‘Neolithic’ communities across the Near East and Europe in a thematic fashion.
• ROMAN FRONTIER SYSTEMS: FROM THE LATE REPUBLIC TO THE END OF THE FOURTH CENTURY AD (ALGY698): This module examines the frontiers of the Roman empire, focusing on them as zones and regions rather than simply as linear barriers.
• ISSUES IN EGYPTIAN SETTLEMENT ARCHAEOLOGY (ALGY676): This module is designed to promote key skills in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of primary material relevant to a reconstruction of the nature and organization of settlement in ancient Egypt.

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Semester Two:

• Compulsory Modules:
• DESIGNING AND COMMUNICATING RESEARCH (ALGY731):
This tutorial-based module provides the opportunity to work with members of archaeology staff from the department examining key issues on a topic of personal interest.
• Optional Modules:
• SOCIAL LIFE IN EGYPT (ALGY677): This module examines the socio-economic behavior of the Egyptians, through the evidence of texts and the archaeological record.
• THEMES IN THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ROMAN BRITAIN (ALGY634): This module explores a number of themes and issues which are central to the ongoing debate in the study of the history and archaeology of Roman Britain.
• ECONOMIES AND EXCHANGE IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST (ALGY688): This module introduces the students to key issues, methods, and evidence essential to conducting archaeological and historical research on production and trade in the Ancient Near East.
• HUMAN OSTEOLOGY (ALGY762): In this module, students are introduced to the identification and study of human skeletal remains from archaeological/palaeontological contexts.
• BRONZE AGE AND IRON AGE BRITAIN (ALGY786): This module covers the Bronze Age and Iron Age in Britain from 1600 BC until AD 43.

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Final Project:

• ACE MA AND MSC DISSERTATION (ALGY600): This module provides the framework for MA students to undertake independent guided research on a scholarly topic of relevance in the discipline of their choice.

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Assessment:

• Assessment is normally by essay and a portfolio of practical work, but examinations are included in some modules.
• Within the research skills module, ALGY 601, you will develop research skills through the production of work that is assessed and which includes a presentation of your dissertation research topic to a staff and student audience.
• The dissertation counts for 60 credits (one third) of your masters.
Your finished dissertation is assessed on the quality of your research, your handling of the scholarship, engagement with an issue, organization, and effective presentation.

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Teaching:

• Most modules are delivered on campus in small group seminars and occasionally via lectures.
• Certain modules include practical work.
• Independent study is fostered by essay-work and set preparation for seminars that grows progressively demanding as your knowledge increases over the course.
• Feedback is given on all submitted work to help your reflective engagement and progress in future exercises and assessment activities.
• The compulsory research skills module, ALGY 601 is delivered via a number of teaching sessions on subjects such as library and scholarly research and careers talks by members of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology.
• Preparation for the MA dissertation is undertaken over the length of the program and completed in the summer period.
You will receive one-to-one supervision sessions with a research-active member of staff who will oversee your research on your approved dissertation topic.
• Career opportunities within Archaeology exist in sectors including:
• University
• Museums
• Local government (posts in planning and archaeology)
• Private professional archaeological companies.
• With the Archaeology MA, you are also well equipped for a wide variety of jobs in sectors such as:
• Finance
• Journalism
• Law
• The police
• Civil Service
• Retail management
• Environmental consultancy
• Teaching
• Tourism and heritage management (where high-level knowledge of archaeology and cultural heritage is a specific advantage).

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Other:

• The Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology is part of the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures.
• Teaching takes place across campus, including in specialist facilities in the Central Teaching Hub and Garstang Museum of Archaeology.
• The University has extensive laboratories used for conservation, lithics, geomagnetism, stable isotope, trace elements, finds processing, and sample preparation.
• The University has an enviable library which has been built up since the Ancient World and Archaeology has been studied at Liverpool since the 1880s.
• The University has archaeological projects based internationally, in Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Jordan, Turkey, Italy, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa, as well as in the British Isles.

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Tuition fees UK fees (applies to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland) Full-time place, per year £10,800 Part-time place, per year £5,400 International fees Full-time place, per year £22,400 Part-time place, per year £11,200 Fees stated are for the 2024-25 academic year. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support. You can pay your tuition fees in instalments. All or part of your tuition fees can be funded by external sponsorship. International applicants who accept an offer of a place will need to pay a tuition fee deposit.