Placements

There are opportunities to spend time in industry as part of this course.

Work while you study

https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/careers-skills/work/

Year 1Core modules

In your first year, your modules will cover:

Prehistory to the Present
Artefacts and Materials
Archaeological Theory
Introduction to Archaeological Science
Discovering Archaeology
Exploring Archaeology

You'll also take part in an excavation. This will give you hands-on experience in all aspects of assessing, collecting and analysing primary excavation data. It is a unique opportunity to be part of a really exciting phase of a research project.

It is taught during the academic year, so you won't be required to find an excavation placement during the summer vacation. If you are interested in taking part in further excavations during the vacation, we can help you find volunteering and paid opportunities to do further excavations - sometimes abroad!

Academic integrity module

In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.

Year 2Core modules

Post-Excavation
Interpreting Prehistory OR Interpreting Historical Archaeology

You will choose two Practical Skills modules from examples including:

Archaeobotany
Archaeogaming
Artefacts Analysis
Biomolecular Archaeology
Buildings History
Computational Archaeology
Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture
Field Archaeology Survey Skills
Human and Animal Bones
Illustration
Object ConservationOption modules

You will choose two option modules from examples including:

Issues in Archaeology and Heritage
One World Archaeology module:

Alpine Landscapes
Late Prehistory of Egypt and the Fertile Continent
Settlements and Society

Some option modules combinations may not be possible. The option available to you will be confirmed after begin your course.

Elective modules

You may be able to replace one option module with an elective module, studying a complementary subject, a language or an interdisciplinary topic.

Year 3Core modules

You'll complete an 8,000-word dissertation on your research.

You will receive support, advice and guidance from your dissertation supervisor throughout your project. The range of expertise of our staff means we can provide you with guidance on a wide range of topics.

Presenting Archaeology and Heritage
Assessed Seminars, you will choose ONE of the following:

Archaeologies of the Contemporary World
Archaeology of British Christianity
Debates in Archaeological Science
Debates in Computational Archaeology
Digital Futures in Archaeology
Neanderthals
Palaeodiet
Past Environments
Prehistoric Funerary
The Modern Landscape
Special Topics, you will choose ONE of the following:

Ancient DNA
Archaeology and Mythology of the Greek and Roman Mediterranean
Archaeology of Disease and Health

Historic Houses
Human Evolution
The Neolithic of Britain and IrelandOption module

You will choose one further option, from examples including:

Approaching Global Challenges: Archaeology and Heritage

Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.

Elective modules

You may be able to replace one option module with an elective module, studying a complementary subject, a language or an interdisciplinary topic.

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Learning by design

Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/teaching-learning/

Students who complete this course will be able to:

Engage critically in debates around scholarship that inform current archaeological and heritage issues applicable to multiple periods of human society, using evidence from the UK and elsewhere in the world.
Design, execute and evaluate archaeological and heritage research projects to a standard informed by key theoretical, scientific, legal and professional principles and methodologies in an international context.
Generate, document and manage primary archaeological and heritage data from diverse sources of evidence and contexts and conduct analysis using a range of digital technology.
Operate effectively as constructive and inclusive leaders and confident participants in teamwork in challenging environments and using data from multidisciplinary field projects.
Apply critical and creative approaches to problem-solving in complex situations with diverse, fragmentary datasets that reflect biases in their generation, survival, identification and documentation.
Resolve challenges in interpretation and presentation from an interdisciplinary perspective with agility and awareness of ethical issues.
Confidently explain, communicate and debate ideas through written, visual, and oral forms of presentation to a wide range of public and professional audiences using print and digital media.
Contribute as independent scholars in the field of archaeological heritage practice through rigorous and imaginative inquiry in multidisciplinary contexts.

I love archaeology because it combines history and practical skills. The location, facilities and staff make York the perfect place to study it! You can try everything and see what you are interested in while building a broad foundation of knowledge.

Louise, BA Archaeology. Read Louise's blog post.

https://blogs.york.ac.uk/student-voices/2024/02/08/why-york-is-the-perfect-place-to-study-archaeology/

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees
UK (home)International and EU
£9,250  £25,800  

Fees for students starting in the 2025/26 academic year.

UK (home) or international fees?

The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/fees-funding/fee-status/