Ancient History/Archaeology - MA (Hons)

University of Glasgow

Ancient history involves the study of the history and culture of Greece, Rome and the wider Mediterranean between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD with the opportunity to learn Latin and ancient Greek if you wish. Archaeology is the study of how people in the past interacted with their world, through a detailed study of their objects, sites, monuments and landscapes.

You will have the opportunity to visit archaeological sites and museums in Italy and Greece as part of your studies. If you progress to Honours you will have the opportunity to spend up to three weeks (usually during the summer vacation after year 3) visiting archaeological sites and museums in Italy, Greece or another part of the ancient world. You may also spend year 3 studying at universities in Europe (for example, in Athens or Rome), Australia, New Zealand or North America. You will have the opportunity to gain practical fieldwork skills in the UK and abroad. Recent students have worked on excavation projects across Europe and the Near East, including the Baltic states, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and on high-profile projects within Scotland. Throughout the programme we emphasise that you should gain practical heritage work experience including archaeological fieldwork techniques and developing the social benefits of archaeology. We provide day and residential fieldtrips for our students to archaeological sites, landscapes, museums and other heritage venues. You will also be able to take part in current staff research projects including survey and excavation, as well as working in archaeological archives and collection-based projects. You can gain work experience in various heritage and museum organisations through our network of placement providers. We can also help students get onto excavation teams across Europe.

As an Ancient History graduate you will be able to enter many different careers, from the heritage/cultural sector and teaching to consultancy and financial services. Ancient History/Classics graduates also follow careers in fields such as publishing, law or accountancy; many decide to stay in academia and pursue postgraduate degrees. Our recent graduates have been employed as: experts in museums and galleries librarians or archivists teachers civil servants in IT/software development Employers, from banking and law to business and tourism, value the transferable skills that an archaeology degree offers such as teamworking, practical problem-solving, working with the public and critical analysis. Many graduates are employed in vocational archaeological and heritage roles working for government agencies, the charitable sector and other heritage organisations in Scotland and beyond. These include the National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Archaeology Scotland, the British Museum, National Museums of Scotland and Glasgow Life, as well as various companies offering commercial archaeological services in the UK and abroad.