Scottish Ethnology and Archaeology MA (Hons)
University of Edinburgh
Student rating
This is the overall rating calculated by averaging all live reviews for this uni on Whatuni.
( 4.1)

Want to know what it's like to study this course at uni? We've got all the key info, from entry requirements to the modules on offer. If that all sounds good, why not check out reviews from real students or even book onto an upcoming open days?

Different course options
academic-cap
Qualification

Master of Arts (with Honours) - MA (Hons)

location-pin
Location

Central area campus

beaker
Study mode

Full Time

calendar
Start date

SEP-25

time
Duration

4 Years

Course info

Select a course option


Qualification

Master of Arts (with Honours) - MA (Hons)

Location

Central area campus

Study mode

Full Time

Start date

SEP-25

Duration

4 Years

SELECTED

Subjects

Select a subject


Archaeology
SELECTED

Anthropology
SELECT

Sociology
SELECT

Exam type

Select a an exam type


A level
SELECTED

Scottish Higher
SELECT

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
SELECT

Location

Select student location


England
SELECTED

Scotland
SELECT

Wales
SELECT

Northern Ireland
SELECT

Channel Islands
SELECT

EU
SELECT

Rest of World
SELECT

Course info

Uncover Scotland’s past and help shape its future, while gaining skills that you can apply to any country, culture or place. This innovative joint honours programme combines two related yet distinct approaches to the study of human cultures, past and present.Taking this programme shows an openness to ideas and perspectives other than your own, an essential attribute in many careers and a global marketplace. Over the course of your four years with us, you will gain the practical and intellectual ...Read more

Uncover Scotland’s past and help shape its future, while gaining skills that you can apply to any country, culture or place. This innovative joint honours programme combines two related yet distinct approaches to the study of human cultures, past and present.Taking this programme shows an openness to ideas and perspectives other than your own, an essential attribute in many careers and a global marketplace. Over the course of your four years with us, you will gain the practical and intellectual tools to handle and interpret:* historic remains and artefacts * print and traditional resources * modern media and digital data


Scottish Ethnology

Ethnology is the study of the culture and traditions of developed societies. It is sometimes described as being at the intersection where history and anthropology meet. While ethnology is commonly offered in universities across Europe, this is the only full undergraduate programme of its kind in the UK. Focusing on Scotland, but also looking at comparative material from elsewhere, you will study the varying ways in which a modern European nation expresses itself culturally. Our courses explore questions like:* how do customs, beliefs, social organisation, language, music and song help to create and shape identity in the modern world? * how do we use and make sense of the past from within our present? * how can this understanding help us to shape our future?


Follow in the footsteps of fieldworkers

A highlight of our programme is the chance to work with the rich range of materials in the School of Scottish Studies Archives and Scottish Studies Library. You will explore the work of former staff and students who, since 1951, have been capturing elements of life in Scotland's farming and fishing communities, towns and cities. Today, the Archives include:* 33,000 recordings of songs, music, stories, rhyme and verse in Scots, Gaelic and English, as well as in dialects now extinct * thousands of photographs and rarely-seen historic documents which capture exceptional and everyday aspects of Scottish culture and heritage These materials are kept alive through our teaching, undergraduate and postgraduate research, and through the work of our Traditional Artist and Gaelic Writer in Residence.


Archaeology

Complementing the ethnology side of your programme, which explores the recent past and present, your studies in archaeology take you further back in time. Our courses will help you develop a parallel range of skills in the interpretation of social and cultural change. The programme also develops your understanding of:* the material basis of archaeology * the contested nature of objects * the social relationships that are spun around them * the people who use and interpret them You will gain practical experience in archaeological fieldwork, and use excellent on-campus laboratories.

Key stats

Archaeology
CUG Subject Ranking
CUG Subject Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2025
11th
CUG Ranking
CUG Ranking
Source: Complete University Guide 2025
15th
Archaeology
Drop-out rate
Drop-out rate
The percentage of students who didn't finish the course.
Calculated by 100% - (% of students continuing course + % of students completed course)
100 - 90 = 10% Drop-out rate Source: UNISTATS, 2019
10%
Employment rate
Employment rate
The percentage of students in full-time work 6 months after finishing their course.
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
84%
Average salary
Average salary
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
Archaeology graduate salary at this uni
£20,000
UK Archaeology graduate salary
£20,000
Humanities (Non-Specific)
Drop-out rate
Drop-out rate
The percentage of students who didn't finish the course.
Calculated by 100% - (% of students continuing course + % of students completed course)
100 - 95 = 5% Drop-out rate Source: UNISTATS, 2019
5%
Employment rate
Employment rate
The percentage of students in full-time work 6 months after finishing their course.
Source: UNISTATS, 2019
80%

Modules

Modules (Year 1)
Modules (Year 2)
Modules (Year 3)
Modules (Year 4)
IDP Connect

Entry requirements

Exam type

A level

A level:

ABB Grades / Points required

Scottish Higher:

ABBB Grades / Points required

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme:

34 Grades / Points required

ABB. Required subjects: A levels: no specific A Level subjects required. GCSEs: English at C or 4.

ABBB by end of S5 or AABB/ABBBB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Highers: no specific Higher subjects required. National 5s: English at C.

34 points with 655 at HL. Required subjects: HL: no specific subjects required. SL: English at 5.

Tuition fees

Students living in

England

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from England

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within England. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£1,820 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Scotland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Scotland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Wales

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Wales. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Northern Ireland

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Northern Ireland. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£9,250 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from Channel Islands

This is the fee you pay if you live within Channel Islands. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within Channel Islands. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£28,000 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from EU

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

This is the fee you pay if you live within the European Union. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£28,000 per year

This information comes from UCAS, or in some cases the institution directly.
Please note: fees do vary so please make sure you contact the institution for up to date information.

Students from International

This is the fee you pay if you are an International student. Please note, this fee has been confirmed.

£28000 Per year

UCAS/IDP Connect

Uni info

University of Edinburgh
George Square Edinburgh Edinburgh, City Of EH8 9JZ United Kingdom
Nearest train station: Edinburgh Waverley  0.3 miles away
Thinking of studying in Edinburgh?

Check out our

Edinburgh city guide

Find a course

  • Undergraduate
  • HND / HNC
  • Foundation degree
  • Access & foundation
  • Postgraduate