Our three Master’s courses – MLitt in Archaeological Studies, MSc in Archaeological Practice and MA in Contemporary Art and Archaeology – are accepting students for a September 2023 start.
These programmes consistently score high in student satisfaction surveys, with the MLitt in Archaeological Studies securing a 94 per cent satisfaction rate in 2022 and the MA in Contemporary Art and Archaeology achieving a 100 per cent satisfaction rating in the years since its launch in 2020.
MSc in Archaeological Practice
The MSc is a world-leading course which equips students with the tools for work in the real world.
Key practical skills are emphasised using Orkney’s rich archaeological resources as a research “laboratory”. Core modules develop students’ practical skills in a suite of archaeological techniques including project management, excavation, non-intrusive field archaeology, environmental archaeology and post-excavation analysis.
An element of the programme is professional placement in a commercial or academic environment. This provides students with the experience of working in the often-demanding environment of a large organisation.
The special features of the course that past students have highlighted are:
- Studying in the outstanding archaeological landscape of Orkney, including the Ness of Brodgar, The Cairns and on the island of Rousay.
- Optional modules allow the development of professional skills in areas including archaeobotany, archaeozoology, geoarchaeology, survey and geophysics and the digital recording of archaeological materials and sites.
- Three-month professional placement offers the opportunity to further develop professional skills in a chosen area(s).
- The course is flexible to fit in with your personal and professional life.
For more details of the course, click here.
MLitt in Archaeological Studies
Students on this course can be based anywhere in the world, giving those interested the chance to study archaeology from their own home and gain a postgraduate qualification from the UHI Archaeology Institute.
Regular online meetings, seminars and lectures, held over the video conferencing, are available to all UHI students, helping create a learning community wherever the student is located.
The course is made up of a wide range of module options, which draw on the research specialisms of the UHI Archaeology Institute staff. These provide students with the flexibility to combine taught modules and dissertation research according to their own interests.
The choice is yours and you can fit the course into your own lifestyle and study from home.
Students don’t have to study the entire course but can complete individual modules to support their requirements, for example, a stand-alone module to support professional CPD.
For more details of the MLitt course, click here.
MA in Contemporary Art and Archaeology
This MA is unique in the UK in linking the fields of Contemporary Art and Archaeology. It encourages students to take a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to artmaking and research-led creative practice.
Led by Dr Antonia Thomas, the course has secured a 100 per cent satisfaction rating in the Postgraduate Teaching Experience Survey in the years since its launch in 2020.
Core modules will immerse you in an established, interdisciplinary community of practice operating not only in Orkney, but also in Shetland, the Western Isles, and the mainland of Scotland.
From crofting landscapes and ancient monuments, to renewable energy and cutting-edge technology, the Highlands & Islands is where past, present and future meet, at the interface of the global and local. Specialist optional modules in art, or archaeology, allow students to build a bespoke MA programme which explores both the deep past of this fascinating region, and plays a role in its sustainable, creative future.
This exciting programme will allow you to explore, both independently and collaboratively, original and creative responses to current issues and develop your own practice as a uniquely interdisciplinary Art and Archaeology practitioner.
You will require a 2.1 honours degree in a relevant subject and you will also be required to submit a portfolio of creative practice, which will be discussed at interview.
In exceptional circumstances, students with a degree lower than a 2:1, but with significant professional experience, might be accepted on the basis of their portfolio and a successful interview. Please contact the programme leader for more information.
