MA Archaeology/History

About this course

Archaeology and history together provide one of the most complete ways of understanding the human past. History works primarily with written sources, tracing the actions, ideas and structures of literate societies through documents, chronicles and records. Archaeology works with the material record, recovering objects, buildings, landscapes and biological remains that give access to people and periods before writing, or to dimensions of past life that written sources rarely capture. Together the two disciplines allow you to ask richer questions about how people lived, how societies changed and how we know what we know about the distant and not-so-distant past. At Glasgow this programme is offered part time, making it accessible alongside work and other commitments. A year abroad is incorporated into the degree, providing the opportunity to engage with different historical and archaeological traditions in another country. Within archaeology you will study the methods of excavation and material analysis, the theory of archaeological interpretation, and the evidence from a wide range of periods and regions. The history component develops your skills in reading and evaluating primary and secondary sources, constructing historical arguments and situating events within broader contexts of social, political and cultural change. Both disciplines are taught within a research-intensive institution with internationally regarded scholars. Graduates of this combination are equipped for careers in heritage management, museum curation, commercial archaeology, archival work, education, publishing, journalism and the civil service. The research, analytical and communication skills the degree develops transfer readily to a wide range of professional roles. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in archaeology, history, heritage studies, archival science or related disciplines, and the combination of both fields provides a strong foundation for doctoral research in periods or regions where material and textual evidence must be read together to understand the past.

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