Scottish Ethnology and Archaeology

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 such as:

• 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?

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: over 33,000 recordings, thousands of photographs, and rarely-seen historic documents.

These materials are kept alive through our teaching, our 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.

You will develop a range of skills in the interpretation of social and cultural change.

The programme also enables students to appreciate:

• the development and practice of archaeology

• the contested nature of objects and sites

• social relationships that arise around objects, sites and landscapes

You will gain practical experience in archaeological fieldwork, and use excellent on-campus laboratories.

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over 4 years. This enables us to build choice and flexibility into your studies, giving you time to explore options, find what you like and build your skills.

Your first two years will be your pre-honours years. They will give you a good grounding in your subjects. In addition to studying core courses, you will broaden your education and skill set by choosing option courses from a range of subjects and disciplines. This gives you the chance to build your intercultural awareness in other areas of the arts, humanities, social sciences and beyond.

Your final two years will be your honours years. They will be tailored to your interests in specific topics or approaches to Scottish Ethnology and Archaeology.

Programme benefits

• Take the only programme of its kind in the world.

• Learn in the heart of Scotland's capital city.

• Be inspired by traditional musicians, composers and storytellers.

• Delve into fantastic libraries, archives and collections.

• Try out different subjects in your first two years.

• Join societies related to what you are studying.