Ancient History and Archaeology

This BA Ancient History and Archaeology is ideal if you have a keen interest in understanding the past through people’s relationships with texts, things and places. Combining the study of textual sources and material evidence, it enables you to understand the vibrant nature of the ancient past and gain hands-on experience with archives, collections and archaeological practice.

Why choose this course?

• You will gain valuable practical experience through our London-centred archaeological field school, which you will attend alongside professionals from Museum of London Archaeology.

• Modules offer you the opportunity to work directly on textual sources, collections of artefacts and records of archaeological excavations with the experts who excavated those sites.

• You will also learn to think critically about how we know past worlds while benefiting from our close links with the heritage sector, including London museums.

What you will learn

You will learn about the practice of ancient history and archaeology including how and why we know what we know about past societies.

This course also helps you to better understand and question accepted narratives about the ancient past, and engage with those narratives by analysing textual sources and archaeological data sets. In doing so, you will learn about the methods and sources used by ancient historians and archaeologists, including texts, objects, buildings and landscapes.

How you will learn

This course is available to study full- or part-time. Classes take place in the evening. There is also a week-long field school in Year 1 summer term.

You will learn through lectures and seminars, hands-on experience with archives and collections in museums, and fieldtrips. Alongside this, you will learn how to work with artefacts, images, maps and texts, and use digital sources.

Working with a supervisor, you will also design your own dissertation project and put your newly developed skills into practice.

Foundation Year

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

Highlights

• You will gain valuable experience of working with professionals from Museum of London Archaeology on the Thames through Time field school module.

• The School of Historical Studies at Birkbeck is home to thriving student societies and a number of affiliated research centres that actively run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research.

• Birkbeck was ranked in the top eight universities in the UK for its History research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

• Our research is unique in its range across geographical and chronological boundaries. We are the only university in London to include historians, classicists and archaeologists in the same team of academics who investigate every period from prehistory to the early twenty-first century.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this course you will have gained an array of transferable skills, including:

• a sophisticated use of written and spoken English

• an ability to evaluate and analyse textual, visual and material evidence

• an ability to understand and apply complex theories

• facility and precision in the use of analytical tools

• strong skills and initiative in collecting and organising complex materials and writing up well-presented reports or critical arguments

• an ability to study independently and through teamwork.

You will be able to pursue a career in archaeology, conservation, education and local and national government roles. Possible professions include:

• archaeologist

• heritage manager

• museum/gallery curator.