Summary
On this course, you will explore human history from the builders of Stonehenge to Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and the medieval world. You will investigate how people lived, why societies changed, and what drives human diversity across time and place.
You will learn from experts across areas including bioarchaeology, maritime archaeology, classical antiquity and human origins. With flexible module choices, you can shape your degree around what interests you most, alongside options for study abroad, work placements and modules in other subjects.
As you develop your skills, you will learn how to uncover, interpret and protect the past. Whether working in heritage, education, media or beyond, you will be part of shaping how human history is understood and shared.
Key features of the course
Gain hands-on experience through three weeks of fieldwork, including excavation, survey or post-excavation as part of active research projects.
Join a department ranked 7th in the UK for Archaeology in the Complete University Guide 2026.
Learn in £3 million purpose-built facilities, including specialist laboratories for osteoarchaeology, isotope sampling, and ceramic and lithic analysis.
Use digital humanities facilities to explore the past through technologies such as virtual reality, 3D scanning and printing.
100% of Archaeology graduates were in employment or further study 15 months after graduation Graduate Outcomes 2022/23, published 2025.
Student support
From day one, you will be part of a friendly and supportive Archaeology community. You will be taught by experienced tutors who are active researchers, with small group teaching designed to give you personalised support.
You will develop teamwork and communication skills alongside your peers, with access to wellbeing services, pastoral care and a wide range of student societies to support you throughout your time at university.
Further information
You will complete three weeks of fieldwork as part of an active research project, with opportunities to take part in excavations in the UK or abroad.
Over the four years of this Archaeology course, you will personalise your education, developing new skills and knowledge for your future.
Year 1: Develop the foundations in archaeology, fieldwork and analysis.
Year 2: Deepen your understanding of archaeology and prepare for fieldwork with at least 3 weeks of practical experience in a field school or research project in the UK or overseas.
Year 3: Year Abroad
Year 4: Develop your interests with a wide range of optional modules, including GIS for Archaeology, Ancient Egypt, Urbanism in the Roman Empire, and Molecular Archaeology - and explore your own specialist interest with a dissertation on a research topic of your choice. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your planning, research, data collation, analysis, and communication skills.
You will also have opportunities to tailor your learning through student-selected units and an elective placement.
For a full list of modules available please visit the course page - https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/archaeology-with-year-abroad-degree-ba#modules.
On this course you will learn through a range of activities that may include lectures, classes and tutorials, coursework, individual and group projects, and independent learning (studying on your own).
You will be able to demonstrate what you have learnt through a variety of assessment methods, such as examinations, essays, extended essays, practical assignments in both the laboratory and the field, presentations, portfolios and the dissertation.
You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor who will offer support and advice throughout your studies. You will also receive feedback throughout your course, enabling you to identify areas for improvement before your work is formally assessed.
This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
University of Southampton has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?
The following entry points are available for this course:
Find out about equivalent entry requirements and qualifications for your country: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/uni-life/international/your-country.page
We welcome applicants with other qualifications eg. European Baccalaureate. You will be expected to attain an A level equivalent standard.
The University of Southampton requires all applicants to achieve at least a Grade 4 in English and Mathematics GCSEs (taken in England) or a Grade C in both subjects (where taken in Northern Ireland or Wales). Some degree subjects stipulate specific additional GCSE minimum grades, which will be specified as part of the individual degree programme entry requirements.
For more details on the suitability of your qualifications or foundation programme please contact the Faculty of Arts and Humanities Admissions Team at AdmissionsUG.AH@southampton.ac.uk
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | with no component below 6.0 |
Find out more about the University’s English Language requirementshttps://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/admissions/admissions-policies/language.page
Most of the students who previously enrolled on this course joined us with grades lower than our published entry criteria. After receiving their grades, we carefully considered each students’ individual circumstances before confirming their place on their chosen course. We encourage everyone with the potential to succeed to apply, regardless of their background. Applicants who qualify for contextual admissions will be made an offer lower than the typical offer for that programme.
This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).
It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.
Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.
We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
| Location | Fee | Year |
|---|
* This is a provisional fee and subject to change.
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.
Please see our website for further details and updates: www.southampton.ac.uk/uni-life/fees-funding.page
Email:admissions@southampton.ac.uk
Phone:023 8059 4732
Email:AdmissionsUG.AH@soton.ac.uk
Phone:023 8059 4732
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
At University of Southampton
