Archaeology/English Literature

Archaeology is the study of how people in the past interacted with their world, through a detailed study of their objects, sites, monuments and landscapes. You will explore all aspects of literature in English from early modern to postmodern, benefiting from our expertise in a wide range of areas, including American, Irish & postcolonial literatures, critical theory, creative writing, and the relationship between literature and other arts, media & science.

Why study this course at the University of Glasgow?

You will have the opportunity to gain practical fieldwork skills in the UK and abroad. Recent students have worked on excavation projects across Europe and the Near East, including the Baltic states, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and on high-profile projects within Scotland. Throughout the programme we emphasise that you should gain practical heritage work experience including archaeological fieldwork techniques and developing the social benefits of archaeology. We provide day and residential fieldtrips for our students to archaeological sites, landscapes, museums and other heritage venues. You will also be able to take part in current staff research projects including survey and excavation, as well as working in archaeological archives and collection-based projects. You can gain work experience in various heritage and museum organisations through our network of placement providers. We can also help students get onto excavation teams across Europe. You will benefit from access to the University’s world-class Hunterian collection and the Library’s Special Collections, with strengths in the 18th and 19th centuries, travel, illuminated manuscripts and significant single-author holdings.

Career Prospects?

Employers, from banking and law to business and tourism, value the transferable skills that an archaeology degree offers such as teamworking, practical problem-solving, working with the public and critical analysis.

Many graduates are employed in vocational archaeological and heritage roles working for government agencies, the charitable sector and other heritage organisations in Scotland and beyond. These include the National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Archaeology Scotland, the British Museum, National Museums of Scotland and Glasgow Life, as well as various companies offering commercial archaeological services in the UK and abroad. A degree in English Literature is highly respected in the current job market, not just by employers in the arts, education and media sectors but also in public relations, finance, business and technology. This is because graduates in English Literature possess valuable skills for the future, such as argumentation, cognitive flexibility, coordinating with others, creativity and critical analysis and we work hard, with the support of our careers support advisers, to prepare our students for a wide range of future employment.