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Archaeology and Heritage

MA

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:
October 2026
Study route:

  • One year full-time, on campus

  • Two years part-time, on campus

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | On campus

Course overview

This MA Archaeology and Heritage offers you hands-on training grounded in global case studies, rigorous methodologies and interdisciplinary theories. Delivered by leading researchers in archaeology and heritage, its teaching draws directly on ethical and inclusive research and work practices in archaeology and heritage studies.

  • Why choose this course?
    • This course is ideal if you are fascinated by archaeology, heritage and people’s engagement with their past. It will develop your knowledge, experience and professional networks in the heritage sector, and help you prepare for a career in archaeology, museology, education or heritage management.
    • You will have the opportunity to undertake an archaeological field school in London, taught in conjunction with Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA), and apply for a work placement in one of London's thriving museums, galleries or archives.
    • As well as being able to design your own archaeological research project, you will join a thriving community of archaeologists and heritage professionals in the Carena Institute of Sustainable Archaeologies.

  • What will I learn?

    Archaeology and heritage, both as practices and intellectual fields of enquiry, are products of their social, political and historical contexts. The study of archaeology and heritage, then, is as much about the present and the future as it is about the past.

    This course introduces you to critical approaches in archaeology and heritage studies by addressing the perceived divide between theory and practice in archaeological fieldwork and cultural resource management. Its aim is to produce a new kind of professional in this area: one who is theoretically aware but also grounded in the craft of archaeology and heritage. As such, it will develop your capacity for interdisciplinary, innovative research that challenges conventional understandings of the past.

    You will delve into the critical, integrated study of landscape, architecture and material culture, and their relationship with communities and the environment. You will also gain the skills needed to design, research and write a dissertation on a specialist subject, under the supervision of one of our academic experts.

  • How will I learn?

    This course is available to study full- or part-time. Most modules are taught via evening seminars, but there is also the opportunity to undertake archaeological fieldwork, museum work placements or daytime intensive modules, for example exploring the presence of the Roman Empire in key London museums.

    You will begin with a compulsory module on critical approaches to archaeology and heritage which explores key concepts and methods in the field. You will then be able to follow your interests, selecting from option modules which draw on a broad range of research conducted by scholars in our School of Historical Studies, including modules from the ancient to the contemporary, and which step from Europe to Asia and beyond.

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Full-time: Two to three evenings a week, October to July.

    Part-time: One to two evenings a week, October to July.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More highlights

  • Applicants to this course are able to apply for Carena Institute of Sustainable Archaeologies scholarships, in addition to other postgraduate funding including our prestigious Eric Hobsbawm Scholarships, subject to availability. One of the most influential historians of the twentieth century, Eric Hobsbawm taught at Birkbeck for over five decades and embodied what is central to our teaching and research: a continued commitment to critical enquiry and public engagement.
  • You will also have the opportunity to apply for a work placement in one of London's thriving museums, galleries or archives.
  • Birkbeck was ranked in the top eight universities in the UK for its History research in the most recent 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
  • The School of Historical Studies at Birkbeck is home to thriving student societies and affiliated research centres that actively run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research. These include the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, the Raphael Samuel History Centre and the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities.
  • We are also at the heart of academic London with access to world-class research resources. We are five minutes' walk from the British Museum and the British Library, and the Institute of Historical Research - with its internationally renowned library collection and seminars that you can attend - is nearby. The Museum of London is a short tube ride away. 
  • Birkbeck Library has an extensive history collection, including the major specialist journals, and access to online materials. 

Modules and Teaching

School of Historical Studies

The school is intensively interdisciplinary and its research and teaching covers every period from prehistory to the early twenty-first century.

Visit the school

Entry requirements

A second-class honours degree (2:2 or above) in a humanities subject.

We offer a one-year Graduate Certificate in History, which can be used as a conversion course if you want to study at postgraduate level but have a degree in a significantly different discipline.

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered, and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

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Fees

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
Part-time international students: £11,490 per year
Full-time international students: £22,980 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the Fees Policy.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this MA Archaeology and Heritage, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

  • teamwork
  • high-level oral and written communication skills in English
  • research skills
  • skills in evaluating and assessing different types of information
  • the ability to present yourself and an argument
  • the ability to look beyond Eurocentrism and include alternative understandings and experiences of the past
  • how to critically engage with a variety of sources, ranging from archaeological finds and archives to museum displays, landscapes and monuments.

This course will develop your knowledge, experience and professional networks in the heritage sector and help you prepare for a career path in archaeology, museology, education or heritage management. You may find employment as:

  • an archaeologist
  • a researcher or social researcher
  • a heritage manager
  • a conservation officer.

Graduates from this course have gone on to employment at various organisations including:

  • Portable Antiquities Scheme
  • Museum of London
  • Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA)
  • Cambridge Archaeology Unit.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to apply

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply. Find out more about how to apply.

Related courses

Study routes for Archaeology and Heritage (MA)

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Starting in October 2026

Full-time

Part-time