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Archaeology

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

Access to HE Diploma

D:21,M:18,P:6

Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal

M2,M2,M2

Extended Project

A

If you have already achieved your EPQ at Grade A you will automatically be offered one grade lower in a non-mandatory A level subject. If you are still studying for your EPQ you will receive the standard course offer, with a condition of one grade lower in a non-mandatory A level subject if you achieve an A grade in your EPQ.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSE English grade 4 (alpha grade C)

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

30

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DM

and A Level grade B.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

D

and A Level grades BC.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

Scottish Advanced Higher

B,B

including Scottish Highers BBBBB.

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,B,B

This qualification is only acceptable when combined with Advanced Higher grades BB and above.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

B

This qualification is considered alongside other UoN accepted qualifications such as A Levels.

UCAS Tariff

96-135

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Archaeology

We are constantly making new discoveries that change our understanding of past human societies.

At Nottingham, archaeology covers the human story from prehistory to the development of the modern world. Using your foundation knowledge from year one, you will select specialist modules such as human bones or medieval castles to complete your degree.

On this course, you will complete 20 days of archaeological fieldwork. This includes taking part in an approved excavation project, or a related placement, in the UK or overseas.

In the core module, 'Communicating the Past' you will consider how best to present heritage to the public, working in groups to create an interactive activity based on your studies. Recent project titles have included:

- Europe’s Ice Age Hunter-Gatherers – museum exhibition design

- Hadrian’s Wall – an Archaeology Escape Room experience

- HMS Royal George – a digital shipwreck tour

- Seeking out Nottingham’s Past – an Archaeology puzzle game

- Travel the Apennine Way – Roman Board Game

We work closely with the British Geological Survey and the University Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre, and offer artefact-handling sessions and educational projects at the on-campus University Museum.

Throughout the course, you will gain an understanding of archaeological theory and practice, and a broad view of human culture from around the world. You can also take subsidiary modules from other departments – such as history, philosophy or history of art – or study a language.

Modules

Our first-year core modules are designed as an introduction. Even if you haven’t studied archaeology before, we’ll build everyone's knowledge to the same level, so you can progress through to year two.

You will take 120 credits of modules each year.

In year one, you will cover the general principles and scientific methods of archaeology. You will also study some of the key aspects and periods. You will choose from a range of optional modules, some of which include elements of ancient history and classical civilisations. You may also choose from a range of complementary modules in other subjects.

You’ll have at least 12 hours of timetabled contact a week through lectures, seminars and tutorials.

You must pass year one, but it does not count towards your final degree classification.

On this course, you are required to complete 20 days of archaeological fieldwork or other professional experience.

In year two, you will study our core 'Communicating the Past' and 'Archaeology: Theory and Practice' modules. You will explore a range of thematic and period-based optional modules, as well as those with practical components. You may also choose from a range of complementary modules in other subjects.

You’ll have at least 10 hours of timetabled contact a week through lectures, seminars and tutorials.

You must pass year two, which counts as 33% towards your final degree classification.

In year three, you will undertake your own research project and dissertation. You will also choose 60-80 credits of archaeology modules covering a wide array of archaeological topics and periods from prehistory to the medieval world. Some modules include elements of ancient history and classical civilisations. Further options can be taken from a range of complementary modules in other subjects.

You’ll have at least eight hours of timetabled contact a week through lectures, seminars and tutorials.

You must pass year three, which counts as 67% towards your final degree classification.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£22,600
per year
International
£22,600
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University Park Campus

Department:

Department of Classics and Archaeology

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

75%
Archaeology

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Archaeology

Teaching and learning

75%
Staff make the subject interesting
96%
Staff are good at explaining things
92%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
63%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

61%
Library resources
83%
IT resources
75%
Course specific equipment and facilities
71%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
47%
Male students
53%
Female students
93%
2:1 or above
10%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Archaeology

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
med
Average annual salary
92%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

21%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
13%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
8%
Business, finance and related associate professionals

Want to do a job in the arts - with lots of the great outdoors? Try archaeology! There don't tend to be many archaeology undergraduates out there (just under 700 graduated in 2015) - but it's quite a popular subject at postgraduate level. In fact, over a quarter of archaeology graduates take some kind of further study when they graduate - usually more study of archaeology. When you look at the stats, be aware that junior jobs in archaeology are not always well paid at the start of your career, and that temporary contracts are not uncommon. Thankfully, though, unpaid work, whilst not completely gone, is less common than it used to be. The archaeology graduates of 2015 found jobs in archaeology, of course, but also management and heritage and environment work, as well as more conventional graduate jobs in marketing and the finance industry.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Archaeology

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£20k

£20k

£26k

£26k

£32k

£32k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of Nottingham | Nottingham
Ancient History and Archaeology
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 104-141
Lower entry requirements
University of Nottingham | Nottingham
Archaeology (with Foundation Year)
BA (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 88-123
Nearby University
University of Leicester | Leicester
Archaeology
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 120-144

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here