We are internationally recognised for our innovative research which feeds directly into your course.

Full entry requirements

All degrees are available as four years full-time with a year abroad.

• BA Archaeology offers the option of a transfer to a BSc stream in year 2.
• BA Archaeology and BA Ancient History and Archaeology can be taken part-time in 4-8 years. Applications for part-time study should be made directly to the University’s Admissions Office.
• You can also study archaeology at level 1 and level 2 by distance learning and then transfer to campus for one or two years of study to complete your BA in Archaeology.

Archaeology and Ancient History at Leicester

At the School of Archaeology and Ancient History, staff and students work together to create a fertile and stimulating environment for learning and furthering our knowledge of the past. Our aim as archaeologists and ancient historians is to enhance our understanding of the wonderful diversity of past ways of life that have left fragmentary traces in the form of material objects and texts. Our aim as teachers is to share with you that understanding and our passion for the subject. The recognition the School has received for its teaching and research excellence, nationally and internationally, is testimony to our success in achieving these aims. This success is founded on our continuing commitment to students and to innovative, high-quality teaching.

Why Study Archaeology and Ancient History at Leicester?

National Student Survey Ranking: 4th out of 18 with 93% of students satisfied with their course.
Research Rating: 90%
Position in 2012 Subject League Tables: Times 5th, Independent 7th.
Places: 68
Applications: 425

We pride ourselves on the high quality of our teaching. We achieved a score of 24/24 in the last subject review and an Academic Review Committee report on teaching quality in 2007 commended the School for developing a supportive and friendly learning environment for students, noting particularly the openness and accessibility of staff. In the 2010 National Student Survey 93% of our students were satisfied with the quality of our teaching, resources and facilities. We are internationally recognised for our innovative and cutting-edge research.

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, 90% of our research activity was world-leading, internationally excellent or internationally significant.

We offer you many opportunities to take part in field trips and excavations and our degree programmes have a modular structure to maximise choice, enabling you to focus on the topics that interest you most.

Students on all our degree courses are offered the opportunity to study abroad. We currently have exchanges with ten institutions in Europe, Canada and Australia. In 2003 the School moved into a new home on campus, complete with a range of well-equipped laboratories for practical teaching and research in science-based analytical techniques. If you choose Archaeology and Ancient History at Leicester, you are choosing academic quality, flexibility and a commitment to excellent teaching.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

In Archaeology you have the opportunity to learn key practical skills in excavation and the analysis of archaeological materials. In Year Two, it is possible to transfer to a BSc stream, which places a greater emphasis on laboratory and science based courses. Ancient History explores the Classical worlds of Greece and Rome, and introduces you to the analysis and interpretation of Classical texts. It also explores the relationship between material and textual evidence for life in the Classical world. Our joint honours degrees in History and Archaeology and Ancient History and History combine Archaeology or Ancient History with study in complementary subjects, increasing still further the range of choices available.

While diverse in scope, the School’s degrees are unified by their shared concern with the human past and with universal themes such as the environment, elites and power, society and technology, violence and warfare, gender, and identity.

You will be taught and assessed using a wide variety of methods to ensure that a range of abilities and skills are tested over the course of the degree. Our teaching takes place in lectures, small group seminars, laboratory classes and out in the field. Forms of assessment that we employ include:

• seen and unseen examinations
• essays
• laboratory reports
• practical tests
• group work
• oral presentations
• a dissertation (in the final year)

Course Opportunities

At Leicester we are aware just how important hands-on practical learning is for many students, especially in Archaeology. Our single honours Archaeology degrees include practical elements in both the First and Second Years, while all Archaeology students can choose to study one or more practical modules in their Second and Third Years. These include courses in the analysis of human bone, animal bone and pottery amongst others.

Fieldwork is also an important element of the School’s degrees. All Archaeology students take part in two excavations (six weeks for single honours; four weeks for joint honours), while students reading Ancient History and Archaeology are able to visit Rome.

Field trips also form an important component of many of our taught courses: excursions to Stonehenge, Flag Fen, Verulamium and Kenilworth Castle are examples of the places we have visited in previous years. We even have travel scholarships available within the School to help Ancient History students visit Classical sites in the Mediterranean.

Choosing Archaeology and Ancient History at Leicester gives you the opportunity to spend a year studying abroad. In all of our programmes you can transfer to a four-year degree in which you study for a year at one of our partner universities in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain or Sweden. For study in Europe you will receive language training and an Erasmus grant (approx – €385 per month 2008/09 figures). UK/EU students will also be exempted from tuition fees for the year.

It is not just academic opportunities that we provide within the School. We have dedicated work experience and outreach tutors who organise placements for you in schools, museums, field archaeology units, archives, laboratories and on external projects, complementing the volunteering provision within the University. Participation in these schemes not only enhances your knowledge of particular subjects, but also provides you with key employability skills that will make you stand out in a competitive job market.

Skills Gained

Over the course of the degree, you will develop a wide range of transferable skills valued by employers. These include: writing clearly in a variety of formats, data collection, analysis and presentation, problem-solving, critical thinking, oral presentation, languages and team-working.

Graduate Opportunities

Our students have an excellent track record of securing graduate-level employment following the completion of their degrees, reflecting the transferable skills that we deliver within our teaching. The Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey (DLHES), which records the employment status of graduates six months after the completion of their degrees, has revealed that our graduates gain employment over a wide variety of industries. These include museums, field archaeology units, heritage organisations, universities and local councils.

Nearly 30% of our students each year go on to complete Masters courses in Archaeology, Ancient History, and related fields, as well as Teaching. This reflects the passion of our staff and students in furthering our understanding of the past.

Full entry requirements

Opportunities to Visit and Further Information

Choosing where and what to study at university is an important decision for you. We believe it is important to give you the opportunity to talk to our admissions team so you can find out whether our programmes are the right choice for you.

For details of open days or for more information about the School and our courses please contact:

The Admissions Team
School of Archaeology and Ancient History
0116 252 2720/2611
arch-anchist@leicester.ac.uk
www.le.ac.uk/archaeology

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