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Archaeology of the Mediterranean, Egypt and Middle East MA

London, Bloomsbury

Spend a year digging into the archaeology and cultural heritage of the Mediterranean, Egypt and Middle East, working with UCL’s renowned researchers. Explore UCL’s own museums and internationally-significant collections; interact with the British Museum. You’ll go away with invaluable experience and skills to forge a successful career in the public, museum and heritage sector.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£16,000
£8,000
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£33,000
£16,500
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor’s degree in archaeology or a related subject from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Mediterranean basin, Egypt and the Middle East is home to some of the most famous civilizations in history:

  • Ancient Egypt.
  • Ancient Greece.
  • Ancient Rome and Italy.
  • Focus of 3 major world religions.
  • Middle age Byzantium.


This degree will give you an understanding of the ancient societies of these regions through an exploration of their archaeology and heritage. You can also focus on a particular geographic region or period of your choice.
 

Who this course is for

This programme is particularly suitable for graduates with a first degree in:

Archaeology. 
Anthropology.
History.

The Department is looking for students, with suitable archaeological experience, who want to develop their skills further if their first degree is in a cognate discipline other than archaeology (e.g. anthropology, history). If you do not have any archaeological experience, please contact the department for further advice.


 

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

UCL Institute of Archaeology is one of the largest centres for archaeology and heritage in Britain and ranked 3rd in the QS World Rankings by Subject 2024. It brings archaeology, cultural heritage, and museum studies together under one roof, making it a special and exciting place to study.

This programme offers you benefits and opportunities such as:

  • In-depth and comparative understanding of the archaeology of the Mediterranean, Egypt and Middle East, analysis and interpretation of archaeological data.
  • Use of the Institute’s exceptional laboratories, equipment, archives, and teaching collections.
  • Training towards a career in archaeology.
  • Use of UCL’s Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology and UCL’s own collections.
  • Interaction with the British Museum, its collection and staff.
     
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Upon completing this degree, you will have skills well suited for jobs in sectors such as: 

  • Tourism and heritage management.
  • Policy development.
  • Environmental and sustainability sector.
  • Archaeology within museums and private companies.
  • Preparation for PhD degrees.

(Graduate Outcomes survey 2017-2022)

Employability

Upon completing this degree, you will have skills well suited for jobs in sectors such as:

  • Archaeology within museums and private companies.
  • Tourism and heritage management.
  • Preparation for Research degrees Engineering.

“My time at the Institute of Archaeology was invaluable. Being global in focus and nature truly refined my thinking and prepared me well to overcome the challenges that I encountered as part of my professional career” Laurence Maidement-Blundell (PhD Student)

Networking

The institute organises an annual "Careers in Ruins" event. Here students can get career advice from professionals in the Heritage and Archaeology sectors. They can also network with professionals from other sectors such as Business, Law and the Civil Service. Many of our alumni also return as guest lecturers on core modules and seminars.

Teaching and learning

Modules on Master's degrees are usually taught through seminars, though depending on the module, lecturing may also be involved. Some modules will also have associated practicals, laboratory sessions, or field trips.

The majority of modules are assessed through coursework essays. All students submit a piece of research writing in the form of a 15,000 word dissertation.

Contact time takes various forms:

  • Lectures.
  • Seminars.
  • Project supervisions.
  • Assessment feedback sessions.

The credit value of the module indicates the total learning hours you will spend to achieve its learning outcomes. One credit is often equated to 10 hours of notional learning, which includes all contact time, self-directed study, and assessment.

Many courses on this programme are seminar-based and involve two hours of teaching with additional self-directed study time. You will also have ongoing contact with teaching staff throughout the academic year.

Your dissertation module is 90 credits. The learning hours will mainly be spent researching and writing your final dissertation. You will also have regular contact with your supervisor(s). They will guide and support you throughout your work.

Modules

You will undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The teaching is carried out in the first two terms. In the second term you identify a dissertation topic and supervisor then in the third term you begin work on your dissertation, which continues over the summer. Research skills sessions provide support for this and you have to make an oral presentation of your dissertation plans to staff and your student colleagues to obtain feedback.

Students can select from a wide range of optional modules including: Themes and Debates in Egyptian Archaeology (ARCL0147); The Mediterranean World in the Iron Age (ARCL0138); Aegean Prehistory: major themes and current debates (ARCL0135); Middle Bronze Age to the Iron Age in the Near East

Teaching takes place during terms one and two. Those who undertake part-time study will discuss their pathway through the degree with the degree coordinator. Typically students will take the compulsory core modules in the first year and select their optional modules in order to spread these out to year two. The dissertation is discussed in year one and completed at the end of year two. We endeavour to be flexible to the needs of part-time students in designing their pathway through the degree over two years.

Students can select from a wide range of optional modules including: Themes and Debates in Egyptian Archaeology (ARCL0147); The Mediterranean World in the Iron Age (ARCL0138); Aegean Prehistory: major themes and current debates (ARCL0135); Middle Bronze Age to the Iron Age in the Near East. See the Modules section below and the Institute of Archaeology website for more information.

Compulsory modules





Optional modules























Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Social and Historical Sciences

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Join us at our Bloomsbury campus to discover where a postgraduate degree with UCL Social & Historical Sciences will take you. At this in-person event, you'll have the opportunity to learn more about our departments and our wide breadth of degree programmes. You'll have the chance to hear from academic staff and current students, and ask any questions you might have about the department, your chosen course and studying at a world-leading university.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £16,000 £8,000
Tuition fees (2025/26) £33,000 £16,500

Additional costs

Fee deposit information to be confirmed.

There are no additional costs for this programme.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

UCL Institute of Archaeology International Masters Student Award. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor the scholarship will enable one Overseas fee paying student to undertake a year of study on an eligible MA or MSc degree in Archaeology or Archaeological Science. It will provide support of up to £26,000 for the duration of their degree to cover fees. Further details can be found here. The deadline for applications is 1 March 2025.https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/study/graduate-taught/ucl-institute-archaeology-masters-award

Institute of Archaeology Master's Awards: The UCL Institute of Archaeology has one studentship of £10,000 available to support a graduate student who is an ordinarily resident in the UK or Ireland and eligible to pay home fee rate. The deadline for applications is 1st March 2025. For further information and to download an application see here.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Institute of Archaeology International Masters Student Award

Deadline: 21 March 2025
Value: Up to £26,000 (1yr)
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Institute of Archaeology Masters Award

Deadline: 21 March 2025
Value: £10,000 (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

how your academic and professional background meets the demands of Mediterranean Archaeology, Egyptian and Middle Eastern Archaeology
why you want to study the Archaeology of these regions at graduate level
what particularly attracts you to this programme
where you would like to go professionally with your degree and how this programme meets these needs


Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.
 

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute of Archaeology
Institute of Archaeology

l.daniel@ucl.ac.uk

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