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Cultural Heritage Studies MA

London, Bloomsbury

If you’re interested in shaping policy or practice in the heritage sector, or undertaking further academic studies in the area, this Master’s is ideal. Studying at UCL’s Institute of Archaeology, one of the UK’s most diverse archaeology departments – you’ll get a deep insight into the role of heritage in today's global context, be immersed in UCL’s art and archaeology collections, and benefit from the unrivalled resources of London's museums.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£16,800
£8,400
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£35,400
£17,700
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
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 a relevant subject from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this course 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

This programme will introduce you to key theoretical approaches and practical issues relevant to the cultural heritage sector today. You will be taught by experts in heritage, museum, archives and collections.

The flexible structure allows students to choose a more theoretical or a more practical degree. You can also make it multi-disciplinary by taking modules from other departments such as Anthropology, History of Art or History.

Who this course is for

The programme is aimed both at those who wish to study cultural heritage as an academic subject, and those who wish to obtain employment within this broad sector. The degree caters for students from a wide range of academic disciplines and diverse backgrounds who wish to study this rapidly growing interdisciplinary field.

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 2025. 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 many benefits and opportunities:

  • learn from leading experts in their fields 
  • use of the Institute’s exceptional laboratories, equipment, archives, and teaching collections
  • proximity to British Museum and British Library, as well as UCL’s Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology.
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: 

  • heritage within museums, heritage sector and heritage consultancies 
  • environmental sustainability and cultural sector
  • Journalism and media platforms
  • Civil Service, governmental and non-governmental organisations 
  • tourism and heritage management.

“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 Maidment-Blundell (PhD Student)

Employability

The programme is designed to enhance career prospects by giving students transferable skills attractive to employers in a wide range of businesses and sectors, such as:

  • theoretical and critical analysis
  • ability to design and carry out original research
  • practical heritage skills
  • creativity and highly articulate
  • understanding of ethical issues.

You will also learn to solve problems and issues and to build positive working relationships. 

Networking

The Institute organises a series of careers events with invited panels to discuss career opportunities and experiences in Archaeology, Research, Heritage and Museums as well as applying skills in careers outside disciplinary specialisms. Here students can get career advice from professions in relevant sectors who are often pulled from our world-wide network of alumni. 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

The programme encourages diverse teaching and learning methods/strategies such as:

  • student debate and discussion in seminar groups
  • student presentations given to their peer group in a friendly and respectful and creative atmosphere
  • visits offer a unique opportunity to ground lecture topics in practical public settings in order to stimulate student reflection and response.

As the degree progresses students complement their conceptual knowledge with research methods and these core skills culminate in and underpin the final dissertation.

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical demonstrations, site visits and guest lectures. Assessment is through essays, projects reports, and a research based dissertation.

Contact time takes various forms:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • practical sessions or site/museum visits
  • assessment feedback sessions.

The contact hours are normally 6-8 hours per week with additional self-directed study time. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials, full-time students use their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments (approximately 20-25 hours).

The learning hours during the dissertation will mainly be spent researching and writing. You will also have regular contact with your supervisor(s). They will guide and support you throughout your work.

Modules

Teaching is carried out in Terms 1 and 2, with each term consisting of one compulsory core module and additional optional modules. You will identify a dissertation topic and supervisor in Term 2. 

In Term 3, you will begin work on your dissertation, which continues over the summer and can be supplemented by research skill sessions organised at the Institute of Archaeology.    

Students are required to take the following two compulsory core modules: 

  • Critical Perspectives on Cultural Heritage (15 credits)
  • Critical Heritage Research Skills  (15 credits)

Students are required to select option modules to the value of 60 credits. All students complete a research dissertation (90 credits).

Those who undertake part-time study will discuss with the degree co-ordinator their pathway through the degree. Typically students will take both core degree modules in Year 1 and select their optional modules in order to spread these out to Year 2. The dissertation is discussed in Year 1 and completed at the end of Year 2. We endeavour to be flexible to the needs of part-time students in designing their pathway through the degree over two years.

Students are required to take the following two compulsory core modules: 

  • Critical Perspectives on Cultural Heritage (15 credits)
  • Critical Heritage Research Skills  (15 credits)

Students are required to select option modules to the value of 60 credits. All students complete a research dissertation (90 credits).

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.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Cultural Heritage Studies.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £16,800 £8,400
Tuition fees (2026/27) £35,400 £17,700

Postgraduate Taught students benefit from a cohort guarantee, meaning that their tuition fees will not increase during the course of the programme, but UCL reserves the right to increase tuition fees to reflect any sums (including levies, taxes, or similar financial charges) that UCL is required to pay any governmental authority in connection with tuition fees.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Where the course is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Transport to any fieldtrips outside of London will be arranged by the department. Students will need to make their own way to field trips within London. A Day off-peak travelcard for zones 1-9 costs around £17.00, but most visits will be within zones 1-3. Any additional costs related to fieldtrips will also be covered by the Department.

For in-person teaching, 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 £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. 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

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 2nd March 2026. 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

Aziz Foundation Scholarships in Social and Historical Sciences

Value: Full tuition fees (equivalent to 1yr full-time) (1 year)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Institute of Archaeology International Masters Student Award

Deadline: 21 March 2025
Value: Up to £26,000 (1 year)
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 course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Cultural Heritage Studies at graduate level
  • why you want to study Cultural Heritage Studies at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to this programme
  • how your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of a challenging academic environment
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree
  • what attracts you to this programme—which plays an emphasis on critical, theoretical perspectives on cultural heritage—at the intellectual, theoretical level.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (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: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute of Archaeology
Institute of Archaeology

l.daniel@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.