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Contact information
- Ms Charlotte Frearson
- Admissions Administrator
- c.frearson@ucl.ac.uk
- +44 (0)20 7679 1494
Archaeology and Anthropology BA
The combined Archaeology and Anthropology BA develops an understanding of the relationship between archaeology and anthropology as subjects offering a uniquely broad perspective on human experience, past and present. It draws upon an unparalleled range of expertise in the analysis of social change, human evolution and material culture.
Covid-19 programme updates
Due to COVID-19, there may have been updates to this programme for the 2020 academic year. Where there has been an update, these are indicated with a red alert and a link which will provide further information.
Key Information
Programme starts
September 2020
- UCAS code
- FL46
- Duration
-
Full-time: 3 years
- Application deadline
- 15 January 2020
- Location
- London, Bloomsbury
Entry requirements
A Levels
- Grades
- AAB
- Subjects
- No specific subjects.
- At least two A level subjects should be taken from UCL's list of preferred A level subjects.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5. For UK-based students, a grade C or 5 or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs
Contextual offer
- Grades
- BBB (more about contextual offers)
- Subjects
- No specific subjects.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5. For UK-based students, a grade C or 5 or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs
IB Diploma
- Points
- 36
- Subjects
- A score of 17 points in three higher level subjects, with no score lower than 5.
Contextual offer
- Points
- 32 (more about contextual offers)
- Subjects
- A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects, with no score below 5.
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF - teaching from 2016) with Distinction, Distinction, Distinction.
Pass in Access to HE Diploma, with a minimum of 18 credits awarded with Distinction in the Level 3 units, the remainder of the Level 3 units awarded with Merit.
D3,D3,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects
A,A,B at Advanced Highers (or A,A at Advanced Higher and B,B,B at Higher)
Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A-Levels at grades AAB.
International applications
In addition to A level and International Baccalaureate, UCL considers a wide range of international qualifications for entry to its undergraduate degree programmes.
English language requirements
If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency. Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.
The English language level for this programme is: Good
A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Degree benefits
UCL is ranked the second best place to study archaeology in the UK by the Guardian University Guide 2018.
The Institute of Archaeology's degree programmes offer a huge variety of optional modules, covering a diverse range of archaeological topics in both a theoretical and a practical manner. Alongside this there are also a wide range of modules to select from in Anthropology.
Optional modules (which may not run every year) include Greek Art & Architecture, Zooarchaeology, Archaeological Photography, Indigenous Archaeology, Archaeology of Human Evolution (to name but a few!)
The degree includes 70 days of partially funded fieldwork: destinations have included Belize, Spain, USA, Romania, Portugal, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Wales, Scotland, Uganda & Greece (to name a few).
Degree structure
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
The degree is structured around a combination of core and optional modules. The core modules ensure that you will maintain a balanced training in archaeology and anthropology throughout the programme, while the optional modules allow you to develop specialist skills in a particular region or area of analysis.
In the first year you will receive a solid grounding in the methods and theories of social and biological anthropology, material culture studies, and archaeology.
The second and third years provide a more advanced understanding of archaeology and anthropology and allow you to develop your own specialised interests through your optional module choices.
In the third year you are given the chance to reflect critically on your fieldwork experience during the degree through a fieldwork portfolio, and write a 10,000-word dissertation on a detailed subject that you will choose with the help of a supervisor.
Modules
An indicative guide to the structure of this programme, year by year.
Core or compulsory module(s)
Field Methods
Introduction to Archaeology
Introduction to Biological Anthropology II
Introduction to Material and Visual Culture
Introductory Social Anthropology IA
Sites and Artefacts
World Archaeology: An Outline of the Deep History of Human Societies
Optional modules
All first-year modules are compulsory.
Core or compulsory module(s)
Current Issues in Archaeological Theory
Research and Presentation Skills
Introduction to Theoretical Perspectives in Social Anthropology and Material Culture
Optional modules
You will select modules to the value of 30 credits from Archaeology optional modules, 30 credits from Anthropology optional modules, and a further 15 credits in Archaeology, Anthropology, or a related subject to be chosen in consultation with your Personal Tutor.
Core or compulsory module(s)
Archaeology in the World
Applied Fieldwork Portfolio
Dissertation
Optional modules
You will select 45 credits of optional modules in Archaeology or Anthropology, and a further 15 credits in Archaeology, Anthropology, or a related subject to be chosen in consultation with your Personal Tutor.
Covid-19 module updates
Due to COVID-19, there may be updates to the modules for your chosen programme of study this year. Some modules may not be available or may need to be moved to a later term or year of study.
These updates are relevant for 2020-21 academic year only. The full list of modules will be available in the module catalogue from late August. From the first week of September, you will be invited to complete module selection from Portico, our student record system.
There may need to be additional updates or changes to modules during the academic year to allow for new guidance from the UK Government and Public Health England. Your department shall keep you updated of these changes as they become available
Your learning
You will be taught using a mixture of lectures, seminars and practical sessions, either field or laboratory-based. Full use is made of our extensive teaching and reference collections and close connections to the national museums and collections of London.
Covid-19 field trip updates
Due to COVID-19 updates, there may need to be changes to planned field trips for this programme. This will depend on travel restrictions, social distancing measures, and the availability of the relevant venues. Your department will keep you updated if field trips are able to occur and/or any alternative options available.
Covid-19 contact hours on campus
In Term One, while campus will be open, all the learning activity for the core content of your modules will take place online – including lectures, tutorials, seminars and assessments. By “core content” we mean everything you need to learn to complete the module successfully.
In addition to these online contact hours, we will be offering some face-to-face educational activities for students on campus, and we will provide alternative online activities for those students unable to join us on campus. These activities, which will include contact with academic staff, will be relevant to your programme of study may include seminars, academic and employability skills workshops, small-group or individual tutorials, lab and practice-based teaching.
UK Government safety guidelines will limit the amount of ‘in person’ activity we can offer and while it will vary from programme to programme, is likely to be no more than 1-2 hours per week. This will vary across departments, particularly if your programme includes laboratory/practical/studio/workshop sessions. You will be updated with more specific details as they are available and your timetable will indicate which sessions will be on campus and which will be available online.
Communicating further Covid-19 mitigation plans
We are continuing to follow UK Government guidance, as well as the expertise of our researchers, including specialists in health, education, human behaviour and infection prevention, to make sure UCL is as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. If it becomes necessary to make further changes to your programme as a result of new guidance/regulations, UCL and your department will communicate these as soon as this becomes clear. We will keep you up-to-date with our plans throughout term one, so you have the information you need to be able to take decisions that are right for your circumstances. Please ensure that you keep in touch with your department by regularly checking your UCL emails, Moodle courses, the Coronavirus FAQs for Students page and any UCL online groups or social media you follow.
Assessment
Coursework, typically 1,500-2,500 word essays, is used to assess most modules. Most compulsory modules and some optional modules involve an examination element too. The completion of 70 days' fieldwork is a requirement for all archaeology students.
Covid-19 assessment updates
There may be changes to the format of assessments for modules in this programme due to COVID-19. These will be summarised for each module on the module catalogue from 17 August 2020.
If any changes to assessments need to be made during the academic year due to updates in government guidance, these will be communicated to you as soon as possible from your department.
Detailed course descriptions are available on the department website: Archaeology and Anthropology BA.
Careers
Throughout the degree, which includes 70 days of fieldwork, students develop the ability to work collaboratively and effectively within teams as well as working independently in order to execute research. Students develop strong research and analytical skills and an appreciation of the importance of recovering primary data through practical experience.
Students learn to communicate effectively verbally, visually and in writing to diverse audiences and develop a sensitivity to different cultures.
Our graduates go on to work in a variety of fields from archaeology (fieldwork, research and academia) and anthropology, heritage, museums, the UK civil service and police, law, engineering, business - the possibilities are extremely wide and varied. Alumni have gone on to work for Consultancies, City Businesses and the Government, as well as Museums, Academia and Heritage organisations.
UCL is commited to helping you get the best start after graduation. Read more about how UCL Careers and UCL Innovation and Enterprise can help you find employment or learn about entrepreneurship.
Student view
“The Institute of Archaeology at UCL was really the obvious first choice. The staff are friendly and welcoming, there are loads of courses made available to undergrads as well as a variety of facilities, and it is consistently ranked as one of (if not the) best archaeology departments in the UK. ”Finn McLaughlin - Archaeology and Anthropology BA Third Year
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2020/21 academic year. The UK/EU fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2020/21 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.
- UK/EU students
- £9,250 (2020/21)
- Overseas students
- £27,540 (2020/21)
Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.
Additional costs
If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc. on this programme, please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).
Funding
Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.
Departmental scholarships
Funding opportunities relevant to the department may appear in this section when they are available. Please check carefully or confirm with the programme contact to ensure they apply to this degree programme.
The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.
Application and next steps
Your application
We use predicted grades, references, previous academic records and the personal statement on your application to assess your suitability for the programme. You should demonstrate your interest in studying archaeology and anthropology and explain the measures you have taken to sustain your interest in the past. Evidence of interests and activities beyond the school curriculum will also be of benefit.
How to apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Application deadline: 15 January 2020
Selection
The UCAS application forms are assessed by a central UCL team and the Institute of Archaeology. The personal statement and predicted grades are used for assessment and sometimes extra information is requested.
Once an offer has been made applicants, unless living overseas, are invited to attend a Post Offer Open Day where they will meet staff and students and will be able to see all of the facilities on site at the UCL Institute of Archaeology and UCL.
Additionally, the open day allows you to learn about our archaeological artefacts, meet specific tutors, tour UCL and the institute, and find out more about the degree programmes, resources and facilities we offer. Alternative arrangements can be made for those living overseas including Virtual Open Days and tours outside of the advertised dates.
For further information on UCL's selection process see: Selection of students.
Page last modified on 12 March 2020