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Archaeology with a Placement Year BA

London, Bloomsbury

Build your expertise of archaeological concepts and major issues of prehistory, and get to grips with practical and analytical techniques, transferable to many sectors. Learning from UCL’s internationally renowned researchers, you’ll go deeper into the chronological periods, geographical areas and specialist skills that interest you most. Fieldwork is a major component of the degree, to sharpen your skills in excavation, museum work, research, and digital projects, both locally and (where possible) overseas. Hone your skills further on a placement year with Archaeology South-East (ASE).

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
4 academic years
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£9,535
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£36,500
Programme starts
September 2026
Application deadline
14 Jan 2026
UCAS course code
F403
Apply via UCAS

Entry requirements

A levels IB Diploma Other qualifications
Grades
ABB
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 4.

Contextual offer information

Grades
BBC more about contextual offers
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 4.
Points
34
Subjects
A total of 16 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level score below 5.

Contextual offer

Points
30 more about contextual offers
Subjects
A total of 15 points in three higher level subjects, with no higher level 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

Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 30 credits at Distinction, 12 credits at Merit and 3 credits at Pass, all from Level 3 units.

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (QCF) or BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (RQF - teaching from 2016) with Distinction, Distinction, Distinction.

D3,M1,M1 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects

ABB at Advanced Highers (or AB at Advanced Higher and BBB at Higher)

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

International applications

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

Access and widening participation

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.
Check your Access UCL Scheme eligibility

Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates

The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.

Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.

For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.

English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Course overview

This programme provides a foundation in theoretical archaeological approaches, practical methods and major issues in world prehistory. Throughout the degree you will be able to select optional modules that provide an in-depth study of particular geographical regions, time periods and archaeological materials.

Optional modules will help you develop practical skills in a range of areas, from topographical surveying to archaeological photography. There are archaeology optional modules that run on a biennial basis and range from Roman art and architecture to pottery analysis; from geoarchaeology to zooarchaeology; from Amazonia or the Aztecs to Stonehenge, China and early Islamic archaeology.

Students who have who have enrolled for this degree will be expected to demonstrate an aptitude for and commitment to fieldwork in first  year. During the second year students will be invited to submit an application to become an employee of Archaeology South East (ASE). Those whose applications are successful will start to work with ASE at the beginning of September of their third year.

During third year placement students  will work as a part of a professional team to excavate, survey, study, manage and conserve historic sites and finds. Working alongside our expert staff at Archaeology South East (ASE), the commercial archaeology division of the Institute of Archaeology at UCL, you will be at the forefront of new archaeological discovery, engaging with the public to promote an understanding of the historic environment. You will learn what it’s like to work full-time in the archaeology industry, gain practical skills (including vital excavation experience), and make industry connections. 

In the final year you are given the chance to reflect critically on your fieldwork experience and the skills you have been developing during the degree through a portfolio, and write a 10,000-word dissertation on a detailed subject that you will choose, research and write up with the help of a supervisor.

All students will complete (in addition to the placement year) 50 days of partially-funded fieldwork, which includes excavation, museum work, research and digital fieldwork.

What this course will give you

The Institute of Archaeology was founded in 1937 as a centre for archaeological training, to the Institute today, one of the largest and highly regarded centres for archaeology and heritage studies. 

You will become part of a top-class institution, currently ranked third in the world for archaeology in the QS World Rankings 2024 . We offer an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming learning environment.

This degree allows you to combine the study of archaeology at a world-leading university with a year of professional training and paid employment as part of a leading professional archaeological team working in South East England.

The Institute has outstanding facilities for an unparalleled range of archaeological research, including laboratories, equipment, archives and collections. These include specialist laboratories for geoarchaeological study, archaeobotany, DNA and bone analysis, and photography and conservation labs. The Wolfson Archaeological Science Laboratories contain excellent facilities for the examination and analysis of a wide variety of archaeological materials, including electron and optical microscopy. Our collections contain over 80,000 artefacts that are used in teaching, research and outreach. 

As well as the extensive libraries at UCL, you also have access to the Institute of Archaeology Library contains approximately 70,000 books, and nearly 800 current periodicals (journals). Our holdings are strong in all aspects of archaeological theory, prehistoric Britain and Europe, the archaeology of Western Asia (Ancient Near East), Classical Greece and Rome, Egypt, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.

Teaching and learning

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).

Upon successful completion of 480 credits, you will be awarded a BA (Hons) in Archaeology with a Placement Year.

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 is 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.

First year compulsory modules give you a grounding in the broad range of materials analysed by archaeologists, fieldwork methods, an introduction to social anthropology and a survey of world archaeology.

Second year compulsory modules provide you with a more advanced understanding of archaeological theories and develop your research and presentation skills.

In third year you will complete a work placement at Archaeology South East (ASE).

In your final year you will present a portfolio and write a 10,000 word dissertation on a subject selected with the support of a supervisor. 

You will be able to select optional modules that provide an in-depth study of particular geographical regions, time periods or archaeological materials.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

Compulsory modules








Optional modules




Compulsory modules






Optional modules





The Archaeology of the Near East from Prehistory to 2000 BC






The Age of Stonehenge



Zooarchaeology

Roman Britain: History and Archaeology


Indigenous Archaeology


Art and Archaeology of Early Imperial China

The Late Bronze Age Aegean in the Mediterranean

Iron Age Europe


Compulsory modules



Compulsory modules





Optional modules

The Aztecs and the Conquest of Mexico

The Archaeology of Human Evolution

The Islamic World in the Global Age 900-1400



Early Medieval Archaeology of Britain A


Ancient Societies of Amazonia



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.

Fieldwork is a major component of the degree with 50 days of partially-funded fieldwork being a compulsory element. Fieldwork includes excavation, museum work, research, and digital fieldwork projects that can take you all over the globe. 

Typical contact hours vary between 8-12 hours per week, depending on the year of study and module choice, and include lectures, seminars, practicals and workshops. Students will also undertake a level of independent study (20-25 hours per week), for example, by engaging with key topics and required readings in preparation for the discussions promoted in the programme and for assessments and e-learning activities. In addition, during the degree you will have 50 days of site trips, training courses and field work.

Assessment

Coursework, typically 1,000-2,500 word essays, is used to assess most modules. Some modules involve an examination element too.

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

Online - Open day

Virtual Open Event: Archaeology taster lecture and Q&A (AM)

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Join us for an engaging online taster lecture and Q&A session, where you can ask any questions you may have about the programmes offered in the department. Speak directly with our academics and students to gain a thorough understanding of our programmes. This interactive session is designed to provide you with valuable insights, helping you make an informed decision about your academic future. Don’t miss this chance to explore what the programme has to offer! 

Online - Open day

Virtual Open Event: Archaeology taster lecture and Q&A (PM)

—

Join us for an engaging online taster lecture and Q&A session, where you can ask any questions you may have about the programmes offered in the department. Speak directly with our academics and students to gain a thorough understanding of our programmes. This interactive session is designed to provide you with valuable insights, helping you make an informed decision about your academic future. Don’t miss this chance to explore what the programme has to offer! 

Online - Open day

Archaeology information video

Watch this video to find out more about Archaeology at UCL, including entry requirements, course structure and other helpful information. Recorded Spring 2024.

Watch on demand event

The foundation of your career

Our graduates go on to work in a wide variety of fields from archaeology (fieldwork, research and academia), heritage, museums, teaching, scientific and technical activities, hospitality, tourism, IT, advertising and marketing - the possibilities are extremely wide and varied. (Graduate Outcomes survey carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), looking at the destinations of UK and EU graduates in the 2017-2022 cohorts.)

Employability

You learn to communicate effectively verbally, visually and in writing to diverse audiences and develop a sensitivity to different cultures. You also develop excellent transferable skills providing the experience necessary to work both within the archaeology, heritage and museum sector and in numerous sectors outside of the discipline.  

Throughout the degree, you also develop highly desirable transferable skills valuable across a range of job sectors. These include both independent working and teamwork skills, research and analytical skills, planning and project management, and an understanding of the importance of recovering primary data through practical experience. Your placement will provide you with experience of working full time for a commercial archaeology unit, practical skills, and industry connections.

Accreditation

All UCL Institute of Archaeology undergraduate degrees are accredited by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) and Universities Archaeology UK (UAUK). In 2026 the five-yearly review of this accreditation will take place. On graduation students can become a Practitioner member of CIfA (PCIfA), which demonstrates the skills required for employment in archaeology, heritage and museums, as well as a commitment to maintain high professional standards, attributes that are important for employment in many sectors within or outside of archaeology.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £9,535
Tuition fees (2025/26) £36,500

Fees are for Undergraduate 2025/26 entry and are for the first year only. Fees for subsequent years may be subject to increase: Student Terms and Conditions. UK fees are in line with the Government announcement on fee cap increases and are subject to the passing of secondary legislation. Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2025/26 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Students on a placement year pay 15% of their corresponding full-time fee.

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

When on placement with Archaeology South East (ASE), students are required to pay a proportion of annual fees to UCL. There will be additional costs associated with your placement, such as accommodation, subsistence, purchasing clothes and getting to and from work each day. While on the placement ASE will pay students above the minimum wage, supply some work clothing and equipment and cover travel and accommodation when working beyond the catchment of the ASE offices. Most students find that this pay covers the year’s expenses.

Fieldwork costs (travel and food) can be covered by the department provided that students attend recommended UK based projects. Students who choose to go on other fieldwork will need to contribute to any additional charges involved.

Fieldwork Examples 2025 (these projects normally run towards the end of Term 3 and over the Summer Break) and their cost to you:

  • Compulsory Training Excavation - no cost to you (covered by the department)
  • Recommended UK Based Fieldwork (example for 2025 Bodiam Castle & Norton Suffolk) - no cost to you (covered by the department) 

UK Fieldwork (other than projects recommended by us) we cover £25 per day and travel to the site - any additional cost will be covered by you.

Overseas Fieldwork (other than projects recommended by us) we cover £25 per day and £225 for travel within Europe and £335 for travel outside of Europe - any additional cost will be covered by you.

Equipment Costs: 

Students are expected to provide their own equipment, approximately £300 and £500 to purchase new.  Example of equipment required: tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, waterproof footwear, waterproof jacket. 

Specific Archaeology Kit we will expect you to own:

  • Trowel – WHS £16.80  (for the wooden handled trowel)

Finally – we provide the following (you do not need to buy these):

  • Fieldwork Notebook 
  • Skills Passport 

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 £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. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding your studies

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.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Scholarships

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.

Next steps

Your application

We are looking for students who can demonstrate an interest in the past, and the development of human societies across geographical regions, time periods and material cultures. We will refer to your Personal Statement for evidence of critical thinking, communication and analytical ability. We are keen to attract a diverse student cohort, and welcome applications from mature students.

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.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

Once an offer has been made applicants are invited to attend a Post Offer Open Day which allows you to learn about our archaeological artefacts, meet staff and students, 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. 

The UCAS application is assessed by a central UCL team and the Archaeology department. The personal statement and predicted grades are used for assessment and sometimes extra information is requested.

Apply via UCAS
Application guidelines
Download prospectus

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute of Archaeology
Institute of Archaeology

c.frearson@ucl.ac.uk

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