MSc in Professional Archaeology
Key facts
| Length | 1 year full-time. |
| Start Date | Monday 27 September 2010 (Induction Course). |
| Classes | |
| Venue | Placements at archaeological organisations; short courses at Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA. |
| Home Study | |
| Fee | Fees in 2010 comprise the following: University composition fee: £3,500 (EU non-ELQ); £8,550 (EU ELQ); £12,400 (non-EU) and the Kellogg College fee: approximately £2,295 (EU and non-EU). |
| Closing Dates for applications | The closing dates for applications are 22 January, 12 March and 14 May 2010. |
Equivalent or Lower Qualifications (ELQ)
If you are a home/EU student returning to study for a qualification at the same
level as one you have taken previously, then your fee may be at the higher
ELQ rate. For further information please contact the Award
Programme Administrator (ppaward@conted.ox.ac.uk),
in the first instance.
Introduction
The Master of Science in Professional Archaeology is designed to give you the necessary expertise to further your career in archaeology. The course is based on academic learning, practical training and the production of a dissertation, and will be relevant to you if:
• you have completed a degree (or are due to complete a degree) in archaeology or a related subject and need more practical experience before you can find the right job;
• you already have a job but need more skills to gain promotion.
The course is one year full-time and each programme of study will be individually designed to take into account your background experience and career aims.
It is based on three ten-week placements. If you would like to gain a wide range of experience in professional archaeology, your placements would be in three different archaeological organisations. These could include an archaeology or heritage department of a local authority, a national organisation (such as English Heritage), and an archaeological contractor (such as Oxford Archaeology). If you would like more focussed training, your three placements would be in one specialism. We can offer placements in the following specialisms: archaeological heritage management, commercial archaeological practice and archaeological surveying and mapping. We are also able to consider suggestions for other specialisms, if appropriate.
Projects undertaken during your placements are presented in a portfolio, to be submitted after three terms. In addition, during the first three terms you are required to write three assignments on topics relevant to professional archaeology. You will be assigned a supervisor who you meet for three tutorials to discuss your assignments, the content of your portfolio and possible dissertation topics.
At the beginning of the MSc there is an intensive residential Induction Course, which is attended by all students. During your period of registration you will also be required to attend, and write reports on, four short courses and a Survey Week chosen from the Professional Training in the Historic Environment programme.
You will spend the last part of the course writing a dissertation (of not more than 15,000 words) on a topic related to professional archaeology. A dissertation supervisor will be allocated to you on the basis of your chosen topic, and you will meet three times to receive guidance and advice on writing your dissertation.
You will be a fully matriculated member of Oxford University during your period
of registration, and therefore also become a member of a college. Most students
on the MSc in Professional Archaeology are members of Kellogg College.
The Master of Science in Professional Archaeology has been developed from the successful Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Archaeology, which began as the ‘In-Service’ Training Scheme in the mid-1970s. This MSc offers first-hand experience and contacts in the real world of archaeology, and many students who have completed the course in recent years now have jobs in the profession.
The MSc is run in association with Oxford Archaeology, one of the leading commercial archaeological contractors in the country. The Professional Training in the Historic Environment programme is run with English Heritage in association with the Archaeology Training Forum, (ATF), the Institute for Archaeologists (IfA) and the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC).
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Course Content
Placements
Your placement programme will be arranged (in consultation with you) before
the course begins. Placements can be based in one city or county or if you prefer,
in three different parts of the country. Your placements will be arranged according
to your own particular interests and requirements, and whether you would like
to gain a wide range of experience or focus on a specialism. To give you an
idea of the different organisations to consider for your placement programme,
here are four typical placement programmes:
Typical placement programmes
Option one (wide range of experience)
Placement 1: Oxford Archaeology
Fieldwork; desk-based assessments; CAD work in the Graphics Office.
Placement 2: Oxfordshire County Council
SMR enhancement via Development Control reports, periodicals and aerial photographs;
experience with SMR text and GIS (MapInfo) software.
Placement 3: English Heritage, Swindon
Work on an outreach project with the NMR Outreach Team.
Option two (archaeological heritage management)
Placement 1: Gloucestershire County CouncilSMR work; archaeology and planning (strategic/development control), archaeological advice on site/land management including agri-environment schemes.
Placement 2: National Trust, Swindon
Contribute to current work on regional and national planning for Historic Environment
(e.g. Archaeology and Coastal Risk Assessments, Survey Audits).
Placement 3: English Heritage, Swindon
Work on a pilot study to gather information about heritage management from different
countries around the world.
Option three (commercial archaeological practice)
Placement 1: Arup (London)Heritage consultancy work with a team that includes archaeologists, GIS and built heritage specialists.
Placement 2: Oxford Archaeology
Work in the Geomatics Department on a GIS project.
Placement 3: Oxford Archaeology
Fieldwork and post-excavation analysis.
Option four (archaeological surveying and mapping)
Placement 1: Oxford Archaeology
Work in the Geomatics Department on a GIS project.
Placement 2: English Heritage, Swindon
Historic Landscape Characterisation.
Placement 3: English Heritage, Swindon
Earthwork surveying with the Archaeology Survey and Investigation Team.
All placements have an assigned Placement Officer who will act as your first point of contact and keep an eye on your progress for the duration of the placement. The Course Co-ordinator is in regular communication with Placement Officers to ensure that every student on placement is given a good range of activities and experience. There are also two formal feedback sessions during each placement when the Course Co-ordinator will ask you to comment on the projects you are involved in and the range of skills you are learning. A record of these telephone feedback sessions will be kept, to allow any queries or difficulties to be addressed.
Whilst on placement you work a five-day week, but have days off to attend your
short courses and Survey Week. You are entitled to all public holidays observed
by your placement organisation.
Written Work
You are also required to write three assignments of 2,000 - 2,500 words on topics related to professional archaeology. Submission dates are in December, March and May. A list of suggested assignment titles will be issued at the beginning of the academic year, and your supervisor will help you decide on the areas that you should cover in your assignments. You will need to have three tutorials with your supervisor by the end of the third term.
If your placements are in a specialism, you will be allocated a supervisor with relevant expertise in that area. She/he will recommend assignment topics that closely link to your placements, to give you scope for research and reflection on your specialism; likewise, she/he will help you chose short courses relevant to your chosen area.
In mid-June you will be required to submit a portfolio relating to projects on which you have worked; this should include all aspects of projects undertaken on your three placements, reports on your four short courses and the Survey Week, plus copies of your three assignments.
Towards the end of the Michaelmas term you will be required to attend a dissertation
seminar at which you will be given advice about choosing the topic of your dissertation
and how to prepare for your research. If you are focussing on a specialism,
your dissertation topic will be in this chosen specialist area.
In the Hilary term you will be required to attend a thirty minute session to
discuss your dissertation with the Course Director. This will be an informal
session where you can talk through your ideas and research questions you intend
to explore. From mid-June you will concentrate on the production of your dissertation,
and prepare for a presentation which is to be given to an invited audience in
July. The submission date for your dissertation will be in mid-September.
Induction Course
All students attend an intensive residential Induction Course at the beginning
of the academic year. This course will give you the opportunity to meet
the
other students, your supervisor and other people involved in the MSc.
During the induction course you will attend a series of sessions introducing
the subject of professional archaeology given by experts from a range of archaeological
organisations including a commercial archaeological practice, the archaeology
section of a local authority, English Heritage, the Institute for Archaeologists
(IfA) and the Archaeology Data Service (ADS). There will also be a tour around
Janus House, the headquarters of Oxford Archaeology and appropriate libraries.
Accommodation and meals
will be provided by the Department’s Residential Centre in Rewley House.
The Induction Course for the 2010/11 academic year will run from Monday 27
September 2010.
Short Courses
All students are required to attend four short courses and one Survey Week from
the Professional Training in the Historic Environment programme. The cost of
these courses is included in the annual fee, and accommodation (for those who
are not resident in Oxford) and meals will be provided by the Department’s
Residential Centre.
The programme of short courses for the 2010/11 academic year will be published
on a separate leaflet, available in Spring 2010. Over twenty courses will
be
offered, including courses such as the following:
• Archaeological Desk-Based Assessments
• An Introduction to Architecture for Archaeologists
• Aerial Photography: Archaeological Interpretation and Mapping
• Post-Excavation Assessment
• Environmental Assessment and the Cultural Heritage
You are required to attend one Survey Week. In the forthcoming year the following courses will be available:
• Archaeology Survey Week
• Building Survey Week
These short courses are aimed at the training needs of the profession, so whilst
attending courses you will have the opportunity to meet a range of people already
working in archaeology.
Assessment
To qualify for the Master of Science in Professional Archaeology you are required to:
• attend the Induction Course, and attend and write reports on four short courses and a Survey Week (5% of the total marks);
• submit three written assignments to your supervisor for assessment (15%);
• produce a portfolio of professionally competent work relating to projects based on placement work (40%);
• write a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a topic related to professional archaeology (40%).
All submitted work will be evaluated by the Board of Examiners. The overall
performance will be assessed by a viva voce examination at the end of the course.
The MSc will be awarded on a Pass/Fail basis and outstanding work will qualify
for a distinction.
Who is it for?
This course is for those who intend to make a career in archaeology or the historic environment, or for those already within these areas of employment who wish to further their career prospects by obtaining a recognised qualification in professional archaeology.
Students applying for the Master of Science in Professional Archaeology will
be expected to have completed (or be due to complete) a degree in archaeology
or a related subject, or have substantive equivalent experience.
Teaching Staff
Course Director: Professor Gary Lock,
(Director of Studies in Archaeology at OUDCE and also based at the Institute
of Archaeology)
is an international authority on the use of computers in archaeology,
and his research includes the ‘Hillforts of the Ridgeway’ Landscape
Project. Please see a full staff research profile at http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/research/profiles/profile.php?id=195
Please contact on 01865 280341 or 278240 or gary.lock@arch.ox.ac.uk
Dr Alison MacDonald, please contact on 01865 270370 or alison.macdonald@conted.ox.ac.uk
All students are allocated a supervisor and a dissertation supervisor.
Each placement has an assigned Placement Officer who is the first point of contact and who is available during the placement to give guidance and support.
All short courses are taught by members of the archaeological profession at Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA.
How to apply
The application form is obtained by going to the ‘Application and Admissions procedure’ section of the online prospectus, at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gsp/. Please print out the ‘Notes of Guidance’ and read them carefully before completing the application form. The ‘Notes of Guidance’ should be kept for future reference after you have submitted your application. You can also request these documents from the Graduate Admissions Office by clicking on the enquiry form on the web page at: www.admin.ox.ac.uk/gsp/apply/forms, or by emailing your address to the Graduate Admissions Office at: graduate.admissions@admin.ox.ac.uk. If you prefer to receive an application pack by post, please contact:
The Graduate Admissions Office
University Offices
Wellington Square
Oxford OX1 2JD Tel: (01865 270059 / 60 / 80)
You will need to submit the application form and all supporting materials:
When completing your application form, please note that the six-digit course code for the MSc in Professional Archaeology is 000210. It is a ‘taught degree’ and in Section I you should tick the ‘M.Sc. by coursework’ box. The title of the course is ‘Professional Archaeology’.
Applicants for the MSc in Professional Archaeology are expected to supply
the following:
• a completed application form;
• three letters of reference;
Note: If you anticipate having difficulty
providing 3 referees who have an informed view of your academic ability
and suitability for this Programme of Study, please contact the Award
Programme Administrator (ppaward@conted.ox.ac.uk),
in the first instance, for advice.
• transcripts of previous higher education results;
Note: If it
would be difficult for you to obtain transcripts of previous higher education
qualifications because of the length of time since you studied or because
you have substantial experience but not a degree, please contact the
Award Programme Administrator (ppaward@conted.ox.ac.uk), before
you submit your application. The transcript requirement can be waived
in certain circumstances.
• a current CV/résumé;
• two pieces of written work.
Prospective students whose first language is not English should note that English language certification at the higher level is required, and any offer of a place will be conditional on the receipt of an original certificate (see page 3 of the ‘Notes of Guidance’).
Your application should be submitted by Friday 22 January 2010.
If you miss this deadline, your application can be considered, places on the course permitting, if submitted by Friday 12 March, or Friday 14 May 2010.
Your completed application form and supporting materials should be sent to:
The Graduate Admissions Office
University of Oxford
University Offices
Wellington Square
Oxford, OX1 2JD.
If you have any questions about the course, please
contact the Professional Archaeology Programme Planner,
who can be reached at the Department for Continuing Education, Rewley
House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, telephone: 01865 270370,
email: alison.macdonald@conted.ox.ac.uk
Please note that if you have substantive archaeological experience but do not have a degree, you will need to contact the Professional Archaeology Programme Planner, (alison.macdonald@conted.ox.ac.uk), before you submit your application; the transcript requirement can then be waived and your application will be processed by the Graduate Admissions Office without undue delay.
Admissions Policy
The admissions policy is intended to ensure that applicants are offered equality of opportunity irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion, nationality or ethnic origins. For applicants who have successfully completed (or are due to complete) a degree in archaeology or a related subject, or have substantive equivalent experience, an interview will be arranged as part of the admissions process. An applicant may be unsuccessful in securing an interview if the application falls far short of the entry requirements – if so, more appropriate courses of study will be recommended.
The purpose of the interview is two-fold:
• to ensure that you are fully informed of the standard of achievement and the level of commitment required for the course of study;
• to help establish your level of interest, motivation and potential in relation to the suitability of the course.
Successful applicants should normally provide evidence of the following:
• motivation, including an awareness of the time commitment;
• a desire to establish or advance a career in Professional Archaeology;
• suitable academic ability, including sufficient command of spoken and written English.
Students accepted on the course will start the MSc with the Induction Course on Monday 27 September 2010.
College Affiliation
It is a requirement of Oxford University that Master of Science students are matriculated members of the University and one of its colleges. Details of colleges and halls are to be found here, or in the Graduate Studies Prospectus available on request from the Graduate Admissions Office or the Department for Continuing Education.
Masters students based in the Department for Continuing Education may if they wish, apply to become members of Kellogg College. Continuing education and life-long learning in Oxford have been formally linked to the collegiate system of the University since 1990, when Kellogg College, the University’s 36th college, was established. Kellogg College is located at 62 Banbury Road, a short distance from the Department for Continuing Education.
Fees
Fees in 2010 comprise the following: University composition fee: £3,500 (EU non-ELQ); £8,550 (EU ELQ); £12,400 (non-EU) and the Kellogg College fee: approximately £2,295 (EU and non-EU). If you are a home/EU student returning to study for a qualification at the same level as one you have taken previously, then your fee may be at the higher ELQ rate. Further information is available on the University website www.admin.ox.ac.uk/studentfunding/fees/feerates/nextyear/pgt.shtml.
As well as allowing for the annual course fee, prospective students
must budget for living expenses for the twelve months of the course. Living
expenses vary according to individual needs and tastes; the cost of accommodation
is a significant factor, and private rented accommodation can be expensive.
In addition to ordinary living expenses, students also need to take account
of the cost of travel, food, clothing and other personal requirements.
Finance
You may wish to fund the MSc in Professional Archaeology by applying for a grant or a loan (see below). Applications from self-financing candidates are welcome.
Grants
It is useful to consult the major published guides to grants and
charities. Three particularly useful ones that most libraries hold are:
1. Educational Grants Directory
2. A Guide to the Major Trusts
3. A Guide to Grants for Individuals in Need
If the institutions are listed by the subject area, look under a broad range of areas, for example history and humanities – not just archaeology. If the institutions are listed regionally, look at the trusts and charities in the region of your early upbringing. There are many local charities and trusts that give financial aid to students who were born or educated within a certain region.
It is recommended that you do not restrict your application only to those who specify support for archaeological projects: past students have been successful in obtaining grants from local charities that have a very general interest in supporting educational and vocational courses. The other point to bear in mind is that although many of the grants and trusts give fairly small amounts (anything from £100 to £500), you can apply to several, and end up with a sizeable amount of money.
You may also wish to check the internet for further details about funding and scholarships – for example Prospects has a useful website: www.prospects.ac.uk/.
Career Development Loans
Many students fund Masters courses by taking out a Career Development
Loan (CDL). A CDL is a deferred repayment bank loan to help pay for vocational
learning or education. You can borrow anything between £300 and
£8,000 and the Learning and Skills Council pays the interest while
you are on the course and for up to one month afterwards. You then repay
the loan to the bank over an agreed period at a fixed rate of interest.
CDLs are available through three high street banks: Barclays, the Co-operative
and the Royal Bank of Scotland. Further information is available here:
www.direct.gov.uk/cdl.
Access Fund Hardship Grants
A sum of money is allocated to each university to help students who are
classified by the government as being in a situation of financial hardship.
Once the course has started, students are able to apply to the access
fund for financial assistance by applying via their college
Venue
The course is structured around the placements. The residential Induction Course, the short courses and the Survey Week are all based at the Oxford University Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE), Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA.
Accommodation
Students are responsible for finding their own accommodation while they are registered for the MSc in Professional Archaeology. Students have an input into the location of their placements: each placement programme is organised after the offer of a place on the course has been accepted, and is confirmed before the course starts in late September. It is often possible for placements to be arranged with a particular geographical bias, for example, in and around Oxford, the South West of England or the Midlands, or in locations where family and friends are able to help with providing accommodation. The location of your placements can be discussed during your interview for a place on the course.
Student accommodation in Oxford is available at most of the colleges, including Kellogg College. Enquiries should be made directly to the college.
Accommodation at the Department for Continuing Education will be provided for all students during the Induction Course. Students not resident in Oxford will be booked over-night accommodation for two-day short courses and Monday to Thursday night (inclusive) accommodation for the Survey Week.
Credit
Students who successfully complete the course will be awarded an Oxford University MSc in Professional Archaeology, equivalent to 180 CATS points at Level M.
Part-time DPhil in Archaeology
Part-time DPhils in Archaeology are available in the areas of professional archaeology and applied landscape archaeology. They take a minimum of four years (if you already have an appropriate Masters qualification) or six years. For further information, contact the Award Programme Administrator, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, telephone: 01865 270369 / 280154, email: ppaward@conted.ox.ac.uk; or to discuss possible topics or other details, contact Professor Gary Lock, telephone 01865 278240, email: gary.lock@arch.ox.ac.uk.
Contacts
If you require individual advice or further information before making your application, please contact:
| Professional Archaeology Programme Planner: | |
| Dr Alison MacDonald | 01865 270370 |
Quotes from Past Students
The placements gave me a broader understanding of the archaeological process in Britain, and provided me with skills in a variety of areas that I specified I was interested in developing. The course instantly opened my career options, not just through having a wider skills base and relevant experience, but by having a greater understanding of different aspects of the profession and how to go about finding work.
Jonathan Chandler, Senior Archaeologist, Museum of London Archaeology Service
I wouldn’t have got my present job if I hadn’t done the course.
It provides the skills which allow you to make an immediate contribution in
professional organisations. It helps you understand the jargon of professional
archaeology, builds your confidence and gives you the opportunity to make contacts
all over the country.
Jill Hind, Project Manager, Oxford Archaeology
This course enables students to see aspects of real-life
archaeology not covered in undergraduate degrees or in the type
of short-term contract work undertaken by most archaeologists
at the beginning of their careers. It’s a chance to see how
professional archaeological organisations really work.
Jan Wills, County Archaeologist, Gloucestershire County Council