The Masters in Celtic & Viking Archaeology provides an introduction to both theory and practice in approaches to early medieval archaeology, based on our particular research strengths in the settlements and material culture of Celtic, Pictish and Viking peoples, and in the archaeology of kingship and political development.
You will take two core courses and three optional courses. For the MLitt you will produce a dissertation on a specialist topic agreed with the course convenor.
The core courses provides you with a theoretical background to the study of early medieval archaeology, examining themes such as burial, settlement, material culture, religion through a series of case studies. You will also get training and support in a wide variety of research methods including library skills, humanities computing, writing and presenting papers.
Three optional courses must be selected, two of which from the following
You may also choose one of the following options
Graduates have gone on to work for various heritage bodies such as the National Museum of Scotland, and for UK-based commercial archaeology firms.
The programme provides an excellent platform for you to move onto PhD studies and an academic career. The wide variety of specialist optional courses allow you to tailor your particular programme experience towards a direction that best suits your future plans upon completion.
Positions held by recent graduates include Field Archaeologist, Open Learning Tutor, University lectureships and research managers.
If you are interested in understanding the Old Norse language this programme will provide an answer to questions like what did the early Scandinavians read and write, what was society like, what language did they speak, and how did they live? You will rapidly become somewhat of an expert in this niche area which probably affected the lives of people across the UK and Europe at one time or another. You will become fluent in all things Scandinavian to provide that knowledge either to future generations in terms of teaching at all levels, in heritage attractions and you can use the essential skills you pick up within many other areas of work. You are taught by internationally renowned experts within Scandinavian Studies at one of the largest research institutes in the UK.
Apart from the strong ties of Aberdeen and the rest of the UK and influences from the Vikings both past and present you are also a ferry ride away from Orkney and Shetland. Orkney is famed for its Viking archaeology and myths and both Orkney and Shetland was part of Scandinavia for many years until 1468 when Denmark mortgaged the islands to Scotland. Many Norse events still take place throughout the year in Aberdeenshire and the islands.
The MLitt will appeal to students interested in the history, language and culture of the Scandinavian-speaking peoples, and particularly to those who wish to gain an interdisciplinary insight to this field of research. The programme offers training and thematic courses as well as specialist supervision for a 15,000 word dissertation of the students' own choice. It is suited for students seeking to continue with postgraduate study as well as those simply interested to learn more.
Semester 1
Optional
Semester 2
Semester 3
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*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page
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UCL's Scandinavian Studies MA offers an intellectually exciting and flexible range of options focusing on Nordic culture in a global context. No prior knowledge of a Nordic language is required, though students can opt to consolidate their language or translation skills, or to start Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian or Swedish from scratch.
Optional modules include advanced translation skills, Nordic cinema, Nordic literature in global perspective, the transnational politics of the region, and material cultures as well as modules on Viking and medieval Scandinavia. Assessed modules are supplemented with workshops and a summer school providing opportunities for networking and career development in publishing, translation, film-making, and the heritage and creative sectors.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme offers two pathways: taught and research. Taught: one core cross-language module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits), dissertation (60 credits). Research: one core cross-language module (30 credits), two taught modules (60 credits), dissertation (90 credits).
A Postgraduate Diploma, one core module (30 credits), three optional modules (90 credits) full-time nine months or part-time two years, is offered.
A Postgraduate Certificate, one core module (30 credits), one optional module (30 credits) full-time three months, part-time six months, is offered.
Core module
Optional modules
Students choose from a range of optional modules on topics such as the following:
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a substantial dissertation.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of seminars, lectures and reading and language classes. Student performance is assessed through written examination, coursework, and the dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Language, Culture and History: Scandinavian Studies MA
An MA in Scandinavian Studies offers prospects for employment in the private as well as in the public sector, whether in Scandinavia or in the English-speaking world. Former graduate students in the department are to be found in a range of challenging careers, which include work in IT and management, museums and university teaching.
Employability
In the UK and abroad, the Nordic countries are increasingly recognised for the success of their political and social model, and for their film, literature, food and design. Our MA graduates bring their deep understanding of Scandinavian culture to careers in which knowledge of the region is key: publishing, the arts, commerce and information management. Expertise in Nordic languages is rare in the UK, and employer demand is accordingly high. Our MA allows students to hone their Nordic language skills or to try a new language. Many of our graduates launch careers with translation companies and as freelancers.
UCL Scandinavian Studies is the largest independent Scandinavian department in the UK. Our research and teaching encompasses the languages, literatures, cultures, histories and politics of the entire Nordic region, ranging from the Viking Middle Ages to the present day.
Facilities are excellent: UCL boasts possibly the best Scandinavian Studies library outside Scandinavia, and students also have the outstanding collections of the British Library close at hand. Excellent links with universities in mainland Scandinavia, Iceland and Finland provide further benefits.
The department is home to the Viking Society for Northern Research, a leading publisher of Old Norse texts and monographs on medieval Scandinavia.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: School of European Languages, Culture & Society
74% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
You have come to the right place in every respect to learn about Medieval and Early Modern Studies. The campus and university were initiated in 1495 so there are plenty of architectural wonders and history to interest you whilst you study in 'Old Aberdeen.' The architecture is truly stunning and totally unexpected as you enter the university from the centre of Aberdeen. As you would expect in a university of this age and rich heritage there are also special collections hosting a variety of cultural artefacts. If you haven't visited University of Aberdeen it is well worth a tour to understand just how much history you get whilst you study. There are obvious connections from the university with many of the periods of medieval and early modern eras you study.
This is an interdisciplinary programme which allows you to connect our contemporary world with the past. You can study a great range of areas in terms of courses that make up your programme and you have the ability to really understand ancient kingdoms and civilisations from the past. You may want to study further after this programme or you may be able to advise within heritage tourism, museums and tourist sites. You may also like to get involved in writing and publishing or a wide range of other careers. Aberdeen provides you with a great teaching experience in an even greater setting which is medieval in origin.
The courses reflect research interests drawn from various disciplines including History, Church History and Divinity, Celtic, English, French, History of Art, Law, Philosophy and Scottish and Irish Studies and is supported by highly specialised teaching and research staff. The MLitt provides ample opportunity to use the large depository of late medieval and early modern materials in the University's Special Collection, which has new state of the art rooms in the new Library.
Introduction
You must acquire 180 credits (105 credits from courses, 75 dissertation)
Optional Potential areas for study:
Optional Courses
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about fees
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page
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Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
Enhance your understanding of Archaeology by region and period, through a combination of taught modules and individual research in this flexible programme.
Enhance your understanding of Archaeology by region and period, through a combination of taught modules and individual research in this flexible programme.
Renowned for our particular expertise in the British Isles, Europe and the Mediterranean area, our experts teach from the Neolithic through to the Celtic, Roman and Viking periods.
You will be able to critically assess the work of others and of your own, to engage effectively in debate at an advanced level, to plan, design and carry out a coherent research strategy, and to produce detailed and coherent reports and presentations. The wide-range of transferable skills acquired are a particular strength for the pursuit of careers outside of archaeology and the heritage sector.
In addition to our general MA Archaeology programme we offer three pathways to shape your studies. You can choose the pathway that best suits you. The pathway you choose will determine the modules you go on to study.
The three pathways are as follows:
European Neolithic
The Neolithic encompasses some of the most important transformations in prehistory: people settling down, adopting and developing agriculture and animal husbandry, taking on new forms of material culture, extending networks of exchange, establishing long-lived sites and building monuments. These new practices were not just the result of new technologies or subsistence economies; they were deep rearrangements of the ways in which people lived their lives and how they structured their communities. The Neolithic therefore sets a series of unanswered questions about origins and identity, what people believed about the world, their past and themselves, the nature of their relations with others, and the rate and kind of change over several millennia.
Prehistoric Britain
The Prehistoric Britain pathway is designed to introduce students to the prehistory of Britain through a detailed examination of the archaeological record from Shetland to Cornwall and Kent. Cardiff University has long been a centre for research into British Prehistory. In the past staff and students from Cardiff University were involved in the iconic excavation at Stonehenge and Silbury Hill. Current staff have been involved in excavations throughout the country including at Avebury, Maiden Castle, Cladh Hallan and Skara Brae and at Ham Hill in Somerset, the largest hillfort in Britain. Research themes in the recent past have included the chronology of early agricultural communities, the nature of monumentality in the first millennium BC, the domestic wild dichotomy and animal life ways and the spatial organisation of settlements.
Early Medieval Society and Culture
In Britain and Ireland, the period AD 400-1100 witnessed some of the deepest and most lasting changes in society and culture in post-Roman Europe. Through the study of settlement forms and patterns, mortuary remains, artefacts, art, literature and place-names, the MA Archaeology Early Medieval Society and Culture sets the foundations of modern society, cultures and identities in Britain and Ireland within their proper European contexts. The rich archaeological sources are ideally suited for many developing analytical techniques, as well as for multidisciplinary approaches.
Distinctive features
How will I be taught?
You will be taught through a mix of seminars, lectures, tutorials and practicals in the archaeology laboratories.
As part of the programme, you will deliver presentations to your fellow MA students within our supportive community.
How will I be supported?
You are assigned your own personal tutor.
We offer one-to-one time in set office hours during teaching weeks, and also welcome email contact. Additionally, you can make appointments to see your personal tutor or module leaders on a one-to-one basis about any issues. Our Professional Services team is also available for advice and support.
Discussion of assignments is offered and written feedback is provided on summative assessment. You are encouraged to discuss your ideas with module tutors both in seminars and one-to-one in office hours.
Your personal tutor is your contact point to discuss any problems arising from the course. Further queries should be addressed to the Course Director.
Graduates of this and similar degree programmes have embarked on careers in a range of professions from academia, the heritage sector, journalism and law to media research (media, commercial, academic), teaching and publishing. A significant number choose to continue studies at PhD level.
Recent graduate destinations include CADW, Church in Wales, Council for British Archaeology, Glamorgan Archives, Heritage Lottery Fund, National Trust, Tate Gallery, Welsh Assembly Government and a range of universities in the UK and overseas.
The MA Archaeology at Reading provides the opportunity for you to advance you knowledge in archaeology, gain research training in preparation for PhD study, and to advance your knowledge, dedication and capacity for independent learning in a competitive job market.
Through the MA Archaeology you will:
Conmpulsory modules include:
Optional Modules include:
Placement and Career Options
Please see our modules outline for further information.
Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.
Our graduates go on to full-time employment within archaeology and related consultancies or units, museums and government agencies. Up to one third continue their academic career through doctoral research. In recent years, graduates have been successful in obtaining appointments with heritage agencies (Historic England, National Trust) and universities, including Bristol, Cardiff, Durham, Exeter and Newcastle. Archaeology is a multidisciplinary subject. You will learn invaluable skills and techniques that are transferable to many careers in any sector.
Compulsory modules include:
Optional modules include:
The Social World of Medieval Archaeology
Bioarchaeology
Placement and Career
You may also select Old World or Environmental Archaeology modules.
Please see our modules outline for further information.
Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.
Our graduates go on to full-time employment within archaeology and related consultancies or units, museums and government agencies. Up to one third continue their academic career through doctoral research. In recent years, graduates have been successful in obtaining appointments with heritage agencies (Historic England, National Trust) and universities, including Bristol, Cardiff, Durham, Exeter and Newcastle.
In recent years Archaeology has become very well recognised on the television with Time Team and programmes about Orkney, Pompeii, hidden cities in Italy and many more. As a discipline it pieces together our hidden and sometimes lost past, helps us understand history, migration, our ancestry and it also helps us to understand just how sophisticated many previous civilisations were and the constant struggle for survival and cultural creation. There are a great many famous international sites which are often world heritage status which bring our past to tourists but the real interest lies in finding items and piecing together settlements, harbours, and how people lived on actual sites. We can then take all of this knowledge to help us understand how far reaching ancient civilisations were. Archaeology is a fascinating subject area and there are a wealth of very important sites within this region of Scotland to really enjoy whilst you are studying.
You are equipped with research skills to investigate the material culture and heritage of the far northern hemisphere, a region that includes Scotland, the North Atlantic, Scandinavia and Baltic Europe, northern Russia and the circumpolar region through Siberia, the North Pacific and high-latitude North America.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
You may also be interested in:
This course is unique in its focus on the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. It offers the opportunity to consider wider archaeological concepts and theoretical issues utilising world-class sites in Orkney and the North Atlantic region.
The MLitt Archaeological Studies will enable you to engage critically with current themes and debates in archaeological practice, theory and method.
There are a wide range of module options which draw on the research specialisms of the Archaeology Institute staff and these provide you with the flexibility to combine taught modules and dissertation research.
You can develop chronological specialisms grounded in the archaeology and heritage of the region; for example, in Prehistoric Archaeology or in Celtic through to Viking/Norse and Medieval Archaeology. Or you may choose to combine period-based modules with our professional skills modules to gain a broader knowledge and understanding of the diversity of methods and theory practiced within archaeology.
• A limited number of funded places may be available for full-time, Scottish or EU fee status students.
• Loans for tuition fees are available from the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for eligible Scotland domiciled and EU students, and loans for living costs for eligible Scottish students.
• Study in the outstanding archaeological landscape of the Orkney Islands
• You will be taught by internationally recognised experts in the field and take advantage of cutting edge research taking place at world renowned sites including the Ness of Brodgar World Heritage site excavations
• You can study individual modules for personal or professional development
• The course offers preparation for specialised research at PhD level
The course is available to study full time in September and part time in September and January by self directed study.
You will study this course through a combination video conference seminars and online learning.
Core modules are: Archaeology of the Highlands and Islands; Research and Dissertation Skills
You will also choose one option module listed under the PgDip
Option modules, from which you must choose three, may include:
Death and Burial Archaeology; Vikings and Norse in the North Atlantic; Neolithic Studies; From Vikings to VE Day: Scottish Medieval and Later Society; Iron Age Scotland in the Atlantic World; Archaeological & Geophysical Survey; Maritime Archaeological Heritage; Digital Analysis; Sustainability Past and Present; Excavation; Art and Archaeology: Contemporary Theory and Practice
To achieve the MLitt award you must complete a research dissertation.
Inverness College UHI, 1 Inverness Campus, Inverness, IV2 5NA
Lews Castle College UHI, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS2 0XR
Orkney College UHI, East Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1LX
Highland Theological College UHI, High Street, Dingwall, IV15 9HA
Perth College UHI, Crieff Road, Perth, PH1 2NX
A limited number of places may be available with full tuition fee support for Scottish-domiciled/EU students, studying full time, on this course starting in September 2017 to help talented students join this key growth sector for the Scottish economy. Fees will be funded by the European Social Fund and Scottish Funding Council as part of Developing Scotland’s Workforce in the Scotland 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Fund Programmes.
From 2017, eligible Scotland domiciled students studying full time can access loans up to 10,000 from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).This comprises a tuition fee loan up to £5,500 and a non-income assessed living cost loan of £4,500. EU students studying full time can apply for a tuition fee loan up to £5500.
Part-time students undertaking any taught postgraduate course over two years up to Masters level who meet the residency eligibility can apply for a for a tuition fee loan up to £2,750 per year.
1. Do something different: our reputation is built on our innovative approach to learning and our distinctive research and curriculum which often reflects the unique environment and culture of our region and closely links to vocational skills required by a range of sectors.
2. We have campuses across the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Each campus is different from rich cultural life of the islands; the spectacular coasts and mountains; to the bright lights of our city locations.
3. Small class sizes mean that you have a more personal experience of university
4. The affordable option - if you already live in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland we're right here on your doorstep
If you want to apply for this postgraduate programme click on the ‘visit website’ button below which will take you to the relevant course page on our website, from there select the Apply tab to complete our online application.
If you still have any questions please get in touch with our information line by email using the links beow or call on 0845 272 3600.
If you would like to study in a country of outstanding natural beauty, friendly communities, and cities buzzing with social life and activities, the Highlands and Islands of Scotland should be your first choice. We have campuses across the region each one with its own special characteristics from the rich cultural life of the islands to the bright city lights of Perth and Inverness. Some courses are available in one location only, for others you will have a choice; we also have courses that can be studied online from your own home country. .http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/studying-at-uhi/international
Our programmes are taught and examined in English. To make the most of your studies, you must be able to communicate fluently and accurately in spoken and written English and provide certified proof of your competence before starting your course. Please note that English language tests need to have been taken no more than two years prior to the start date of the course. The standard English Language criteria to study at the University of the Highlands and Islands are detailed on our English language requirements page http://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/studying-at-uhi/international/how-to-apply-to-uhi/english-language-requirements
This programme offers you the opportunity to explore the ancient world from a multicultural and interdisciplinary perspective from the Near-East to North-Western Europe. It is based in Classics, with the participation of Archaeology, Egyptology, Celtic and Gaelic, and Theology and Religious Studies.
The ancient world was both multicultural and highly interconnected, with trade routes running from the Middle East through Greece and Italy to Celtic Britain, with peoples of diverse cultures, faiths, and ethnicities living together in bustling cities such as Athens, Rome, and Alexandria.
Both core courses include handling sessions with ancient objects taking advantage of the unique resources of the University of Glasgow in the shape of the university library, the Hunterian Museum, and the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre.
You must take courses from at least two subject areas. The course convener will offer guidance and approve your choices to ensure their feasibility and intellectual cogency.
Please note that you can only study one language at beginner’s level.
You will also complete a dissertation of 12,000-15,000 words on a research topic of your choice. Your dissertation will be supervised in individual subjects or jointly between subjects as appropriate.
You will enjoy the use of the excellent postgraduate facilities offered by Classics in Glasgow. There is a dedicated postgraduate study space, which makes available an extensive research collection, now augmented by a bequest from the late Professor Douglas MacDowell.
The subjects, Classics, Archaeology, Celtic and Gaelic, and Theology and Religious Studies, all run a programme of research seminars which provide Ancient Cultures students with a wide range of stimulating events to choose from.
The programme provides excellent technical and linguistic skills for further postgraduate study in any of the subjects involved. It is also well suited for those considering a career in heritage, teaching, archives, or libraries.
