Study Details: MA 1 year full-time,
2 years part-time,
3 years part-time
The historic buildings, landscapes and material culture of York and northern England offer unrivalled opportunities to immerse yourself in the hands-on study of medieval archaeology.
One of the first universities in the country to specialise in medieval archaeology, the Department of Archaeology at York is well established as a leading authority on the subject. The specialisms of our staff cover the whole medieval period.
The course focuses on the archaeology of medieval Britain and Western Europe, considering buildings, landscapes and artefacts within a range of social, cultural and environmental contexts. It covers the period from the end of the Roman Empire to the Reformation, and explores themes such as settlement, trade and economy, religion, social structure, ethnicity and identity, conquest and cultural contact, and methodological and theoretical approaches.
The flexible modular structure of the course means you can tailor your MA to suit your interests and goals. There is an opportunity to learn valuable practical skills, which are essential for a wide range of archaeological and associated careers.
2:2 or equivalent in a relevant subject such as Archaeology, Anthropology, Classics, History, Art History, Geography and Medieval/Renaissance Studies.
If you don’t have conventional qualifications, but do have appropriate, relevant experience, you are encouraged to apply. We carefully consider each application on its merits.
For fees and funding options, please visit website to find out more
The course provides a solid foundation for a wide range of careers and further studies. Our students have gone on to research degrees, academic or teaching careers, museum positions and archaeology posts at local councils, regional authorities, field units, and heritage bodies such as English Heritage and the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
Core modules
Medieval Settlement and Communities
The Viking Age: People, Places, Things
Option modules
You will choose three option modules from examples including:
Buildings Recording
Debates in Funerary Archaeology
Landscape survey and geophysics
Roman Europe
Thinking through Material Culture
Understanding & Interpreting Historic Buildings
You'll also have the opportunity to choose options from our full module catalogue:
Ancient Biomolecules
Animal bones for Archaeologists
Archaeologies of Colonialism in the British Atlantic World
Artefacts and Materials Analysis
Becoming Human
Building Conservation Projects
Contemporary Issues in Museums
Critical Approaches to Archaeological Practice
Data Science for Archaeology
Death, Burial and Commemoration in the Roman World
Digital Approaches to Archaeology
Digital Creativity
Experimental Archaeology
GIS and spatial analysis
Heritage Principles and Concepts
Histories of Conservation
Life and Death in Iron Age Britain and Ireland
Making the Nation
Medieval Settlement and Communities
Mesolithic Life and Death
Museums, Audiences & Interpretation
Prehistoric Art: Origins and Transitions
Presenting Historic Houses
Project Management
Researching & Analysing Historic Buildings
Roman Archaeology: Ancient pasts, current issues
Skeletal Evidence for Health in the Past
Sustainable Buildings
Sustainability I: definitions of sustainability & methods of assessment
Sustainability II: understanding sustainability as change through time
Sustainable Conservation Challenges
The Ancient Celts: Archaeology and Identity in Iron Age Europe
The Archaeology of the Human Skeleton
The Archaeology of Roman Religion
Virtual Reality and 3D Modelling
Zooarchaeology in Context
Some option modules combinations may not be possible. The option available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
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