Find out more about studying Archaeology, MSc at University of Aberdeen? We've gathered all the key details, entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
MSc - Master of Science
Old Aberdeen Campus
Part Time
Sep 2026
2 Year
This one year Master’s programme provides students from a range of academic backgrounds with a broad-based postgraduate qualification in Archaeology, but with the option of pursuing specific archaeological specialisms, including Viking archaeology, museum studies, cultural heritage management, or biomolecular archaeology. Apply Now. This MSc in Archaeology provides an ‘umbrella’ programme to appeal to archaeology students from a range of backgrounds interested in pursuing specific archaeological subjects under the banner of a broad degree designation. Teaching is research-led and ties into current projects run by the staff at the department, who are prominent researchers and fieldworkers in Northern Europe, Scandinavia, Northeast Asia, the North Atlantic and the circumpolar region from Siberia to the Canadian Arctic. You will learn about theory and method in archaeological research. The flexibility of our offering means you can choose courses based on your interests, such as Northern Worlds or Viking Archaeology. You can also learn key Geographical Information System (GIS) tools and techniques used in archaeology, and develop practical skills in cartography and geo-visualisation. The University’s extensive museum collections also present unique opportunities to explore contemporary issues around the preservation and communication of archaeological finds, particularly in relation to osteoarchaeology. This programme can be taken as preparation for higher research, as a professional qualification, or purely out of interest. This programme is also appropriate as a conversion course for students new to archaeology but with a background in a cognate discipline.
As an advanced engagement with current trends and approaches in Northern Archaeology students examine current cutting edge debates associated with new theories and methodologies in archaeological research. Students will encounter the versatility of methodological and theoretical approaches in Northern research through four different themes central to the Archaeology of the North; Body and Death, Heritage and Memory, Social Space and Structures, Human and Environment. Each theme is explored through series of research led seminars and a practical, approaching the theme from different theoretical/methodological angels. The main assessment of the course is an Internal Masters Conference on these four themes.
This course let the students build on the skills and knowledge they acquired in the other courses of the MSc in Archaeology of the North, as they design and conduct their own research project. The student conduct independent studies on a topic of their own choice within the northern theme. All students will receive staff supervision in identifying a suitable topic and in completing an original research project. The course also includes a number of research seminars, and in addition to their written dissertation students are expected to produce a short popular piece presenting their research to a non-academic audience.
In this course students will follow the development of archaeological thought from its roots in the scientific revolution of the 17th century through to the post-modern thinkers and finally discovering where the current theoretical debates stand. Students will explore the links between the theoretical development of archaeological research and the general developments in the history of science and philosophy. Students also explore different methodologies central to archaeological research, discuss what constitute archaeological data, and how to design a research project. Students will also discuss research ethics, and scientific agendas. These issues are explored through a series of lectures and seminars.
