Evidence shows there’s been a huge surge in demand for archaeologists in the UK following a sharp rise in infrastructure projects, so there’s never been a better time to study this degree at BU.

You can take the degree as a BA or BSc according to whether you prefer an arts-based or scientific route. All students study the same first year so it’s easy to transfer from one to the other. There’s a combination of academic study and practical experience in place, producing highly skilled practitioners experienced in all forms of landscape survey, remote sensing, excavation and recording. The skills you will develop are recognised by many employers as being relevant within and beyond the heritage sector.

You’ll learn through expert-led lectures, seminars and a range of exciting and relevant fieldwork opportunities all over the UK. As well as a five-week and an optional 30-week work placement, you may get to take part in excavations organised by our active team of archaeologists, such as the excavations in the Cotswolds that uncovered a 6,000-year-old prehistoric burial monument.

You will also attend BU’s archaeological field school, the Durotriges Project 'Big Dig' Field School, at the end of your first year. This is a large scale excavation, where in previous years, our students have discovered significant finds that have changed the way we view the past. It's a unique opportunity to gain experience of working on a real site. You could also work with commercial archaeologists to gain essential transferable skills recognised by the Chartered Institute of Archaeologists.

This course received a 91% overall satisfaction rating from final year students in the latest National Student Survey. However, there was insufficient data to publish information specifically for this course. This is either because the course size is small or respondent numbers were low. Therefore, the data displayed is for all students in Archaeology Subject level 3.

Our Archaeology degrees teach you the skills you need to work in the field, as well as a host of transferable skills that you can apply to a variety of roles in other sectors. Many of our graduates go on to work for organisations related to archaeology and historical preservation.

According to a recent report by Historic England, three thousand people are currently employed in commercial archaeology in England, but this will need to grow by a minimum of 25% over the next six years to meet demand.