Museum and Artefact Studies

Your course learning is delivered through a highly structured mix of taught lectures and tutorials given alongside practical classes. 

Lectures identify the main areas for discussion and debate in the museum sector with tutorials, seminars and workshops then providing you with opportunities for discussion and debate.

The practical classes, including placements and curating an exhibition or developing an educational programme for the university museums or both, will give you hands-on experience of relevant practical and interpretive skills.

In Terms 1 and 2, you will typically attend 6–8 hours a week of lectures, up to four hours of tutorials or seminars, in addition to two workshops and 4–6 hours of practical sessions working with artefacts or museum environment-related matters as well as taking part in field trips and a placement.

In Term 3 the emphasis moves from learning the basic skills, to applying them within a real-life museum environment in the Museum Communications module where you will work in groups on a specific project.

The move towards greater emphasis on independent research and research continues in Term 3, where the research skills acquired earlier in the course are developed through the dissertation or the research paper.

Assessment

The assessment regime for this course reflects the structured choice of learning directions that you can take, these include a combination of essays, reports, surveys, portfolios, group projects  and exams.

With supervision, you will carry out a detailed study of a particular area of interest that creates a significant piece of independent research as a 10,000-word dissertation or a 5,000-word research paper based upon the accurate use of research data and methods.

Applicants should hold, or expect to be awarded, a 2:1 Honours degree or an international equivalent, such as a GPA of 3.3 or above.

The ability to demonstrate established interest or previous experience in museums, such as a placement, internship or a voluntary role, would be an advantage.

Application deadlines

There is no specific deadline for applications although applications for any given academic year must be received before the start of that academic year (i.e. applications for the 2024-25 academic year must be received before October 2024).

Tuition fee deposit

All self-financing overseas students are required to pay a £1000 tuition fee deposit if an offer from the Department of Archaeology is accepted. The tuition fee deposit is paid before the University issues a Confirmation of Acceptance to Study (CAS) number, which is required in order to apply for a visa. £500 deposit is also payable by Home applicants if an offer of a place from the Department of Archaeology is accepted.

English language requirements

Full Time Fees

Part Time Fees

The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase and are expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only. More information is available here: Tuition fees - how much are they - Durham University

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

In a Department that spans both research activity and practical archaeological skills, you are well-placed to continue your studies or fulfil your career aspirations in professional employment.

We have developed the structure and contents of courses in such a way as to support your desire to pursue a PhD or undertake further academic work in whatever form.

For a rewarding and stimulating professional career, our teaching strategy develops your skills in teamwork, practical and intellectual problem-solving and analysis of evidence, which are highly sought after by employers.

We offer courses that prepare you for a career in professional archaeology, or in the increasingly significant conservation, heritage, or museums sectors.

You will also be well-placed for roles in tourism, environmental agencies as well as local and national government, teaching and law.

The Department of Archaeology is home to one of the largest postgraduate communities in Europe who benefit from world class academic teaching and leading-edge facilities to be able to pursue their passion for studying the past, interpreting the present and understanding the future.

The wide-ranging courses are research-led and delivered by staff who are recognised experts in specialisms that span world, European and British archaeology from the last ice age to the post-medieval period.

Our taught courses provide the ideal grounding for further academic research at a higher level but also offer essential preparation for entering a professional career.

They include MA Museum and Artefact Studies, MA International Cultural Heritage Management, and MA Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects, all of which have strong vocational themes. The MSc Bioarchaeology and MA Archaeology offer ideal preparation for research careers and specialisation and our unique MSc Human Bioarchaeology and Palaeopathology and MSc Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology are ideal for postgraduates nurturing both academic and professional aspirations.

We welcome applications from researchers seeking MRes and PhD qualifications tailored to specific interests, and we offer strong developmental support.

With our expertise in a wide range of archaeological disciplines and significant research activity across the globe, our aim is to create a top-class learning environment that is vibrant and supportive and enables you to make a difference in your chosen field.

Facilities

The Department of Archaeology has a reputation for excellence and connections across the world.

We are home to state-of-the-art laboratories, specialist technology and some of the best library resources in the UK. We have project rooms with interactive technology, teaching laboratories, a computer suite, a photographic studio and scientific research laboratories in DNA, conservation, isotopes, environmental archaeology, luminescence dating, palaeopathology and bone chemistry, many of which are used as learning resources for out postgraduate community.

Taught courses and researchers alike benefit from our status as co-owners of a UNESCO World Heritage site and the extensive range of library, museum and artefact collection resources on offer at Durham.

The Department of Archaeology can be found in the Dawson Building, which is ideally situated at the heart of the Durham city campus, next to the Bill Bryson Library and the Palatine Centre.

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