Length

1 year full-time,
2 years part-time,
3 years part-time

Department

Department of Archaeology

Start date

September 2025 (semester dates)

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in the UK for archaeology

QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2025

in the world for archaeology

QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2025

Join the UK's only dedicated course in the archaeological study of animals.

Any consideration of the human past is incomplete without examining the essential roles that animals have played in our economies and societies. On this course you will study archaeological animal remains on a macro and micro scale to investigate what they tell us about how humans and other species have co-existed over the millennia.

The scope of the course is global, equipping you with the knowledge and techniques to study the roles of animals in human societies from the Palaeolithic to the present and around the world. You will have the opportunity to select modules taught by leading academics in both traditional and biomolecular zooarchaeology, and options led by dedicated specialists in evolutionary anatomy, enabling you to master the latest analytical techniques and examine skeletal anatomy.

Study with us

Beautiful surroundings

York is the UK's archaeological capital and we use it extensively as our ‘living lab’ for both teaching and research.

Vibrant facilities

As well as your department's facilities you'll have access to the Grade II listed Heslington Hall, a hub with space for events and collaboration.

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Research excellence

Ranked 6th overall for our research according to the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest REF results (2021).

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Course content

You will study 180 credits over the duration of your course:

Semester 1 - one core and two option modules
Semester 2 - one core and one option module, with an 80 credit dissertation
Summer Semester - 80 credit dissertation continued

Modules

Core modules

Option modules

You will choose three option modules from examples including:

Ancient Biomolecules
Data Science for Archaeology
GIS and spatial analysis
Professional Practice: Zooarchaeology or Human Osteology
The Archaeology of the Human Skeleton
Any period specific module

You'll also have the opportunity to choose options from our full module catalogue:

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Dissertation

You'll complete a 10,000-word dissertation on your research.

You will receive support, advice and guidance from your dissertation supervisor throughout your project. The range of expertise of our staff means we can provide you with guidance on a wide range of topics. You will have one-to-one meetings with supervisors across Semester 2 and the Summer Semester.

Examples of previous dissertations have included:

Fishing practices and transitions in the Mesolithic and Neolithic of Adriatic Croatia: insights from the fish remains from the site of Vela Spila, Korčula.
'Sleipnir's Rejects': comparing disarticulated horse remains with horse burials in the Anglo-Scandinavian Danelaw.
ZooMS collagen fingerprinting as a tool for interpreting sheep and goat husbandry at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey.
Osteochondrosis in sheep and cattle: differential diagnosis and estimating prevalence.
A taphonomic analysis of a small vertebrate assemblage from Kinsey Cave, Yorkshire.
The use of augmented reality as a teaching aid in zooarchaeology.
An identification guide for the petrous bones of domestic animals.

The York approach

Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.

Students who complete this course will be able to:

Demonstrate an applied, systematic, in-depth understanding of essential disciplinary knowledge of zooarchaeology, and awareness of its breadth and its relevant academic, professional and socio-economic contexts
Engage critically with current debates and advanced scholarship in local and international research and practice within zooarchaeology in order to evaluate the field of practice
Inform decision-making in complex and unpredictable situations by assessing and applying advanced, professional-level zooarchaeology theories and methodologies to diverse problems or forms of data
Confidently synthesise research findings and key scholarly debates, and communicate (through a variety of forms and media) to peers, public or professional audiences in such a way that demonstrates an ability to consider and adapt to their respective needs
Demonstrate originality in rigorous and imaginative independent inquiry, using advanced research skills, and a clear contribution to the work of a team
Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the broad pattern of vertebrate evolutionary anatomy, hard tissue structure and growth, and explain its relevance to archaeology
Apply a range of appropriate specialist skills to the primary and secondary analysis of zooarchaeological remains, related to research and/or commercial contexts
Evaluate the research potential of zooarchaeological assemblages in a broad range of archaeological settings and recommend suitable approaches to their study, including specialist analyses.

The modules offered are diverse and cover all aspects zooarchaeological practice and techniques. Option modules allow freedom to study topics of interest such as field archaeology and artefacts. I learned many new skills while developing existing ones.
Ewan, MSc Zooarchaeology

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees for 2025/26

Study mode	UK (home)	International and EU
Full-time (1 year)	£11,200	£25,900
Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation.	£5,600	£12,950
Part-time (3 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation.	£3,733	£8,633

Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.

For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.

UK (home) fees may increase in subsequent years (up to a maximum of 2%).
International fees may increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

Fees information

UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.

Postgraduate taught fees and expenses

Additional costs

We don't anticipate there being any additional fees associated with this course. All books and resources you need will be available in the library or online and it isn't mandatory that you buy your own copies. You may wish to set aside a small budget for photocopying, depending on how you like to work.

Funding information

Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.

If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.

Funding opportunities

Chevening Scholarships

We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.

We have a variety of funding options available within the department.

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

Teaching and assessment

You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.

Teaching format

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, workshops and seminars, with an emphasis on student led-discussion. You will have hands-on practical classes.

Facilities

You'll have access to specialist laboratories for ancient DNA analysis, proteomics, microscopy and isotope geoscience, and to the expertise of evolutionary anatomists from the Hull York Medical School, with their suite of 3D scanning, modelling and Geometric Morphometrics (GMM) capabilities.

Teaching location

You will be based on Campus West and in King's Manor. Practical classes will take place in the PalaeoHub, a facility that brings Archaeology together with the functional and comparative anatomists from the Centre for Anatomical and Human Sciences, part of the Hull York Medical School.

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.

Assessment and feedback

You will be assessed by a variety of methods. Depending on which modules you opt to take, these could include:

Essays
Oral presentations
Report writing
Dissertation
Alternative assessment methods such as film-making, blogging or posters

Careers and skills

Many of our Zooarchaeology students go on to conduct further research at PhD level. Others progress into careers with archaeological units, museum services, conservation bodies and a range of other organisations.

Career opportunities

Professional archaeologist - field and laboratory based
Archaeology site supervisor
Museum outreach officer
Commercial laboratory technician
Higher education research and teaching
Local government and development

Transferable skills

Data collection and management
Problem solving
Data analysis and quantitative methods
High level of written and oral skills
Teamwork
Project management
Time management

Completing York’s Zooarchaeology programme has not only allowed me to become an effective researcher who is well versed in current zooarchaeological and bioarchaeological methodologies, but also an asset in the field where my zooarchaeological expertise is a valuable commodity.
Erin, MSc Zooarchaeology

Entry requirements

	Typical offer
Undergraduate degree	2:2 or equivalent in Archaeology, Anthropology or a relevant subject.
Other qualifications and experience	Graduates in a biological subject will also be considered, as will mature students or those with less conventional qualifications but with relevant experience.
Other international qualifications	Equivalent qualifications from your country

Additional requirements

You will need to submit examples of written work with your application. Please see our guidance on submitting written work.

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

	Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic and Indicator)	6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component
Cambridge CEFR	B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component
Oxford ELLT	7, minimum of 6 in each component
Oxford Test of English Advanced	136, minimum 126 in each component
Duolingo	120, minimum 105 in all other components
LanguageCert SELT	B2 with 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic	70 with a minimum of 65 in each component
Kaplan Test of English Language	478-509, with 444-477 in all other components
Skills for English	B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
PTE Academic	61, minimum 55 in each component
TOEFL	87, minimum of 21 in each component
Trinity ISE III	Merit in all requirements

For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

Applying

You can apply and send all your documentation online. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.