Study animals from the past with the techniques of the future
Year of entry: 2023 (September)
1 year full-time,
2 years part-time,
3 years part-time
September 2023 (semester dates)
Meet us online or in person to find out more about postgraduate study at York.
See upcoming eventsQS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023
QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023
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.
York is the UK's archaeological capital. You'll study in King's Manor, a beautiful Medieval building in the centre of the historic city.
Informality is one of our distinctive qualities - the atmosphere in our department is friendly, supportive and enthusiastic. We want you to develop your potential and thrive at York.
This course covers the practical skills, analytical techniques, and interpretative frameworks necessary to study the roles of animals in past societies from the bones and other remains that we find on archaeological sites.
Core modules and laboratory classes will provide you with a solid grounding in the essential tools of the zooarchaeologist's trade, while the option modules and dissertation allow you to explore and potentially specialise in a unique range of biomolecular and anatomical approaches.
You will study 180 credits over the duration of your course. You'll study a variety of modules and then hone your research skills by producing a dissertation and presenting an assessed lecture on your dissertation topic.
You'll also study three option modules:
You will also be able to choose from certain modules from Hull York Medical School (HYMS) (eg Human Functional Anatomy and Musculoskeletal Biology). Please contact us if you have specific requirements.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
You will undertake a 10,000-word journal style dissertation and assessed lecture as part of the course. You will have a supervisor throughout this time who will be able to help and guide you through the process.
Examples of previous dissertations have included:
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.
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
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £9,990 | £22,250 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£4,995 | £11,125 |
| Part-time (3 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£3,330 | £7,417 |
Students on a Student Visa (formerly Tier 4 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) 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.
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.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2023/24 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
We have a variety of funding options available within the department.
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.
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.
You will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars, with an emphasis on student led-discussion and presentations. Each core module also features a dedicated workshop day, including the innovative Yok Höyük simulation in which you’ll recreate the entire process of bioarchaeological and zooarchaeological research at a prehistoric site, from sample design and costing through to analysis and interpretation. The core skills modules are hands-on, practical classes, lasting four hours each. These are taught in small groups of 12-16, so there is plenty of one-on-one guidance with staff.
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.
You'll be based in BioArCh, York's world-leading centre for research into ancient biomolecules, housed within the Department of Environment and Geography on Campus West. The majority of your teaching will take place in the adjacent 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.
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.
You will be assessed by a variety of methods. Depending on which modules you opt to take, these could include:
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.
The MSc also provides a solid foundation for the two doctoral training programmes on offer at York:
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
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:1 or equivalent in Archaeology, Anthropology or a related field. We also consider applicants who have a 2:2 degree and relevant work experience. |
| 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 |
You will need to submit examples of written work with your application. Please see our guidance on submitting written work.
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 6.5 in Writing and 6.0 in all other components |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 176, minimum 176 in Writing and 169 in all other components |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 120 in production and 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert International ESOL | B2 Communicator: Pass with 39/50 in writing and no less than 33/50 in all others |
| PTE Academic/PTE Academic Online | 61, minimum 61 in Writing and 55 in all other components |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum 23 in Writing and 21 in all other components |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all components |
For more information see our postgraduate 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.
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