BA (Hons) Archaeology

Course content

Our five undergraduate courses all have a common first year, so it's easy to change between them.

We emphasise flexibility - there's very little restriction on the modules you can choose to study. BA Archaeology students have the greatest amount of choice from all our degrees.

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

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

These fees are for students starting in the 2025/26 academic year. Undergraduate fees for 2026/27 will be confirmed later in the year.

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.

Fees for subsequent years

• UK (home) fees may increase within the government fee cap in subsequent academic years. We will notify you of any increase as soon as we can.
• International fees are subject to increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

More information

For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.

Funding

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.

• UK government loans
• UK scholarships and bursaries
• International scholarships
• Country-specific funding
• US loans

Teaching and assessment

You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Teaching format

You'll be taught through a range of lectures, seminars, workshops, practicals, and independent learning projects. All our teaching is research-led, meaning our lecturers are teaching the subjects they're fascinated about, and ensuring you get the most current specialist knowledge.

We have always been passionate about small group teaching - we feel it is the best way to learn. You'll start off with a variety of teaching formats and as the course progresses you'll spend more time on intensive small group teaching and individual study.

We provide training in presentation skills throughout your course, helping you to prepare for your Assessed Seminar and Assessed Lecture.

Find out more about our teaching.

Timetabled activities

In your first year, you can expect:

These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.

Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.

In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.

Facilities

At York, you'll have access to a huge range of facilities.

In the department we have:

• teaching rooms and a state-of-the-art lecture theatre
• dedicated study spaces
• a large lab space for working with artefacts, soil and environmental samples, and skeletal remains
• computer labs with printers, scanners and specialised photo software, digital drawing and mapping software

We also have Bioarchaeology labs and the York Experimental Archaeology Research (YEAR) Centre. You'll have access to the library and other University resources, including the Borthwick Institute for Archives.

You'll also have access to a wide range of archaeological equipment, including:

• drones
• fieldwork tools
• Total Station theodolites
• geophysical survey equipment (resistivity, magnetometry, ground penetrating radar)
• handheld GPS systems
• a laser scanner
• a variety of photo and imaging technology

Explore our facilities

Teaching location

You will be based on Campus West. Our BioArCh and Palaeo facilities are located in or near the Environment Building.

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 - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.

Assessment and feedback

Our degrees prepare you for a wide range of careers by combining humanities and sciences to build skills in data analysis, essay writing, and report writing.

If you're interested in the heritage sector, you can choose modules in heritage studies and gain practical experience through volunteering, internships, and placements with museums and heritage organisations.

You’ll also benefit from lifetime access to subject-specific careers support and develop your future plans through our York Futures development programme.

For more on where an archaeology degree could take you, watch our video playlist.

Entry requirements

Alternative offers

Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.

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:

For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.