Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology and History

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

Learn about the ancient world and find ways to understand the foundations of how we live today. You'll develop specialist knowledge in your chosen areas of study and learn in an engaging and supportive research environment. You can also choose to spend time at a university abroad.

On this UK ancient history degree you'll study the ancient world in depth and we will help you to develop your career interests and discover ancient history degree jobs.

Ancient history is an interdisciplinary field, so you can study topics that you’re already passionate about, or choose to try something new.

Our wide range of topics cover ancient Egypt to the rise of Islam in the Middle East. You can also explore what happened during the conquests of Alexander the Great, and at the end of the Roman Empire.

Why study ancient history with us:

• Learn ancient history from experts on the ancient world (including history, archaeology, ancient and modern languages and literatures, philosophy and film)
• Gain experience of archaeological fieldwork and take part in study tours
• Develop your research and dissertation skills
• Challenge yourself by learning Latin and Ancient Greek
• Spend time at a university abroad in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea or Australia

This BA Philosophy, Ethics and Religion degree provides you with the opportunity to explore deep  and far-reaching issues. You will engage with questions that have puzzled great thinkers for millennia, and are still relevant today: How should we live? What can we really know? Can religious beliefs be justified? And what is their role in society? How can we apply philosophy to real world problems such as global poverty?

You will explore these fundamental issues using the philosophical method of reasoned argument and critical scrutiny. You’ll investigate ethical questions and the nature of religion in society, across a wide range of fields including anthropology, history, and politics.

Our broad curriculum allows you to approach topics from multiple perspectives, with the flexibility to pursue your own interests. You can also take modules outside your main degree subject, to diversify your learning.

• Develop an understanding of basic philosophical arguments in matters of ethics, reason, and responsibility
• Study questions such as the duties of affluent people towards those living in poverty around the world
• Learn about the ethics of global poverty, science and technology, plus moral questions, and the nature of moral judgments
• Apply philosophical thought to language, morality, sex and other important aspects of life

You’ll learn in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment. You can also take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, study a language, or choose from a range of cross-disciplinary modules

Build the skills you need for a career in archaeological research or the heritage industry with this flexible archaeology master’s. You’ll gain practical experience and benefit from our close ties with museums and organisations involved in commercial archaeology, heritage management and fieldwork.

We’re ranked Top 30 in the world for archaeology (QS World University Rankings, 2019)

With this MSc in Archaeology you can personalise your studies to areas that interest you, without having to specialise in a particular area. We bring expertise together from across the University, including the National Oceanography Centre, Humanities, Medicine, Engineering and Winchester School of Art, to help you gain both scientific skills and cultural understanding through a range of optional modules.

This master's in archaeology enables you to develop your skills in a practical way, whilst learning from theoretical and period-based insights. You’ll have full access to a wide range of dedicated facilities and specialist teachers.

These include:

• A dedicated library
• A large collection of stone tools and hominin skulls
• Specialist isotope labs and a scanning, imaging and micro-CT suite
• An extensive collection of human and animal skeletons

We have relationships with a number of leading heritage institutions and companies. You’ll have the opportunity to spend 4 weeks on placement with one of these institutions, where you’ll gain valuable real-world experience of the archaeology sector and heritage industry. Previous placements have included Historic England, Wessex Archaeology and The Nautical Archaeology Society.

In addition to your vocational training, you'll develop advanced research skills. When you write your dissertation you’ll be able to embed with one of our research groups to undertake original research on a topic that you choose. There is the possibility that this work will be published.

Southampton is close to the World Heritage sites of Stonehenge and Avebury and we have research projects engaged with both sites, as well as a range of other archaeological projects across the globe.

We offer 4 pathways on our MSc Archaeology degree. If you’re not sure which area of archaeology you want to specialise in, then this general pathway gives you the chance to explore a number of different areas.

Your other Archaeology MSc pathway options are:

• Archaeology Bioarchaeology - Gain specialist skills in human anatomy and faunal analysis to make sense of the past. Benefit from dedicated archaeology laboratories and specialist research.
• Archaeology Higher Archaeological Practice - Discover our Archaeological Practice master's degree at the University of Southampton. Learn how to get a job in archaeology and commercial archaeology.
• Archaeology Palaeoanthropology - Discover our Palaeoanthropology master's degree at the University of Southampton. Learn to analyse stone tools and hominin skulls to understand our evolution.

How should we live? What can we really know? Can religious beliefs be justified? This BA Philosophy, Ethics and Religion degree will allow you to examine far-reaching questions that have puzzled great thinkers for centuries. You’ll gain a grounding in philosophical and critical thought, and have the freedom to pursue your own interests in optional modules like metaphysics, Neolithic Britain and Islamic fundamentalism.

This degree will give you an excellent education in philosophy, ethics and religion.

In your degree you can:

• Develop an understanding of philosophical questions such as ethics, reason and responsibility
• Grapple with complex contemporary questions such as the duties of affluent people towards those living in poverty around the world
• Apply philosophical thought to language, morality, sex and other important aspects of life
• Study abroad at one of our partner institutions
• Develop research and presentation skills  

You’ll benefit from a rich, and enjoyable experience, and graduate as a confident, curious and independent self-starter equipped with the skills for a successful career.

You can take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, studying a language, or choosing from a range of cross-disciplinary modules. These include topics such as social enterprise, risk management, and living and working on the web.

On this BA Philosophy and Sociology degree you’ll explore the processes that lie beneath social change and the ideas that inform them. You'll gain a grounding in the disciplines of philosophy and sociology, while following your own interests in greater depth. Optional topics cover everything from gender and human rights to criminal justice and the philosophy of religion. You'll get to spend a placement year abroad at a university in Europe.

This degree will give you an excellent education in philosophy and sociology. In your degree you can:

• Develop an understanding of philosophical questions such as ethics, reason and responsibility
• Learn a range of topics in sociology, including criminology, criminal justice, social issues and how societies change
• Apply philosophical thought to language, morality, sex and other important aspects of life
• Gain skills in qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Study abroad at one of our partner institutions
• Get experience in doing research and writing dissertations

You’ll learn in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment, and benefit from the expertise of academic staff whose research feeds into the course content.

You can take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, studying a language, or choosing from a range of cross-disciplinary modules. These include topics such as social enterprise, risk management, and living and working on the web.

You’ll develop skills of critical thinking, analysis and communication that will prove invaluable to your future career

For movie lovers and history buffs, we offer this exciting and challenging film and history degree with year abroad. You'll examine film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record. You'll study history and the links between both subjects. A year abroad will enhance your understanding of visual arts and let you experience a new culture.

You'll study familiar classics alongside contemporary cinema, and genres including:

• film noir
• horror
• science fiction
• documentary
• animation

Your history modules will cover the development of historical debates, imagining the past, and topics ranging from ancient societies to the war on terror.

Our Framing the Past module looks at cinema's relationship with history. You'll study films about the distant past of Greece, Rome or Egypt, up to more recent times, such as heritage films about the British Empire or the Titanic.

You'll spend your third year abroad at an exchange partner university. You can study in English but will have opportunities to develop your language skills.

 As part of this course you can:

• take modules in film noir, animation, horror and sci-fi
• explore British, European and world cinema
• discover early film through archive visits
• access document collections, including the Wellington, Palmerston and Mountbatten papers
• use one of the largest Jewish document centres in Europe, the Parkes Archive
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

Study the history, influence and the many genres of film, from Hollywood to Europe, and world cinema on our Film and German degree with year abroad. You'll look at the cultural context of the various styles and movements, and the work of key filmmakers. You'll explore the language, culture and politics of Germany and can study German films across all genres.

On this joint course at Southampton, you'll study film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record. You'll look at familiar classics alongside modern cinema, and genres including:

• film noir
• horror
• science fiction
• documentary
• animation

You'll take German language modules based on your ability, and will spend your third year in a German-speaking country. Your year abroad will improve your language and linguistic skills.

As part of this course you can:

• take modules to learn more about German history and culture
• discover early film through archive visits
• use our Centre for Language Study, including a dedicated German resources room
• join a website for anyone interested in German life, language and culture
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

Philosophy and Film share similar perspectives, from the value of art to national identity and politics. At Southampton, we offer this exciting film and philosophy degree for movie lovers and abstract thinkers. Here you'll learn to analyse deep, theoretical ideas, and explore film as an art, an industry and a passion.

You'll explore Film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record. From early Hollywood films to European and world cinema, you'll study the first projected images, today's digital movies and much more in between.

Philosophy modules will give you a strong grounding in ethical, logical and critical thought. You can examine the most fundamental questions we face, in a rigorous and systematic way.

You'll research and discuss the theories and philosophies that have shaped film studies as a subject. These include:

• psychoanalysis
• postmodernism
• structuralism

 As part of this course you can:

• take modules in film noir, animation, horror and sci-fi
• use our extensive library resources, including over 5,800 films from around the world
• get involved in our outreach events that bring philosophy to the wider public
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

We offer a 4-week summer school at Dongguk University in Seoul. This includes film and cultural orientation courses.

From the Aztecs and Maya to Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and the medieval world, you'll study the story of human activity and the origins of civilisation on BA Archaeology with Year Abroad. Through the latest techniques and technologies, you'll investigate how our ancestors lived, from the earliest human origins, to Neolithic Britain, Ancient Egypt and the Medieval Middle East.

Archaeology is the study of the human past through its material remains, such as its:

• Buildings
• Monuments
• Artefacts
• Biological remains
• Written sources
• Landscape

Whether in the laboratory on a dig, you'll develop transferable skills through exploring questions about people in the past and in the present. This archaeology bachelor degree with year abroad explores world archaeology, on topics such as:

• Excavation and field survey techniques
• Underwater archaeology
• Artefacts analysis
• Museums, heritage and public archaeology

You'll have the opportunity to experience fieldwork, including at least 3 weeks of fieldwork as part of an active research project.

We have a purpose-built archaeology building, equipped with the latest science-based laboratories. You'll gain hands-on experience with archaeological artefacts and materials, and receive practical training for a career in archaeology.

You'll spend a year abroad at one of our partner institutions such as the University of Malta or the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona. This will give you the chance to discover theories and findings in exotic locations and boost your career opportunities.

This degree gives you the opportunity to study a minor subject alongside the main programme.

We’re also offering up to 10 bursaries of £1000 each to incoming students (subject to criteria). These are from the Terry Mason Bursary and the University of Southampton Archaeology Bursary Fund.

Study the history, influence and the many genres of film, from Hollywood to Europe, and world cinema with our Film and French degree. You'll look at the cultural context of the various styles and movements, and the work of key filmmakers. You'll explore the language, culture and politics of France and can study French films across all genres.

On this joint course at Southampton, you'll study Film from a variety of perspectives: as popular art, big business and as a cultural record. You'll look at familiar classics alongside modern cinema, and genres including:

• film noir
• horror
• science fiction
• documentary
• animation

You'll take French language modules based on your ability, and will spend your third year in a French-speaking country. Your year abroad will improve your language and linguistic skills.

As part of your undergraduate study you can:

• take modules to learn more about French history and culture
• discover early film through archive visits
• use our Centre for Language Study, including a dedicated French resources room
• take modules in urban culture and ethnography
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival