Bachelor of Science in Archaeology

at University of Southampton - Avenue Campus United Kingdom

Improve your knowledge of history and literature in English by studying them together. You could read fiction from Africa to help you understand European political history. You could gain new insights into the reign of James I by immersing yourself in the theatre of his time. A year abroad will enhance your studies and let you experience a new culture.

History at Southampton covers the ancient world to the present day. Our English modules explore writing from around the world and its connection to politics, the arts, identity and more.

With our advice, you can shape your degree to suit your own development. For example, you can:

• Learn to write screenplays
• Study Victorian sensation fiction
• Take several modules on the history and literature of oceans

Your studies will include critical analysis, presentations and group work. These will help you develop your conceptual thinking, communication and research skills.

You can take modules that support your year abroad, such as a modern language or European politics.

Our year abroad partner universities in Europe include:

• Barcelona
• Prague
• Frankfurt
• Lausanne

You can also choose universities outside Europe, including locations in:

• The United States
• Canada
• Australia
• South Korea

As part of this course you can:

• Join one of 40 student-led performing arts groups
• Take part in writing workshops at Nuffield Southampton Theatres
• Use a unique collection of rare books at the Chawton House Library
• Explore experimental writing with our Entropics events
• Get one-to-one tutorials on writing from our Royal Literary Fund Fellows

You can deepen your links to our History community by:

• Joining the dynamic, student-run History Society
• Use one of the largest Jewish document centres in Europe, the Parkes Archive

On this joint BA Philosophy and Music degree, you’ll engage with some of the biggest questions in Western philosophy while developing advanced skills in musical performance, composition and analysis. You’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of both subjects, and have the freedom to pursue your own interests through optional modules covering topics as varied as existentialism, studio techniques and 19th century Italian opera. You'll also get to spend a placement year abroad.

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

• Develop an understanding of philosophical questions such as ethics, reason and responsibility
• Apply philosophical thought to language, morality, sex and other important aspects of life
• Explore a range of music from European music in the Renaissance and Baroque periods right through the the music of the 20th century and global hip hop
• Understand the principles of Western tonal music, including harmony and counterpoint
• Learn how to write and present dissertations and research

You’ll be taught in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment, and benefit from the expertise of both visiting performers and academic staff whose researches feed directly into the course content.

You can also improve your musical skills and performance through:

• Workshops with professional performers
• Submitting original compositions
• Managing the administration of public music events

You can take modules from other disciplines such as anthropology or psychology, studying a language, or choosing from a range of cross-disciplinary modules.

Learn about the ancient world and find ways to understand the foundations of how we live today. On BA Ancient History and Archaeology, you'll develop specialist knowledge in your chosen areas of study and learn in an engaging and supportive research environment. Your research and archiving skills will prepare you for further study, or for a variety of career options. These include heritage management and archaeological research.

Studying archaeology and ancient history will give you an insight into both subjects and you'll be able to explore the topics that interest you through optional modules.

You'll have the choice of a wide range of historical topics, from Ancient Egypt to the rise of Islam in the Middle East. You can also learn what happened during the conquests of Alexander the Great and at the end of the Roman Empire.

The complementary subject of archaeology is the study of the human past through its material remains. These include buildings, monuments, artefacts, biological remains, written sources and landscape. On this ancient history and archaeology degree you can:

• Learn from experts in the ancient world (including history, archaeology, ancient and modern languages and literatures, philosophy and film)
• Use cutting-edge technology to discover and map new sites, or develop research skills
• Do at least 3 weeks of field work, including excavating archaeological sites or collecting archaeological material from ploughed fields
• Challenge yourself by learning Latin and Ancient Greek

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

You'll study 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 explore the first projected images to today's digital movies.

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

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 film and philosophy degree 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 events that bring philosophy to the wider public
• submit your own film to our annual student film festival

On this joint BA honours course you’ll explore the major events and ideas that have shaped the world around us. You’ll consider some of the biggest questions of Western philosophy: Is there a god? What is morality? In History you'll learn to develop your own interpretations of disputed narratives. You'll get to study both philosophy and history abroad during a placement year.

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

Compulsory modules will give you a strong grounding in both subjects. Optional module choices will give you the freedom to pursue your own interests in topics as varied as metaphysics, Reagan’s America, and witchcraft in 17th century England.

You can broaden your knowledge by taking modules from other disciplines. These include topics such as social enterprise, risk management, and living and working on the web. You can also study a language.

You'll improve your employability and learning experience further by spending your third year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions.

In your degree you can:

• Develop an understanding of philosophical questions such as ethics, reason and responsibility
• Learn about different approaches to history and gain access to a wonderful collection of primary evidence
• Explore how political motives and other forms of bias shape the way we think about the past
• Study areas of history rarely taught in most other UK universities, for example:  East and Central European history, South East Asian history and Jewish history

Gain in-depth knowledge of the English language and its cultural impact on this BA English Language and Literature degree. Discover how English emerged, how it continues to change, and how it varies across its millions of speakers. You’ll explore writing in varieties of English from the early medieval period to the present day, as well as from around the world.

You'll combine both literary and linguistic approaches to the subject on this flexible course.

You’ll study topics such as:

• The history and development of the English language  
• The cultural significance of English and its unique global status
• Phonetics, language acquisition and the psychology of language (psycholinguistics)

Optional modules mean you can adapt the course to match your interests. Topics you can choose to study include:

• The Renaissance
• 18th or 19th century writing
• Arthurian literature
• Children's literature

You’ll learn from expert academics and graduate ready for a career across industries like:

• Education
• Mass media
• Advertising and marketing
• Speech therapy
• Writing and publishing

You’ll also be able to make use of our Lifelong Learning programme, which provides extracurricular teaching of some 12 languages.

Our degree programmes are informed by research carried out in our leading Research Centres, including the Centre for Linguistics, Language Education and Acquisition Research and the Centre for Global Englishes.

Is there a god? Are our minds separate from our bodies? How much can we ever really know? On this 3-year BA Philosophy degree, you'll grapple with some of the most profound questions. You'll also develop critical thinking and analysis skills that will be essential in your future career.

This course will help you develop your own thoughts on abstract issues and introduce you to philosophical debate. You'll explore questions in core areas, such as:

• Ethics
• Epistemology
• Metaphysics
• Philosophy of mind
• Political philosophy

You'll apply philosophical thought to practical questions on subjects including:

• Global poverty
• Future generations
• Sex and gender
• Artificial intelligence

As part of this course you can:

• Get involved in many events, including talks by visiting philosophers and activities arranged by the student-led Philosophy Society
• Take part in other Philosophy courses and events run by the Lifelonglearning team where you can discuss philosophy in an informal, relaxed atmosphere
• Develop research and presentation skills
• Choose from a wide range of optional modules to follow your interests
• Explore subjects as varied as scriptwriting and Islamic philosophy

This degree is also offered with a year studying abroad.

Develop the knowledge and skills you’ll need to become an entrepreneur in the global music industry on our MA International Music Management master's degree. On this UK course you'll learn about all aspects of the music business, from live performance and streaming to advertising and video games. Industry professionals will help you discover the careers you can go into. We were number 1 for music research in the most recent UK Research Excellence Framework (REF).

This International Music Management master’s course will prepare you for a management career in the global music business.  

You’ll develop critical understanding of the legal, economic, social and cultural frameworks that support the music industry.

And you'll gain key business skills through exposure to local music venues such as Turner Sims, touring musicians, and masterclasses with industry partners like Sony, Universal, Google and YouTube.  

On this practical programme, you'll also learn about:

• How the music publishing industry makes its money
• Copyright and licensing
• Music event planning
• Adding music to a video game or tv show  
• The costs involved in making an album
• How music festivals and opera companies work

You'll learn from expert academics with plenty of music industry experience and connections. They'll teach you to the practical skills you need to work in a wide range of music management roles.

Explore English literature in-depth with a master’s degree at the University of Southampton.

Our course gives you the opportunity to pursue literary topics and genres from a wide selection of authors and periods, including:

• Shakespeare
• Jane Austen
• Holocaust literature
• Victorian print culture
• literature and law

On completion of the course, you’ll be ready for careers in teaching, publishing and arts administration.

You’ll get the chance to carry out advanced-level research and independent critical thinking, and to make effective use of archives, manuscripts, and research libraries. We'll help you examine how literature shapes the public understanding of diverse fields such as:

• Climate change
• Economics
• Medicine
• Religion

We offer a flexible module structure which is designed to give you an advanced understanding of cultural analysis, textual interpretation and theoretical method. You can specialise with one of 4 subject-specific pathways, or take a more general approach by choosing modules from each pathway.

The information on this page refers to the general pathway.

Across all pathways, you’ll explore the interrelations of text, theory and culture across the field of English literary and cultural studies. We’ll work with you to:

• Develop your knowledge of critical and research methods
• Raise your awareness of the historical and critical reception of literature in various periods
• Explore the role of literature in a contested cultural framework

Become a highly proficient linguist in French, German and Chinese on this 4 year Modern Languages degree. You'll develop a strong understanding of the cultures and societies you study by spending a year abroad, before graduating prepared for professions in which these languages are a key requirement.

This programme will immerse you in international experiences. This is our broadest range of languages offered, and will prepare you to communicate and work in a range of diverse and multilingual contexts.

You will:

• Become highly proficient in French, German and Chinese
• Develop your knowledge and understanding of key aspects of the cultures and societies you study, enabling you to ‘read’ and interpret different cultural traditions
• Get to know foreign cultures first hand by spending a year abroad, either as a student or in a work placement
• Develop a range of communicative and intercultural competencies, as well as analytical, research and personal skills

Knowing a range of languages opens up many opportunities in today's globally interconnected economy. French is native to France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and the French Caribbean, and it’s an official language in much of Africa and Asia.

German has around 95 million speakers, and is spoken in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It also comes first in terms of first-language speakers in the European Union and the EU.

Chinese itself is spoken by a quarter of the world’s population, and both a command of the language and an understanding of cultural traditions can help set you apart in the context of global business.

This programme complements your language learning with modules on:

• History and contemporary society
• Literature and film
• Ethnography and anthropology
• Linguistic studies

You can choose to combine these areas of study for a broad-based curriculum or focus on the area that interests you most.