Course summary

Archaeology is the study of how people in the past interacted with their world, through a detailed study of their objects, sites, monuments and landscapes. Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. It is about understanding how people think, act, react and interact; and how this understanding can help us, as psychologists, help people on an individual basis but also help address wider societal issues through academic endeavours and professional practice. Why study this course at the University of Glasgow? You will have the opportunity to gain practical fieldwork skills in the UK and abroad. Recent students have worked on excavation projects across Europe and the Near East, including the Baltic states, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and on high-profile projects within Scotland. Throughout the programme we emphasise that you should gain practical heritage work experience including archaeological fieldwork techniques and developing the social benefits of archaeology. We provide day and residential fieldtrips for our students to archaeological sites, landscapes, museums and other heritage venues. You will also be able to take part in current staff research projects including survey and excavation, as well as working in archaeological archives and collection-based projects. You can gain work experience in various heritage and museum organisations through our network of placement providers. We can also help students get onto excavation teams across Europe. We bring together expertise in experimental psychology, cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience in order to advance the understanding of human and animal behaviour. Our students enjoy an active social life, much of which revolves around the Psychology Society. Away days, evening events and team building exercises are held at various times throughout the year, at different levels. Career Prospects? Employers, from banking and law to business and tourism, value the transferable skills that an archaeology degree offers such as teamworking, practical problem-solving, working with the public and critical analysis. Many graduates are employed in vocational archaeological and heritage roles working for government agencies, the charitable sector and other heritage organisations in Scotland and beyond. These include the National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Archaeology Scotland, the British Museum, National Museums of Scotland and Glasgow Life, as well as various companies offering commercial archaeological services in the UK and abroad. Psychologists are probably best known for their work in the health and education services but psychology graduates can be found in almost any area of life. A psychology degree opens up a wide range of career paths including educational, health, clinical, occupational psychology and counselling. Increasingly graduates are also progressing to successful careers in allied fields such as data skills, teaching, social robotics & artificial intelligence and child & adolescent mental health professions, in addition to research and teaching careers in higher education.