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Material Culture and Artefact Studies at University of Glasgow - UCAS

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2025 - 20262026 - 2027
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There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

Material culture and artefact studies combines the archaeological recovery and specialist examination of an object with its presentation, management and understanding within a cultural context. WHY THIS PROGRAMME

  • This MSc in Material Culture & Artefact Studies will prepare you to participate at both a practical and theoretical level within the field of specialist artefactual analysis.
  • You will be able to undertake a work placement to gain valuable work experience in a museum, archaeological unit or other cultural institution.
  • You will benefit from the involvement of staff from Glasgow Museums, National Museums Scotland and other institutions within Scotland, and will have the opportunity to work with collections from local museums, including the University’s own Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery.
  • Listen to our podcast: Stories from Glasgow – Archaeology and the Digital Keys to Unlocking the Past with Dr Gareth Beale
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE The taught component consists of core courses and optional courses, running over two semesters. Assessment is normally focused on written performance, but oral presentation skills and other modes of assessment allow you to develop your writing skills in a number of formats. This is in addition to the practical emphasis on developing your ability to interpret and analyse artefacts. For the MSc you can opt to do either a dissertation or an extended work placement (assessed by work placement eportfolio and either a research report or a student exhibition design). Core Courses Material Culture in Context The Process of Artefact Studies Dissertation You will complete either the: Archaeology Dissertation Archaeology Applied Dissertation Optional courses include modules such as: British Battlefields: Analysis and Cultural Resource Management Modern Warfare: 19th and 20th Century Warfare Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology Independent Study Project Cloth and Clothing Archaeology, Games and Interactive Medi Landscape Archaeologies Contemporary and future archaeologies Kingdoms and societies in northern Britain AD 400-800 Masters Environmental Archaeology; plants, animals and people Reassembling the Artefacts Landscape and Environment in Gaelic Scotland Heritage Material Science Pottery Skills: understanding Archaeology's most common material Decolonising the Heritage of Slavery and Colonialism Optional courses drawn from Archaeology or from other programmes across the University can be taken by agreement with the programme convener. The optional courses offer you the opportunity to explore and develop particular areas of more detailed study. These courses draw upon the particular interests and expertise of the contributing staff and therefore the options available may vary slightly depending on staff availability and are also subject to a minimum number of students. Please contact us to confirm likely availability of optional courses in any given year. You need to choose three options from the range of options offered in Archaeology and from subjects across the the College of Arts & Humanities in agreement with the course convenor.

How to apply

International applicants

International applicant information can be found via gla.ac.uk by searching for 'international'. Classes start September 2021 and you may be expected to attend induction sessions the week before.

Entry requirements

2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in Archaeology or Classics or Geography or Geology or Anthropology or History or History of Art or Heritage Science or Environmental Science. We may sometimes accept degrees at 2.2 Hons or non-UK equivalent. Work experience in museums, the broader cultural heritage sector, fine art and craft practice, as well as archaeological fieldwork, may be considered in place of formal qualifications.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

All fees are published on the University of Glasgow website. https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/feesandfunding/

Sponsorship information

Sponsorship and funding information can be found via gla.ac.uk by searching for 'scholarships'.

Material Culture and Artefact Studies at University of Glasgow - UCAS