Studying
Archaeology and History at Exeter combine fascinating academic study with practical hands-on experience. You will enhance your understanding of other subject areas and improve your awareness of other cultures, providing skills that will be of use throughout your life. Many of our courses can be taken with foreign language modules - find out more on the Exeter Language Centre webpages.
Our Directors of Education and Student Experience
Prof Mariza Lazzari
Director of Education and Student Experience Archaeology
"Archaeology gives us awe-inspiring windows to the human journey across time in all its incredible diversity. Our teaching combines fascinating academic study with practical, hands-on experience. You will be led by vibrant and enthusiastic experts who are motivated to teach and support your learning and create confidence within this amazing field.
We are proud of our informal atmosphere, where students benefit from small group teaching and plenty of contact with our colleagues"
Prof Freyja Cox Jensen
Director of Education and Student Experience History
"History at Exeter is about making new discoveries, uncovering lost experiences, and catching glimpses of the hitherto unseen. What you encounter here at Exeter will enhance your understanding of other subjects and areas of knowledge and improve your awareness of different cultures, providing intellectual skills that will be of use throughout your life.
Join us on a journey of high quality, modern and innovative teaching as we delve into the past and are inspired, together."
Undergraduate
Archaeology programmes
Several options are available with Study Abroad and Languages.
- Archaeology BA
- Archaeological Science BSc
- Archaeology and Anthropology BA
- Archaeology with Forensic Science BSc
- Ancient History and Archaeology BA
History programmes (Exeter)
Several options are available with Study Abroad and Languages.
- History BA
- Art History & Visual Culture and History BA
- History and Ancient History BA
- History and Archaeology BA
- History and Modern Languages BA
- Philosophy and History BA
History programmes (Cornwall)
These options are available with Study Abroad.
Postgraduate Taught (MA, MSc, MRes)
Archaeology programmes
- MA Archaeology
- MSc Bioarchaeology: Forensic Anthropology
- MSc Bioarchaeology: Human Osteology
- MSc Bioarchaeology: Zooarchaeology
- MSc Experimental Archaeology
- MSc Forensic Investigations
- MA Roman Archaeology
History programmes
Postgraduate Research (PhD)
Find more details on Postgraduate Research study in Archaeology and History below:
Archaeology Fieldwork
At Exeter, we think that fieldwork is an important part of your archaeology degree. All students have the opportunity to spend time in the field, usually over the summer between the first and second year. This will often take place on a university-led excavation, but students may also register on approved external digs.
Excavation may take you far from home, or just around the corner; over recent years Exeter students have experienced fieldwork in as diverse locations as Argentina, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, South Dakota, Texas and here in Devon. In some cases, fieldwork may consist of archaeological work in a museum rather than excavation.
The majority of students carry out fieldwork in relation to research being carried out by academic staff and details of fieldwork locations vary each year.
Since 2022 our department-led field school has been based at Killerton, a National Trust property outside Cullompton, Devon. The field school is open to current students, and we work closely with the staff at Killerton, within the National Trust, and their team of archaeology volunteers to explore the history of this multi-period estate.
Recent fieldwork
- Excavation in prehistoric ‘Plains Indian’ village in Mitchell, South Dakota
- Experimental archaeology project involving the smelting of metals in wind-powered furnaces in Sri Lanka
- Geophysical survey of ceremonial site of Taquara/Itarare people near El Dorado, Argentina
- Survey of antique buildings at World Heritage Site in Butrint, Albania
- Expedition to Gault, Texas, to examine one of the oldest sites of habitation in North America
- Survey and excavation at medieval manorial complex at Stokenham in Devon
- Exploration of early iron working on Exmoor
- Excavation and survey work in Kazakhstan to explore early domestication of horses
