Modules

A Foundation Year is the perfect way to boost your academic skills, build your confidence and develop your wider subject knowledge so you can succeed at Winchester. This course offers an extra year of study at the start (Year 0) which leads onto a full degree programme (Years 1, 2 and 3).

A Foundation Year is ideal if you are returning to education after a break; haven’t quite achieved the entry qualifications required; are wanting more support during the transition to studying at university; or are unsure about which subject you wish to pursue.

In Year 0, you will study a set of modules from across the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences which are designed to develop your academic and practical skills. This broader focus in your first year introduces you to studying at university level and provides you with a better understanding of Archaeology and related subjects.

You will experience a variety of teaching methods including lectures, discussion-based seminars and independent study. You will also receive support to boost your academic skills to prepare you for the rest of your time at Winchester. Find out more and hear from our Foundation Year students at winchester.ac.uk/foundation

Year 1 (second year of study) provides a sound foundation in the theory and practice of archaeology, including world prehistory. It is rounded off with a four-week excavation in the summer. During Years 2 and 3, you focus on the archaeology of specific periods in European history, such as Roman Britain and a range of methodological topics.

Popular Year 2 (third year of study) modules include the Greek World, Early or Later Prehistoric Europe, Medieval Archaeology, The Archaeology of Death and Burial, The Archaeology of Religion and Ritual, and a week-long Fieldwork module visiting sites in another part of Britain. Year 3 (fourth year of study) modules feature The Celts, The Archaeology of Africa, Roman Art and Architecture, and The Archaeology of Buddhism. You undertake fieldwork throughout the course and pool all your learning into a final-year dissertation.

As we become more attuned to how the past is able to help shape our future, archaeologists are increasingly playing key roles in policy development and decision-making. Graduates enter the archaeological profession and work in museums, heritage organisations, commercial archaeology and local authorities. Others find careers within applied science, for example environmental management, geomatics and remote sensing.