The MSc Archaeology also offers students the opportunity to design their own programmes from our diverse Level 4 modules in addition to selected modules from out L3 programme. This provides a pathway whereby students who remain undecided which aspect of archaeology they wish to specialise in can study archaeology and heritage more broadly.
Our MSc and GDip courses respond directly to two of UCD’s key strategic themes: ‘Empowering Humanity’, which foregrounds the importance of ‘Understanding what shapes human thinking and motivates behavioural change’, and ‘Creating a Sustainable Global Society’, which requires an understanding of the diversity of ways in which people have interacted with the natural world over the course of human history.
On completion of this programme, a student will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding of the distinctive challenges and opportunities of using archaeological methods and approaches to studying the past in its global context.
- Critically assess archaeological interpretations of different datasets.
- Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of key theoretical approaches, and of the history and context of archaeological interpretations.
- Understand how different field and laboratory skills and methods can be employed to answer key research questions in archaeology.
- Appropriately select and apply discipline-specific archaeological skills and approaches to resolve research problems and develop our understanding of past societies.
- Work within large or small teams and independently, leading and being led as appropriate.
- Formulate and conduct successful independent archaeological research.
- Effectively communicate archaeological knowledge using a variety of different approaches and platforms.
- Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of how archaeological knowledge is relevant to key contemporary issues.
- Be aware of the potential role of other disciplines in the sciences and humanities (e.g. historical sources) in studying and understanding the archaeology of the past.