Program Overview

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BA Archaeology and Anthropology (VL46)

2026 entry | view 2025 entry

Course summary

Our BA Archaeology and Anthropology course offers an exciting, interdisciplinary perspective on what it means to be human, employing archaeology alongside social, evolutionary, and linguistic anthropology.

An ability to understand the diversity of human culture, behaviour and experience across space and time is critical to tackling the key challenges of our contemporary world. Our course will provide you with the essential skills needed to explore issues of migration, sustainable development, and heritage, alongside key questions of cultural and technological change.

You will receive training in qualitative and quantitative archaeological and anthropological methodologies and gain vital archaeological experience in field and laboratory work. You will also be introduced to a range of descriptive, analytic, interpretative and visual approaches to the investigation of archaeological and anthropological material. This will prepare you to undertake fieldwork in communities locally and further afield, providing you with key transferable skills for future employment. Original research inspires all our teaching, and your degree culminates in you producing a substantial final-year dissertation on a topic of your choice.

Accreditations

Our programme is fully accredited by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CiFA) and University Archaeology UK (UAUK).

Overview

Typical offer

• A-level standard offer: AAB
• A-level contextual offer: BBB
• Go to entry requirements for the full entry criteria and contextual offer eligibility.

Programme duration

• 3 year(s) full-time.
• Part-time study is not available for this course

Application method

• UCAS (Code: VL46)

Location

• Clifton campus

Fees

• £9,535 per year, home students
• £24800 per year, international students
• More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.

Fees quoted are for 2025 entry only. Fees for 2026 will be confirmed, subject to government approval, later in 2025.

Course structure

Your first year introduces you to the fundamental theories of archaeology and anthropology. You will take units that introduce you to each of the disciplines and their specialist fields such as social, linguistic and evolutionary anthropology and archaeological science. You will take part in our own departmental training excavation, developing a wide range of practical skills, from excavation to community engagement.

Your second year allows greater specialisation as you become more familiar with the range of research methods and theoretical frameworks deployed by archaeologists and anthropologists, as well as the key questions they ask.

The third year provides an opportunity to pursue a specialist area of interest working closely with a member of staff to write a dissertation on an original topic of your choice. There is also an option to build your employability skills further by completing a work placement with an external partner such as a museum, commercial archaeological unit or national heritage organisation.

Full details about the course structure and units for this course can be viewed in the programme catalogue.

Entry requirements

We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Below is a guide to the typical offers for this course.

A-level standard offer

• AAB

A-level contextual offer

• BBB

BTEC

• DDD in any Applied General BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma

International Baccalaureate Diploma

• 34 points overall with 17 at Higher Level

International Baccalaureate Diploma contextual offer

• 31 points overall with 15 at Higher Level

European Baccalaureate

• 80% overall

Scottish Qualifications Authority

• Advanced Higher: AB and Standard Higher: AAABB

Access to HE Diploma

• Access to HE Diploma in Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or History (or similar titles). The 45 graded Level 3 credits must include 24 credits at Distinction and 21 at Merit or above.

Welsh Baccalaureate

• Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales or the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.

Cambridge Pre-U

• Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/M2 is B, and M3 is C.

International qualifications

• The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students, and we accept a wide range of qualifications for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

GCSE profile requirements

• No specific subjects required.
• Further information about GCSE requirements and profile levels.

English language requirements

• If English is not your first language, you need to have one of the following:
  • IELTS 7.0 overall with 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other skills
  • GCSE English Language grade B or 6
  • an alternative qualification outlined in our Profile level B.

Further information about English language requirements and profile levels

Selection process

• Regulations and codes of conduct we abide by to create a positive environment for learning and achievement are found in the University admissions policies and procedures.
• If applying with extenuating circumstances please see our policy.
• Full information about our selection processes for Archaeology and Anthropology can be found in the Admissions Statement.

Related courses

• See a list of all Anthropology and Archaeology degrees at Bristol, and find more information about the course, assessment and career prospects.