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Master’s Degree Programme in Archaeology - Programme description
Degree
The Master’s degree programme in Archaeology leads to a Master of Philosophy in Archaeology. Duration of the programme is 2 years (120 ECTS credits).
Programme responsibility
The Archaeology Institute, Social Sciences Faculty, University of Tromsø.
Language of instruction
Norwegian.
Application deadline: 15. April
Programme coordinator
The Programme Board
Programme description
The master’s degree programme will offer an insight into archaeological theoretical training, research methods and knowledge of selected sections of the research that have been carried out to date. This objective will be obtained through teaching, essay-writing, exercises and literary studies, and particularly through work on a master’s degree dissertation.
Competence objectives
The master’s degree programme will provide a basis for independent professional work in situations where an advanced insight in this academic field is necessary. This academic field offers a basis for competence in work within cultural remains administration, museum curation and general cultural academic work at a district, regional and national level. It also provides the basis for further research training (Ph.D.). The study programme in Applied Archaeology is especially suited to issues where archaeology is used in relation to other academic areas.
Admission qualifications
In order to be accepted onto the master’s degree programme in Archaeology, a completed bachelor degree in Archaeology is required, encompassing a specialization of at least 80 study points (ECTS) in Archaeology. This must include the ARK-2017 Project Course, or equivalent.
The minimum academic requirement for acceptance is grade C, which is calculated from an average of the archaeological academic sections of the bachelor degree.
Students who do not have a bachelor degree with a specialization in Archaeology may seek to be accepted on extraordinary grounds. Such students must take courses ARK-2001 and ARK-2002.
Subject organization
The master’s degree programme in Archaeology is research-based and is divided into two study programmes; students may choose between General Archaeology and Applied Archaeology.
Study Programme in General Archaeology
This study programme extends over two years and is built up of 120 study points:
- 60 of these study points are linked to the master’s degree dissertation: obligatory subjects are ARK-3900 Parts I-4.
- At least 40 study points must be drawn from the general Archaeology programme (ARK-3003 and ARK-3004 are compulsory).
- Up to 20 study points may be drawn from subjects outside Archaeology (e.g. GIS, Social Anthropology, History, Religious Studies, Cultural History).
The process of writing a dissertation begins during the first semester in a compulsory dissertation seminar series (ARK-3900 Part 1), where the theme of the dissertation is formulated. Students must also follow a compulsory literary seminar series in theory and method (AR-3003) during the same semester. The student will be appointed a supervisor towards the end of his/her first semester. During the course of the first semester the subject combinations must be approved in consultation with the co-ordinator/supervisor so that an integrated study programme is formulated that satisfies the interests of the individual student.
During the second and third semesters, a total of 20 study points will be awarded in connection with the master’s degree dissertation through the dissertation seminar series ARK-3900 Parts 2 and 3, together with a compulsory literary seminar series in theory and method (ARK-3004) during the third semester. During the fourth and final semester the work focuses exclusively on the dissertation (ARK-3900 Part 4).
The work on the master’s degree dissertation is rated at 60 study points (ARK-3900 Parts 1-4).
The completed dissertation must be between 50 and 70 pages in length.The deadlines for submitting the master’s degree dissertation are 15 May and 20 November.
Study Progression
In addition, students must choose at least two courses from the general Archaeology programme and two further courses, which may be chosen from Archaeology or from another academic field.
Study Programme in Applied Archaeology
This alternative is particularly suited to issues where archaeology is used in relation to other academic fields.
The study programme extends over two years and is built up of 120 study points:
- 40 of these points are linked to the master’s degree dissertation: compulsory subjects ARK-3091 Parts 1 and 2.
- At least 50 study points must be drawn from the general Archaeology programme (ARK-3003 and ARK-3004 are compulsory).
- Up to 30 study points may be drawn from other academic fields. Possible topics include:
Cultural Remains Preservation, linked with Planning, Documentary Studies, Political Science and GIS.
Archaeological use of Natural Science methods, linked to Geology, Botany, Zoology and Osteology.
Visual Archaeology, linked to Visual Cultural Studies.
The process of writing a dissertation begins during the first semester in a compulsory dissertation seminar series (ARK-3910 Part 1), where the theme of the dissertation is formulated. Students must also follow a compulsory literary seminar series in theory and method (AR-3003) during the same semester.
The student will be appointed a supervisor towards the end of his/her first semester. During the course of the first semester the subject combinations must be approved in consultation with the co-ordinator/supervisor so that an integrated study programme is formulated that satisfies the interests of the individual student.
It is recommended that all, or at any rate the majority of the subjects in other academic fields be taken during the course of the first two semesters, so that students can begin the planning of their dissertation. Before the beginning of the third semester the student and supervisor should have agreed on its progress and undertaken any adjustments of the programme if these are thought to be necessary.
The fourth and final semester is devoted to the completion of the master’s degree dissertation (ARK-3901 Part 2). The completed dissertation should be between 40 and 60 pages in length.
The work on the master’s degree dissertation is rated at 40 study points (ARK-3910).
The deadlines for submitting the master’s degree dissertation are 15 May and 20 November.
Study progression
In addition, students must choose at least two courses from the general Archaeology programme and two further courses, which may be chosen from Archaeology or from another academic field.
Student exchange
A course of study abroad may be taken to satisfy part of the free choice component in both study programmes, but this must be directly relevant to the students study programme and should take place during the second semester. Any period of study abroad must be approved by IAR.
Teaching and examination procedures
Teaching and examination procedures for the different subjects will vary from subject to subject (see the subject descriptions). Teaching will principally consist of seminars in which students are expected to be active participants.
Several of the compulsory subjects and at least of the two free choice subjects in Archaeology will be offered each semester. The same subjects will never be offered in two consecutive semesters. These subjects will take up topics that relate to theory, method and cultural history issues. All the subjects will include all three aspects to a certain extent, for example in the form of a historical research overview, cultural history examples, theoretical implications of different methods and the discussion of the concrete use of theory. These topics will naturally be associated with ongoing research projects or be closely linked to research interests and areas of expertise on the part of the institute’s academic staff.
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