2024 entry
BA Archaeology and Anthropology (VL46)
Course overview

Typical offer
A-level standard offer: AAB
A-level contextual offer: BBB
See entry requirements for full details and eligibility.
Course duration
3 year(s) full-time
Part-time study is not available for this course
Application method
Full-time: UCAS
Fees
£9,250 per year, home students
£23,900 per year, international students
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Location
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 BA Archaeology and Anthropology course offers an exciting, interdisciplinary perspective on what it means to be human, employing archaeology and social, biological, and linguistic anthropology. In this degree, we address issues of migration, sustainable development, and heritage, cultural and technological change.
Our course will provide you with practical and professional skills designed to enhance your employability through activities such as the analysis of big data on contemporary population health, the investigation of archaeological material, and the presentation of cultural heritage to the public.
Our programme is accredited by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists.
This course is accredited by the following organisations
Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Accreditation by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA), working in partnership with University Archaeology UK (UAUK), recognises academic programmes which provide students with appropriate workplace skills relevant to both a career in the historic environment and CIfA membership at Practitioner grade. (www.archaeologists.net/Accredited_Degrees)
Course structure
Year one introduces the fundamental theories of archaeology and anthropology. You will take units that introduce you to the disciplines of archaeology and material culture studies as well as social, linguistic and biological anthropology. You will take part in our own departmental training excavation, developing a wide range of practical skills, from excavation to community engagement.
Years two and three allow greater specialisation in skills, regional foci and current debates, alongside further fieldwork. You will become familiar with the range of research methods and theoretical frameworks and the sorts of questions archaeologists and anthropologists ask.
A wide variety of optional units exploring different themes, periods and approaches are available in your second and third years.
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 an option to complete 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.
Go to programme catalogueEntry 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
BTEC
DDD in any Applied General BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma
Find out more about our BTEC entry requirementsInternational Baccalaureate Diploma
34 points overall with 17 at Higher Level
International Baccalaureate Diploma contextual offer
31 points overall with 15 at Higher Level
Find out if you are eligible for a contextual offerEuropean 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.
Mature students can contact mature-students@bristol.ac.uk to check the suitability of their Access course.
Welsh Baccalaureate
Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject-specific grade for 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.
Search international qualificationsApplicants must also meet these requirements
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 English Language Profile B qualification
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels
More about UK qualifications.
Selection process
- We only use your information in UCAS to assess your application. There are no other selection criteria or processes.
- Full information about our selection processes for this course:
- Regulations and codes of conduct we abide by to create a positive environment for learning and achievement: