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Managing Archaeological Sites MA

London, Bloomsbury

How are heritage sites and landscapes, including World Heritage Sites, identified, valued, interpreted and used for different purposes, and could they be managed better? Join us to get a deep insight into analysing archaeological and heritage sites internationally, to consider the challenges and opportunities in how they’re managed, conserved and presented to preserve their significance. The ideal foundation for a career in heritage management or policy work.  

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£16,000
£8,000
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£33,000
£16,500
Duration
1 calendar year
2 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The Managing Archaeological Sites MA focuses on the practical ways in which heritage places are preserved, curated, and presented in in the modern world. The course begins at the point of excavation of archaeological sites or the identification of unique architecture and artefacts, and charts a course through legal, ethical, and practical frameworks to determine the future of physical heritage. It addresses questions such as: why some archaeological sites are selected for preservation and others are not; who decides how to manage a site and how management structures vary; and how cultural heritage can be managed in times of crisis (or whether they should be). You will discuss how power relationships, international law, social and economic factors impact on decision making, as well as designing management strategies for case studies in regions of the globe that interest you.

On this programme you will:

  • Learn about strategies for conservation and presentation. 
  • Disentangle national and international legal frameworks for heritage protection. 
  • Understand means of digital documentation and information dissemination.
  • Discuss the impact of tourism and successful visitor management.
  • Draw on the experience of  from heritage practitioners from all over the world and debate with them.
  • Experience diverse management strategies in the present day through UK fieldtrips. 

The flexibility of taking optional modules between heritage and archaeology gives you the freedom to make it a more theoretical or a more practical degree.

Who this course is for

The programme has an international perspective and will appeal to students from a range of academic backgrounds (e.g. archaeology, heritage, conservation, planning, architecture, museum studies, tourism, culture-creative).

Because the programme has a good balance of both theory and practice, it will suit those wishing to continue to academic research and those seeking employment in heritage administration or international organisations.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

This degree provides you with training for a career in heritage management. You will explore approaches to managing archaeological and built heritage sites in the modern world and how to best implement them by looking at global case studies across the world. 


You will benefit from the expertise of the world-renowned Institute of Archaeology, one of the largest centres for archaeology in Britain and ranked 3rd in the world in the QS World Rankings by Subject 2024. It brings archaeology, cultural heritage, and museum studies together under one roof, making it an exciting interdisciplinary environment to study in. 

This programme offers you several opportunities opportunities such as:

  • Learning from leading experts and practitioners in the field. 
  • Use of the Institute’s exceptional laboratories, equipment, archives, and collections.
  • Practical examination of ongoing case-studies in the vibrant and historical city of London. 
  • Proximity to British Museum and British Library, as well as UCL’s Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Upon completing this degree, you will have skills well suited for jobs in sectors such as: 

  • Tourism and heritage management.
  • Policy development.
  • Environmental and sustainability sector.
  • Not-for-profit / charity sector.
  • Academia and Higher Education.

“My time at the Institute of Archaeology was invaluable. Being global in focus and nature truly refined my thinking and prepared me well to overcome the challenges that I encountered as part of my professional career.” - Laurence Maidment- Blundell (PhD Student)

Employability

Students gain many transferable skills that are attractive to employers in a wide range of businesses and sectors, such as:

  • Theoretical and critical analysis.
  • Ability to design and carry out original research.
  • Practical heritage management skills.
  • Project conceptualisation and design.
  • Navigating legal heritage frameworks. 
  • Understanding of culture and creative industries.
  • Principles for community engagement and diverse management approaches. 

Networking

The Institute organises an annual "Careers in Ruins" event. Here students can get career advice from professionals in the Heritage and Archaeology sectors. They can also network with professionals from other sectors such as Business, Law and the Civil Service.

Many of our alumni also return as guest lecturers on modules and seminars.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, practical demonstrations and site visits.

Assessment is through essays, statements, project reports, projects and practicals (depending on the options chosen), and the dissertation.

Contact time takes various forms:

  • Lectures.
  • Seminars and discussions.
  • Project supervisions.
  • Field visits.
  • Assessment feedback sessions.

The credit value of the module indicates the total learning hours you will spend to achieve its learning outcomes. One credit is often equated to 10 hours of notional learning, which includes all contact time, self-directed study, and assessment.

The contact hours per module are normally around 2-3 hours a week with additional self-directed study time. Outside of lectures, seminars, workshops, and tutorials, full-time students typically study the equivalent of a full-time job, using their remaining time for self-directed study and completing coursework assignments.

Your dissertation module is 90 credits for which the learning hours will mainly be spent researching your and writing your final dissertation. You will also have regular contact with your supervisor(s). They will guide and support you throughout your work.

Modules

The teaching is carried out in the first two terms. In the second term, students identify a dissertation topic and a dissertation supervisor. In the third term, students begin work on their dissertations, which continues over the summer. Research skills sessions provide support for this and students deliver an oral presentation of dissertation plans to staff and students to obtain feedback.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. The programme consists of one mandatory core course – Managing Archaeological Sites ARCL0108 (which  runs over two terms and has a value of 30 credits). Students are asked to choose further optional modules (to the equivalent of 60 credits) and undertake a research-based dissertation (90 credits).

Teaching takes place during terms one and two. Those who undertake part-time study will discuss their pathway through the degree with the degree co-ordinator. Typically, students will take the compulsory core modules in the first year and select their optional modules in order to spread these out to year two. The dissertation is discussed in year 1 and completed at the end of year 2. We endeavour to be flexible to the needs of part-time students in designing their pathway through the degree over two years.

Compulsory modules




Optional modules
























Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Managing Archaeological Sites.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Institute of Archaeology (morning)

—

The UCL Institute of Archaeology is one of the largest centres for archaeology, cultural heritage and museum studies in Britain. Join us for a Virtual Graduate Open Event to find out more about our wide range of Master’s programmes, how our programmes are taught, what it’s like to study at the Institute of Archaeology and have the opportunity to speak to a relevant degree co-ordinator. Please contact Lisa Daniel, Graduate Admissions Administrator (l.daniel@ucl.ac.uk) if you have any questions.

Online - Open day

Graduate Open Events: Institute of Archaeology (afternoon)

—

The UCL Institute of Archaeology is one of the largest centres for archaeology, cultural heritage and museum studies in Britain. Join us for a Virtual Graduate Open Event to find out more about our wide range of Master’s programmes, how our programmes are taught, what it’s like to study at the Institute of Archaeology and have the opportunity to speak to a relevant degree co-ordinator. Please contact Lisa Daniel, Graduate Admissions Administrator (l.daniel@ucl.ac.uk) if you have any questions.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £16,000 £8,000
Tuition fees (2025/26) £33,000 £16,500

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Transport for field trips outside of London will be arranged by the department. Students will need to make their own way to field trips within London. A Day off-peak travelcard for zones 1-9 costs around £17.00, but most visits will be within zones 1-3. Any additional costs related to the fieldtrip will be covered by the department.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

Institute of Archaeology Master's Awards: The UCL Institute of Archaeology has one studentship of £10,000 available to support a graduate student who is an ordinarily resident in the UK or Ireland and eligible to pay home fee rate. The deadline for applications is 1st March 2025. For further information and to download an application see here

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Institute of Archaeology International Masters Student Award

Deadline: 21 March 2025
Value: Up to £26,000 (1yr)
Criteria Based on academic merit
Eligibility: EU, Overseas

Institute of Archaeology Masters Award

Deadline: 21 March 2025
Value: £10,000 (1 year)
Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • Why you want to study Managing Archaeological Sites at graduate level.
  • What do you consider to be the major challenges in this field today.
  • What particularly attracts you to this programme.
  • Where you would like to go professionally with your degree.
  • Why you want to study Managing Archaeological Sites at UCL.
  • How your personal, academic and professional background meets the demands of a challenging academic environment at UCL.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Institute of Archaeology
Institute of Archaeology

l.daniel@ucl.ac.uk

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