Information for prospective masters students
Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Archaeology
The Division of Archaeology offers four MPhil degrees. Our emphasis at the MPhil level is research–led teaching, so that staff and students interact in lectures, seminars, and practicals with the aims of mastering the basics of theory and method, while at the same engaging students as participants in ongoing research projects. Our MPhil courses allow flexibility in tailoring taught courses to a student's specific interests. Small student numbers facilitate regular contact between students and staff in seminars, while the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research hosts a wide range of research seminars, discussion groups, and facilitates interaction within a diverse post-graduate and post-doctoral research environment.
We welcome applications for the MPhil degrees outlined below and described in detail on the linked webpages. Applications can be submitted from October through July for entry in the following academic year (which begins each year on 1st October). Early application (by mid–December) is encouraged, particularly if the applicant is applying for funding, as earlier deadlines will apply (see funding link). Currently our MPhil courses run from 1st October until 31st August, with the summer months—July and August—devoted to writing the dissertation, required of all MPhil students.
- Master
of Philosophy (MPhil) in Archaeology
- Archaeological Heritage and Museums
- Archaeological Science
- Archaeology of the Americas
- Egyptian Archaeology
- European Prehistory
- Medieval Archaeology
- Mesopotamian Archaeology
- Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Archaeology
- South Asian Archaeology
- MPhil in Archaeology (course option not initially specified)
- MPhil in Archaeological Research
- MPhil in Egyptology
- MPhil in Assyriology
Further details
General queries about the masters (MPhil) programme should be addressed to the Department's Graduate Secretary. To apply for admission to study Archaeology at Cambridge as a graduate, you should visit the Board of Graduate Studies website and consult the specific information on the application procedure found in the Online Graduate Studies Prospectus. It is also possible to apply on paper.
The Division of Archaeology is a large and active community of researchers, encompassing also the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. The Haddon Library is conveniently located close to the Division of Archaeology and houses a wide range of specialist archaeological and anthropological literature, and also access to online catalogues and wireless internet access. We also have a range of laboratory facilities that support these clusters, including the Charles McBurney Laboratory for Geoarchaeology, the George Pitt-Rivers Laboratory for Bioarchaeology, the Glyn Daniel Laboratory for Archaeogenetics, the Grahame Clark Laboratory for Zooarchaeology, the Dorothy Garrod Laboratory for Isotopic Analysis and the Material Culture Laboratory.
There is an official student society of the Division of Archaeology at Cambridge University—the Archaeology Field Club and there is also an Archaeology Graduate Society (AGS). Students from the Department publish their own academic journal—the Archaeological Review from Cambridge. The graduate community also organises a range of discussion groups that currently includes the African Archaeology Group, the Americas Seminar Group, the Archaeological Field Club, the Asian Archaeology Group, the Archaeology Theory Group, the Egyptian World Seminar Series, the George Pitt-Rivers laboratory Seminars, the Heritage Research Group, the Later European Prehistory Group, the Medieval Archaeology Group, the Palaeolithic–Mesolithic Discussion Group, and the Zooarchaeology Discussion Group.
MSt in Historic Environment
The MSt in Historic Environment is a two-year, part-time University of Cambridge degree offered by the Institute of Continuing Education in conjunction with the Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology. For more information and all enquiries, see the Master of Studies in Historic Environment page on the Institute of Continuing Education website, or contact Mrs Susan Woodall.