Program Requirements

The Master of Archaeological Science (Advanced) requires completion of 96 units, which must consist of:

48 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:

ARCH8030 Archaeological Science Research Project 1

ARCH8032 Introduction to Archaeological Science

ARCH8040 Microanalysis in Archaeological Science

THES8102 Thesis

 

24 units from completion of introductory courses from the following list:

ARCH6004 Australian Archaeology

ARCH6005 Archaeology of the Pacific Islanders

ARCH6006 The History of Archaeology: Discovering the Past

ARCH6022 Cultural Landscapes and Environmental Change

ARCH6037 Post-Roman Archaeology of Britain: Arthur and the Anglo Saxons

ARCH6041 Introduction to Environmental Archaeology

ARCH6050 The Archaeology of South East Asia

ARCH6056 Britons and Romans: The Archaeology of the Western Roman Empire

ARCH6108 Animals, Plants & People

ARCH6500 Research Design and Analysis in Archaeology

ARCH6521 Archaeology of Death and Mortuary Practices

BIAN6013 Human Evolution

BIAN6510 Scientific Dating in Archaeology and Palaeoenvironmental Studies

BIAN6512 Ancient Health & Disease

BIAN6515 Forensic Anthropology and Archaeology

BIAN6517 Human Skeletal Analysis

BIAN6518 Analysis of Mammalian Remains

EMSC6014 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy

EMSC6027 Palaeoclimatology and Climate Change

EMSC6107 The Blue Planet: an introduction to Earth system science

ENVS6529 Palaeo-Environmental Reconstruction

 

A maximum of 24 units from any courses listed in any of the following specialisations

Forensic Archaeology

Quaternary Studies and Palaeoenvironments

 

A maximum of 24 units from completion of Archaeological Science courses from the following list:

ARCH8002 Advanced Field Training in Archaeological Science

ARCH8029 Supervised Project in Archaeological Science

ARCH8031 Archaeological Science Research Project 2

ARCH8033 Archaeology, Climate Change and Society

ARCH8034 Managing, Mapping and Detecting Archaeological Sites

ARCH8036 Internship in Archaeological Science

ARCH8037 Master Class in Archaeological Science

ARCH8038 Graduate Reading Course in Archaeological Science

ARCH8102 Designing Research in Archaeology

ARCH8103 Frameworks for Archaeological Science

ARCH8104 An Introduction to Cultural and Environmental Heritage

ASIA8046 Maps and Mapping for the Social Sciences and Humanities

ASIA6151 Archaeology in Asia

ASIA6203 Archaeology of China

BIAN8009 Stable Isotopes in Archaeology and Biological Anthropology

BIAN8010 Ancient Behaviour: Advanced Topics in Bioarchaeology

ENVS6015 GIS and Spatial Analysis

ENVS6312 Geomorphology: Landscape Evolution under Changing Climate

HUMN8008 World Rock Art: Global Perspectives on Rock Art Research

HUMN8006 Best Practice in Managing Heritage Places

HUMN8010 Material Culture Studies

HUMN8019 World Heritage: conserving cultural heritage values

HUMN8022 Physical Conservation of Historic Heritage Places

 

Study Options

Admission Requirements

By transfer from the Master of Archaeological Science with a minimum GPA of 6.0/7.0, and the approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis.

If the total number of units attempted exceeds 72 in the same teaching period in which the 72nd unit is attempted, exactly 72 units will be used in the calculation of the weighted average mark with units from the course with the highest mark applied first followed by further units from courses in descending order of marks.

Students will be awarded up to 72 units of course credit for completed courses listed in this Masters (Advanced) degree.

Cognate Disciplines

Archaeology, Biology, Botany, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Geography, Marine Science, Material Sciences, Museum and Heritage Studies, Zoology.

English Language Requirements

All applicants must meet the University’s English Language Admission Requirements for Students.

Assessment of Qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, ANU will accept all Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) qualifications or international equivalents that meet or exceed the published admission requirements of our programs, provided all other admission requirements are also met. Where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will base assessment on the qualification that best meets the admission requirements for the program. Find out more about the Australian Qualifications Framework: www.aqf.edu.au

ANU uses a 7-point Grade Point Average (GPA) scale. All qualifications submitted for admission at ANU will be converted to this common scale, which will determine if an applicant meets our published admission requirements. Find out more about how a 7-point GPA is calculated for Australian universities: www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/admission-criteria/tertiary-qualifications

Unless otherwise indicated, where an applicant has more than one completed tertiary qualification, ANU will calculate the GPA for each qualification separately. ANU will base assessment on the best GPA of all completed tertiary qualifications of the same level or higher.

Scholarships

ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.

Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are.  Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.

For further information see the Scholarships website.

Employment Opportunities

The Master of Archaeological Science can lead to a PhD, or advance your career in cultural and environmental resource management, heritage management, forensic science and materials science.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the skills and knowledge to:

1. understand the theories, methods and practice of archaeological science;
2. understand how scientific techniques can be applied to archaeological problems;
3. be familiar with the major sub-disciplines of archaeological science;
4. be able to apply archaeological scientific techniques in the field, laboratory and written form;
5. be trained and have experience in undertaking a research project in at least one branch of archaeological science;
6. complete a major piece of research in the field of Archaeological Science (including research design, undertake research, data analysis and interpretation, and write-up/publication)