Program Requirements

The Master of Archaeological Science requires the completion of 96 units, of which:

A minimum of 24 units must come from completion of 8000-level courses.

The 96 units must include:

6 units from completion of the following compulsory course:

ARCH8066 Quantitative Skills for Archaeological and Evolutionary Scientists (6 units) -

18 units from completion of the following research intensive courses:

ARCH8033 Archaeology, Climate Change and Society (6 units)

ARCH8044 Ancient Biomolecules and Our Past (6 units)

BIAN8005 Theory Seminar in Biological Anthropology (6 units)

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

ARCH6004 Australian Archaeology (6 units) 

ARCH6030 Archaeology of Ritual and Religion (6 units) 

ARCH6037 From Empire to Invasions: The Archaeology of Europe from the Romans to the Vikings (6 units) 

ARCH6050 The Archaeology of South East Asia (6 units) 

ARCH6058 European Prehistory from Cultivation to the Celts (6 units) 

ARCH8045 The Ochre Card: Effective Indigenous Engagement and Learning Country Through Our Eyes (6 units)

BIAN6517 Human Skeletal Analysis (6 units)

24 units from methodological courses from the following list:

ARCH6041 Introduction to Environmental Archaeology (6 units)

ARCH6042 Scientific Dating in Archaeology and Palaeoenvironmental Studies (6 units)

ARCH6043 Analysis of Vertebrate Remains (6 units)

ARCH6108 Animal and Plant Domestication (6 units)

ARCH8030 Archaeological and Evolutionary Science Research Project 1 (6 units)

ARCH8037 Masterclass in Archaeological and Evolutionary Science (6 units)

ARCH8038 Graduate Reading Course in Archaeological Science (6 units)

ASIA6018 Maps and Mapping in Asia and the Pacific (6 units)

ASIA6220 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Field Schools (6 units)

BIAN6013 Human Evolution (6 units)

BIAN6019 Research Design and Analysis in Archaeological and Evolutionary Science (6 units)

BIAN6124 Evolution and Human Behaviour (6 units)

BIAN8003 Readings in Primatology/Palaeoanthropology (6 units)

BIAN8010 Advanced Topics in Biological Anthropology (6 units)

BIOL6109 Developmental Biology (6 units)

BIOL6114 Evolution (6 units)

BIOL6206 Evolution of Biodiversity (6 units)

ENVS6015 GIS and Spatial Analysis (6 units)

ENVS6529 Palaeo-Environmental Reconstruction (6 units)

24 units from completion of a thesis

THES8103 Thesis (24 units)

.

Master Research

The program includes 12 units of courses from the following list:

ARCH8044 Ancient Biomolecules And Our Past (6 units)

ARCH8033 Archaeology, Climate Change and Society (6 units)

BIAN8005 Theory Seminar in Biological Anthropology (6 units)

Master Research Training

The program includes 6 units of a compulsory research training course:

ARCH8066 Quantitative skills for archaeological and evolutionary scientists (6 units)

The research training requirement will be satisfied through completion of 6 units from:

ARCH8044 Ancient Biomolecules and Our Past (6 units)

ARCH8033 Archaeology, Climate Change and Society (6 units)

BIAN8005 Theory Seminar in Biological Anthropology (6 units)

Capstone Courses

Specialisations

Study Options

Admission Requirements

Applicants must present the following:

• A Bachelor degree or international equivalent with a minimum GPA of 6.0/7.0
• The approval of an identified supervisor for the research project/thesis

The GPA for a Bachelor program will be calculated from (i) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades and/or (ii) a completed Bachelor degree using all grades other than those from the last semester (or equivalent study period) of the Bachelor degree. The higher of the two calculations will be used as the basis for admission.

Progression Requirements: Students must have the written agreement of an identified supervisor in order to enrol in THES8103 Thesis in a specified semester one calendar year in advance of the start date of that semester. Students who do not have the written agreement of an identified supervisor one calendar year in advance, or whose agreed supervisor either subsequently leaves the university or is on leave from the university, will be transferred to the Master of Archaeological and Evolutionary Science.

Ranking and English Proficiency: At a minimum, all applicants must meet program-specific academic/non-academic requirements, and English language requirements. Admission to most ANU programs is on a competitive basis. Therefore, meeting all admission requirements does not automatically guarantee entry. 

In line with the University's admissions policy and strategic plan, an assessment for admission may include competitively ranking applicants on the basis of specific academic achievement, English language proficiency and diversity factors. Applicants will first be ranked on a GPA ('GPA1') that is calculated using all but the last semester (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes. If required, ranking may further be confirmed on the basis of:

• a GPA ('GPA2') calculated on the penultimate and antepenultimate semesters (or equivalent) of the Bachelor degree used for admission purposes; and/or
• demonstrating higher-level English language proficiency

Prior to enrolment in this ANU program, all students who gain entry will have their Bachelor degree reassessed, to confirm minimum requirements were met.

Further information: English language admission requirements and post-admission support

Diversity factors: As Australia’s national university, ANU is global representative of Australian research and education. ANU endeavours to recruit and maintain a diverse and deliberate student cohort representative not only of Australia, but the world. In order to achieve these outcomes, competitive ranking of applicants may be adjusted to ensure access to ANU is a reality for brilliant students from countries across the globe.

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.

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.

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.

Credit Granted

A maximum of 24 credits can be transferred towards the Foundational Course Requirement from students who have a previous degree in archaeology and/or biological anthropology.

Cognate Disciplines

Anatomy, Ancient History, Anthropology, Archaeology, Botany, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Human Biology, Indigenous Studies, Marine Science, Medicine, Museum and Heritage Studies, Psychology, Zoology

Fee Information

All students are required to pay the Services and amenities fee (SA Fee)

The annual indicative fee provides an estimate of the program tuition fees for international students and domestic students (where applicable). The annual indicative fee for a program is based on the standard full-time enrolment load of 48 units per year (unless the program duration is less than 48 units). Fees for courses vary by discipline meaning that the fees for a program can vary depending on the courses selected. Course fees are reviewed on an annual basis and typically will increase from year to year. The tuition fees payable are dependent on the year of commencement and the courses selected and are subject to increase during the period of study.

For further information on Fees and Payment please see: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/fees-payments

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.

Learning Outcomes

1. develop critical proficiency in key theories, methods, and practice in archaeology and/or biological anthropology;
2. evaluate how scientific techniques can be applied in the field and in the laboratory to advance knowledge about our human past;
3. practice how data-driven approaches can be used to analyse diverse datasets from archaeological, bioanthropological, and ecological materials;
4. build familiarity with evidence-based approaches to archaeological and bioanthropological research to produce independent conclusions;
5. formulate and communicate findings from archaeological and/or bioanthropological research in ways that are consistent with latest scientific principles; and
6. design and conduct a major piece of independent research (including material sampling, sample collection, data analysis, interpretation, and professional write-up). 

Research Strengths

The program includes 12 units of courses from the following list:

ARCH8044 Ancient Biomolecules And Our Past (6 units)

ARCH8033 Archaeology, Climate Change and Society (6 units)

BIAN8005 Theory Seminar in Biological Anthropology (6 units)

Inherent Requirements

Information on inherent requirements is currently not available for this program