Prospectus

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Archaeology

A pre-master track is intended for students who want to start a master in Archaeology, but who have a bachelor’s degree that does not fully meet the requirements of the chosen MA programme.
Deficiencies in the bachelor can be elimiated by means of a pre-master track, with a maximum of 60 ects.

For whom?
The following BA graduates, whose intended MA focus areas do not concur with their previous education, are eligible for a pre-master in Archaeology:

  • Leiden University students (not from the Archaeology department)

  • other Dutch universities and HBO institutes (higher vocational education)

  • foreign universities

Prerequisites
What you need in order to be admitted to a pre-master track in Archaeology:

Please note: these conditions will not automatically ensure you of admission to the pre-master track. Every application will be assessed individually.
An interview may be part of the selection procedure.

Application
The application procedure is as follows:

  • Apply for the BA in Archaeology (higher year, not first year), via Studielink. Within a few days you will receive log-in details for the Leiden University online application portal, where you can opt for the Pre-master. In your motivation letter, please indicate for which of the 4 tracks in the Master you are applying.
    If you want to have a chance to be admitted to the MA directly, you can also apply for the MA straight away.

  • The Admission Committee decides if you can be directly admitted to the MA or not. If you need to take a Pre-master programme, the Admission Committee will send you a negative admission decision for the MA, but including a proposal for a Pre-master programme. In that case you will have to apply for the BA, higher year, in Studielink and the Pre-master in the online application portal, as mentioned above. To prevent you from missing the deadlines, it is therefore advisable to fill out both the BA higher year/Pre-master and MA application at the same time.

Application deadline
Pre-master tracks start every September 1st. The deadline for application is 1 April for non-EU students and 15 June for EU students.

More information
For additional information and application please contact the Admission Committee.

Tracks
The Master tracks are:

Global Archaeology

Below is the programme (60 ec in total) intended as preparation for the Archaeology Master specialisation Global Archaeology.

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Compulsory

SPOC Academic Skills for Archaeologists 5
Archaeological Theory (BA3) 5
Bioarchaeology 5
Material Culture 5

Choose 2:

Deep History 5
Complex Societies 5
Imperial Powers, Global Cultures 5
Landscape Archaeology 5

Choose 1:

Amerindian Shamanism in the Caribbean and Amazonia (BA2) 5
The Archaeology of the Ancient Silk Roads (BA2) 5
Medieval Lowlands 5
Ritual and Religion in the Ancient Near East (BA2) 5
Dutch Prehistory in a European Context 5

Choose 1:

Osteology (BA2) 5
Botany (BA2) 5
Zoology (BA2) 5
Experimental Archaeology 5
Heritage and Environment 5

Fieldwork

Field Techniques 10
Field School 1 5

Free choice

Free choice Pre-master 5

Applied Archaeology

Below is the programme (60 ec in total) intended as preparation for the Archaeology Master specialisation Applied Archaeology.

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Compulsory

SPOC Academic Skills for Archaeologists 5
Archaeological Theory (BA3) 5
Bioarchaeology 5
Material Culture 5
Landscape Archaeology 5

Choose 1:

Deep History 5
Complex Societies 5
Imperial Powers, Global Cultures 5

Choose 1:

Amerindian Shamanism in the Caribbean and Amazonia (BA2) 5
The Archaeology of the Ancient Silk Roads (BA2) 5
Medieval Lowlands 5
Ritual and Religion in the Ancient Near East (BA2) 5
Dutch Prehistory in a European Context 5

Choose 1:

Osteology (BA2) 5
Botany (BA2) 5
Zoology (BA2) 5
Experimental Archaeology 5
Heritage and Environment 5

Fieldwork

Field Techniques 10
Field School 1 5

Free choice

Free choice Pre-master 5

Heritage and Museum Studies

Below is the programme (60 ec in total) intended as preparation for the Archaeology Master specialisation Heritage and Museum Studies.

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Compulsory

SPOC Academic Skills for Archaeologists 5
Archaeological Theory (BA3) 5
Bioarchaeology 5
Material Culture 5
Landscape Archaeology 5
Heritage and Environment 5
Social Science Research in Practice 10
The Early Modern Era 5

Choose 1:

Deep History 5
Complex Societies 5
Imperial Powers, Global Cultures 5

Choose 1:

Amerindian Shamanism in the Caribbean and Amazonia (BA2) 5
The Archaeology of the Ancient Silk Roads (BA2) 5
Medieval Lowlands 5
Ritual and Religion in the Ancient Near East (BA2) 5
Dutch Prehistory in a European Context 5

Free choice

Free choice Pre-master 5

Archaeological Sciences

Below is the programme (60 ec in total) intended as preparation for the Archaeology Master specialisation Archaeological Sciences.

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Compulsory

SPOC Academic Skills for Archaeologists 5
Archaeological Theory (BA3) 5
Bioarchaeology 5
Material Culture 5
Landscape Archaeology 5

Choose 1:

Deep History 5
Complex Societies 5
Imperial Powers, Global Cultures 5

Choose 1:

Amerindian Shamanism in the Caribbean and Amazonia (BA2) 5
The Archaeology of the Ancient Silk Roads (BA2) 5
Medieval Lowlands 5
Ritual and Religion in the Ancient Near East (BA2) 5
Dutch Prehistory in a European Context 5

Students who are opting for an MSc in Archaeozoology/botany, Osteoarchaeology or Material Culture, choose 1:

Botany (BA2) 5
Zoology (BA2) 5
Osteology (BA2) 5

Students who are opting for an MSc in Digital Archaeology:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 5

Fieldwork

Field Techniques 10
Field School 1 5

Students who are opting for an MSc in Archaeozoology/botany, Osteoarchaeology or Material Culture, free choice:

Free choice Pre-master 5

Students who are opting for an MSc in Digital Archaeology:

Data analysis 5

Saxion

The Saxion Pre-master track consists of 30 ec, and is specifically intended for 4th-year students at the Dutch HBO programme Archeologische Onderzoeksassistent at Saxion Next Deventer.
After completion of the programme you receive a list of your grades and a certificate issued by the Faculty of Archaeology, which gives you access to the MA in Archaeology at Leiden’s Faculty of Archaeology.

Start: 1 September 2018.
Completion: before 1 July 2019.
Application: before 1 July 2018, please contact mrs I.L. Tinbergen.

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Compulsory

Archaeological Theory (BA3) 5
Bioarchaeology 5
Material Culture 5

Choose 2 out of 4:

Deep History 5
Complex Societies 5
Imperial Powers, Global Cultures 5
Landscape Archaeology 5

Choose 1:

Amerindian Shamanism in the Caribbean and Amazonia (BA2) 5
The Archaeology of the Ancient Silk Roads (BA2) 5
Medieval Lowlands 5
Ritual and Religion in the Ancient Near East (BA2) 5
Dutch Prehistory in a European Context 5