Prospectus

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Intro

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:

  • BA (university or HBO) obtained

  • deficiencies with a maximum of 60 ec (1 year)

  • the track and its courses are chosen in consultation with the Admission Committee and pre-master coordinator

  • you will only be admitted to the master track you are applying for.

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

Applied Archaeology

Heritage and Museum Studies

Archaeological Science

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

Mandatory

SPOC Academic Skills for Archaeologists 5
Bioarchaeology 5
Material Studies 5
Archaeological Theory (BA3) 5
Designing Archaeological Research 5
Landscape Archaeology Projects 5
Science Communication: Archaeology in the 21st century 5

Choose 2:

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

Choose 1:

Heritage Protection in the 21st Century 5
The Roman Frontier 5
Museums in Contemporary Societies 5

Free choice (2 x 5 ec)

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

Mandatory

SPOC Academic Skills for Archaeologists 5
Bioarchaeology 5
Material Studies 5
Archaeological Theory (BA3) 5
Designing Archaeological Research 5
Landscape Archaeology Projects 5
Science Communication: Archaeology in the 21st century 5

Fieldwork

Field Techniques 10
Field School 1 5

Choose 1:

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

Free choice (5 ec)

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

Mandatory

SPOC Academic Skills for Archaeologists 5
Material Studies 5
Archaeological Theory (BA3) 5
Designing Archaeological Research 5
Landscape Archaeology Projects 5
Science Communication: Archaeology in the 21st century 5

Choose 2:

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

Choose 2:

Heritage Protection in the 21st Century 5
The Roman Frontier 5
Museums in Contemporary Societies 5

Free choice (2 x 5 ec)

Archaeological Science

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

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Mandatory

SPOC Academic Skills for Archaeologists 5
Bioarchaeology 5
Material Studies 5
Archaeological Theory (BA3) 5
Designing Archaeological Research 5
Landscape Archaeology Projects 5
Science Communication: Archaeology in the 21st century 5

Choose 2:

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

Students who are opting for an MSc in Digital Archaeology:

Predictive Modelling 5

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

Material Culture 5
Osteology 5
Botany 5
Zoology 5

Students who are opting for an MSc in Digital Archaeology: 5 ec free choice + the course below:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 5

Students who are opting for an MSc in Archaeozoology/botany, Osteoarchaeology or Material Culture, free choice (2 x 5 ec):

Saxion

The Saxion Pre-master track consists of 35 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 2020.
Completion: before 1 July 2021.
Application: before 1 July 2020, please contact the Bachelor study adviser.

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Mandatory

SPOC Academic Skills for Archaeologists 5
Archaeological Theory (BA3) 5
Landscape Archaeology Projects 5
Museums in Contemporary Societies 5

Optional

Designing Archaeological Research 5

Choose 1:

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

Choose 1:

Archaeological Prospection in the Netherlands 5
Botany 5
Osteology 5
Zoology 5
Predictive Modelling 5
Practical Introduction to Collection Formation, Classification and Exhibition-making 5