Postgraduate
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The University of Manchester is an internationally recognised centre for social archaeology. Our vibrant research is characterised by a number of themes. These include:
- Identity, for example gender, ethnicity, religion, and sexual politics
- Place, landscape, and monumentality
- History, theory, and philosophy of archaeology
- Material culture and social practice
- Social complexity and the development of state-organised societies
- Archaeological heritage and the social significance of the past
These themes are addressed in relation to various periods and regions. For example: prehistory in Britain and Western Europe (the Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Iron Age); Near Eastern archaeology, Mediterranean archaeology (Bronze Age, Greek and Roman periods), African archaeology, Pacific archaeology, and the historical archaeology of Australia, the United States and Britain. We are also known for our diverse fieldwork methods, ranging from survey and excavation, through to oral history, ethnography and ethnoarchaeology. Our publications reflect our outstanding research profile with 62.5% rated world-leading or internationally excellent in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
Everyone is really friendly. People are very open. You're put at your ease, and I've always felt very welcome to ask questions, to talk to lecturers.
We encourage our postgraduate students to play a full and active part in the academic life of our subject area. There is an Archaeology Research Seminar Series, and also a Postgraduate Discussion forum run by postgraduate students. Our postgraduate students also routinely organise conferences connected with their research supported by the Archaeology Subject Area, as well as sessions at major conferences such as TAG. Postgraduate field research is supported technician, who provides training and advice regarding the use of equipment and fieldwork methods. We also provide advice to our students in preparing research for publication in peer-reviewed journals, edited collections and monographs. Excellent links also exist with the University's Manchester Museum. Postgraduate students benefit from the Museum in terms of collection-based research (Ethnographic, Classical Antiquities, Egyptology), and Museum staff provide advice on museological and conservation issues.
All research students have access to working space in a large open-plan office shared with Art History and Visual Studies. This dedicated space provides computer facilities, shelving space, and an interdisciplinary collegiate atmosphere. MA students have a shared working space in our building as well as access to working areas in the John Rylands Library. University support is also excellent with a new state of the art student resources building under construction in the heart of the campus adjacent to our School.
We offer a unique and stimulating MA in Archaeology as well as the PhD in Archaeology. Both the MA and PhD are available full or part-time. Archaeology also has strong links with the inter-disciplinary research forum, Chimera (Cultural heritage, identity and memory research area), which brings together the University's internationally renowned research in this area and provides a supervision network for postgraduate students.
Funding opportunities are available through the UK Research councils, primarily the AHRC, and via University of Manchester scholarships.