Introduction
This programme builds on the established archaeological expertise of the University of Aberdeen to provide you with the knowledge and skills to enter the professional world of cultural heritage. You will learn about current policy and practice and apply your knowledge at heritage sites, working directly with heritage professionals and local communities.
Jump-start your career in cultural heritage management, professional archaeology or education and research.
Study Information
Study Options
- Learning Mode
- On Campus Learning
- Degree Qualification
- MSc
- Duration
- 12 months or 24 months
- Study Mode
- Full Time or Part Time
- Start Month
- September or January
- Location of Study
- Aberdeen
On this one year Master’s programme, you will study heritage institutions and sites in Scotland and further afield to understand the social, political and regulatory frameworks within which cultural heritage professionals operate today.
This MSc programme provides essential training in the practical and theoretical elements of culture and heritage and is aimed at students from a wide range of academic backgrounds who wish to pursue opportunities in heritage agencies and organisations, professional heritage research units, local authorities, museums or the education sectors.
The Department of Archaeology enjoys close working relationships with a wide range of local, national and international museums, local authorities, agencies and other organisations within the growing heritage sector. Our location in the north east of Scotland provides easy access to numerous ancient sites and institutions where students undertake in situ fieldwork to learn about the key issues in cultural heritage through lively discussions and hands-on exercises.
You will also learn to apply knowledge and skills of the cultural heritage sector, and work with heritage professionals in a series of real-world situations, gaining practical experiences including the option of a work placement as well as opportunities to undertake a community heritage project.
The MSc Cultural Heritage is a broad-reaching programme, exploring the multi-disciplinary nature of the heritage environment and community engagement and is suited to students from various academic backgrounds looking to pursue careers in the heritage sector. The programme offers four distinct study tracks, allowing you to choose optioinal courses based on your particular interests or career aspirations - Culture Sector Track, Museum Track, Archaeological Heritage Track, and Archaeology of the North Track. Please see the Careers section below for further details.
Available Programmes of Study
Start in September or January
- MSc 12 months or 24 months On Campus Learning Full Time or Part Time January Aberdeen View
-
Programme Information
- Stage 1
-
Stage 1
Compulsory Courses
- Managing the Present: Heritage Communities and Representation (AY5510)
-
30 Credit Points
This course examines “who” is represented in current frameworks for cultural heritage management, and explores possibilities and problems linked to community engagement. You will learn about approaches and ethics when working with groups that have a stake in archaeological sites and narratives, from indigenous peoples to experts and politicians. Through a joint field project, you will gain direct experience in identifying and engaging Aberdeenshire communities in heritage interpretation.
View detailed information about this course
Optional Courses
Plus 30 credits from:
- Advanced Archaeological Approaches (AY5504)
-
30 Credit Points
As an advanced engagement with current trends and approaches in Northern Archaeology students examine current cutting edge debates associated with new theories and methodologies in archaeological research. Students will encounter the versatility of methodological and theoretical approaches in Northern research through four different themes central to the Archaeology of the North; Body and Death, Heritage and Memory, Social Space and Structures, Human and Environment. Each theme is explored through series of research led seminars and a practical, approaching the theme from different theoretical/methodological angels. The main assessment of the course is an Internal Masters Conference on these four themes.
View detailed information about this course - Northern Peoples and Culture (AY5501)
-
30 Credit Points
In a series of text based student-led seminars we study past Northern Peoples and Cultures through key topical debates, characteristic for different cultural regions and time periods. In the seminars students examine a range of northern contexts, from prehistory to more recent times all over the Circumpolar North. Students encounter topics as versatile as animal domestication in Northern Eurasia, Scandinavian Vikings, and Colonial North America illustrating the diversity of life and thought in Northern communities. Each seminar will also explore how particular key issues have become central to the 'identity' of archaeological research in the respective areas
View detailed information about this course - Public Engagement for Arts (EL5596)
-
30 Credit Points
Art and culture are integral to our daily lives, and the ways in which these are experienced are continually changing. Whether it is in a street performance, a public gallery, an academic festival, a webcast, a documentary or in social media, the relationship between the creative artist and those who consume it, is complex and can itself be a creative process. This course explores the many ways in which creative materials can be brought to public view, and how different forms of communication, aural, verbal and visual, can enhance public engagement with aesthetic experiences and the discourses around these.
View detailed information about this course - Cultural Property Issues: Law Art and Museums (LS55UU)
-
30 Credit Points
Taught by museum and law academics, this course will examine cultural property issues such as treasure trove, looting and repatriation, forgery, sacred and street art, and the derogatory treatment of art. Objects from the University Museum and collections worldwide will be drawn on to illustrate aspects of the course. Museum practice and operational experience will also inform certain aspects. Students will be encouraged to explore and develop their own ideas. Facilitating this, the course will include a programme of case studies and/or issue papers to be presented by students for class discussion.
View detailed information about this course
- Stage 2
-
Stage 2
Compulsory Courses
- Managing the Past: Heritage Politics and Practice (AY5010)
-
30 Credit Points
This course introduces students to the basic tenets of cultural heritage management at national and international level. Through the interdisciplinary lens of heritage studies, you will learn about the different political, social and economic meanings of heritage. Specific focus is placed on archaeological heritage, how its significance and stewardship has changed over time, and what policies and practices inform its management today. You will also learn about key challenges facing the sector.
View detailed information about this course
Optional Courses
Plus 30 credits from:
- Northern Worlds (AY5001)
-
30 Credit Points
In a series of research-led lectures and seminars, students investigate what characterises the Archaeology of the North from environmental, socio-cultural, and ideological aspects. We examine several inter-locking themes, from the first colonisations of the North tracing how these earlier populations established the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity that define later periods. Students will be introduced to the ecological characteristics of higher latitudes, and examine the diverse ways in which communities have made the Northern World their home. We also examine how human communities have responded to climate changes in the past, resilience and adaptation, technology, and spirituality amongst Northern peoples
View detailed information about this course - Theory and Method in Research (AY5002)
-
30 Credit Points
In this course students will follow the development of archaeological thought from its roots in the scientific revolution of the 17th century through to the post-modern thinkers and finally discovering where the current theoretical debates stand. Students will explore the links between the theoretical development of archaeological research and the general developments in the history of science and philosophy. Students also explore different methodologies central to archaeological research, discuss what constitute archaeological data, and how to design a research project. Students will also discuss research ethics, and scientific agendas. These issues are explored through a series of lectures and seminars.
View detailed information about this course - Developing A Theory of Practice: Learning and Museums (ED503E)
-
30 Credit Points
This course will focus on the theoretical and professional issues relating to learning and museums, including informal and formal learning, professional identity, regulatory and curriculum contexts, relationships between community and professional providers and social inclusion. Alongside seminars, normally held in the University’s museums, tutor-directed activities will include visits and observation of learning activities in local museums and similar organisations.
The course is intended to enable participants to reflect on current provision and practice in relation to learning in museums through critical consideration of current constructions and understandings of the ways in which museums are sites of learning for visitors. View detailed information about this course - Decolonising Museums (AT5053)
-
30 Credit Points
Museums worldwide are grappling with the complex legacies of colonialism that have shaped collections, institutional practices, and museum relationships with their users. This course introduces students to current debates regarding how - and if - the museum can fully decolonise. It also gives them a grounding in the historical, social, and institutional contexts which have led to these debates, and introduces practice-based strategies to address one of the key challenges facing museums and heritage institutions today.
View detailed information about this course
- Stage 3
-
Stage 3
Compulsory Courses
Research Project in Cultural Heritage (AY50099)
Programme Fees
Fee information Fee category Cost EU / International students £21,100 Tuition Fees for 2022/23 Academic Year Home / RUK £9,400 Tuition Fees for 2022/23 Academic Year - MSc 12 months or 24 months On Campus Learning Full Time or Part Time September Aberdeen View
-
Programme Information
- Stage 1
-
Stage 1
Compulsory Courses
- Managing the Past: Heritage Politics and Practice (AY5010)
-
30 Credit Points
This course introduces students to the basic tenets of cultural heritage management at national and international level. Through the interdisciplinary lens of heritage studies, you will learn about the different political, social and economic meanings of heritage. Specific focus is placed on archaeological heritage, how its significance and stewardship has changed over time, and what policies and practices inform its management today. You will also learn about key challenges facing the sector.
View detailed information about this course
Optional Courses
- Theory and Method in Research (AY5002)
-
30 Credit Points
In this course students will follow the development of archaeological thought from its roots in the scientific revolution of the 17th century through to the post-modern thinkers and finally discovering where the current theoretical debates stand. Students will explore the links between the theoretical development of archaeological research and the general developments in the history of science and philosophy. Students also explore different methodologies central to archaeological research, discuss what constitute archaeological data, and how to design a research project. Students will also discuss research ethics, and scientific agendas. These issues are explored through a series of lectures and seminars.
View detailed information about this course - Northern Worlds (AY5001)
-
30 Credit Points
In a series of research-led lectures and seminars, students investigate what characterises the Archaeology of the North from environmental, socio-cultural, and ideological aspects. We examine several inter-locking themes, from the first colonisations of the North tracing how these earlier populations established the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity that define later periods. Students will be introduced to the ecological characteristics of higher latitudes, and examine the diverse ways in which communities have made the Northern World their home. We also examine how human communities have responded to climate changes in the past, resilience and adaptation, technology, and spirituality amongst Northern peoples
View detailed information about this course - Developing A Theory of Practice: Learning and Museums (ED503E)
-
30 Credit Points
This course will focus on the theoretical and professional issues relating to learning and museums, including informal and formal learning, professional identity, regulatory and curriculum contexts, relationships between community and professional providers and social inclusion. Alongside seminars, normally held in the University’s museums, tutor-directed activities will include visits and observation of learning activities in local museums and similar organisations.
The course is intended to enable participants to reflect on current provision and practice in relation to learning in museums through critical consideration of current constructions and understandings of the ways in which museums are sites of learning for visitors. View detailed information about this course - Decolonising Museums (AT5053)
-
30 Credit Points
Museums worldwide are grappling with the complex legacies of colonialism that have shaped collections, institutional practices, and museum relationships with their users. This course introduces students to current debates regarding how - and if - the museum can fully decolonise. It also gives them a grounding in the historical, social, and institutional contexts which have led to these debates, and introduces practice-based strategies to address one of the key challenges facing museums and heritage institutions today.
View detailed information about this course
- Stage 2
-
Stage 2
Compulsory Courses
- Managing the Present: Heritage Communities and Representation (AY5510)
-
30 Credit Points
This course examines “who” is represented in current frameworks for cultural heritage management, and explores possibilities and problems linked to community engagement. You will learn about approaches and ethics when working with groups that have a stake in archaeological sites and narratives, from indigenous peoples to experts and politicians. Through a joint field project, you will gain direct experience in identifying and engaging Aberdeenshire communities in heritage interpretation.
View detailed information about this course
Optional Courses
In addition students will take further 30 credit points from the following courses:
- Advanced Archaeological Approaches (AY5504)
-
30 Credit Points
As an advanced engagement with current trends and approaches in Northern Archaeology students examine current cutting edge debates associated with new theories and methodologies in archaeological research. Students will encounter the versatility of methodological and theoretical approaches in Northern research through four different themes central to the Archaeology of the North; Body and Death, Heritage and Memory, Social Space and Structures, Human and Environment. Each theme is explored through series of research led seminars and a practical, approaching the theme from different theoretical/methodological angels. The main assessment of the course is an Internal Masters Conference on these four themes.
View detailed information about this course - Northern Peoples and Culture (AY5501)
-
30 Credit Points
In a series of text based student-led seminars we study past Northern Peoples and Cultures through key topical debates, characteristic for different cultural regions and time periods. In the seminars students examine a range of northern contexts, from prehistory to more recent times all over the Circumpolar North. Students encounter topics as versatile as animal domestication in Northern Eurasia, Scandinavian Vikings, and Colonial North America illustrating the diversity of life and thought in Northern communities. Each seminar will also explore how particular key issues have become central to the 'identity' of archaeological research in the respective areas
View detailed information about this course - Public Engagement for Arts (EL5596)
-
30 Credit Points
Art and culture are integral to our daily lives, and the ways in which these are experienced are continually changing. Whether it is in a street performance, a public gallery, an academic festival, a webcast, a documentary or in social media, the relationship between the creative artist and those who consume it, is complex and can itself be a creative process. This course explores the many ways in which creative materials can be brought to public view, and how different forms of communication, aural, verbal and visual, can enhance public engagement with aesthetic experiences and the discourses around these.
View detailed information about this course - Cultural Property Issues: Law Art and Museums (LS55UU)
-
30 Credit Points
Taught by museum and law academics, this course will examine cultural property issues such as treasure trove, looting and repatriation, forgery, sacred and street art, and the derogatory treatment of art. Objects from the University Museum and collections worldwide will be drawn on to illustrate aspects of the course. Museum practice and operational experience will also inform certain aspects. Students will be encouraged to explore and develop their own ideas. Facilitating this, the course will include a programme of case studies and/or issue papers to be presented by students for class discussion.
View detailed information about this course
- Stage 3
-
Stage 3
Compulsory Courses
- Research Project in Cultural Heritage (AY5909)
-
60 Credit Points
The final research project in the MSc in Cultural Heritage offers the opportunity to delve deep into a heritage issue or case study that interests you. By conversing with relevant literature and analysing a unique source material, you will become proficient in collecting, evaluating and synthesizing knowledge, and produce your own slice of original research. The project can be completed as a regular dissertation or as an applied research project based on a work-placement.
View detailed information about this course
Programme Fees
Fee information Fee category Cost EU / International students £21,100 Tuition Fees for 2022/23 Academic Year Home / RUK £9,400 Tuition Fees for 2022/23 Academic Year
Cultural Heritage
We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
How You'll Study
Learning Methods
- Field Trips
- Field Work
- Lectures
- Research
- Seminars
Why Study Cultural Heritage?
In this programme you will gain a solid understanding of the meanings and management of cultural heritage in the modern world, with added depth in archaeological heritage. Through academic studies, practical exercises, and independent research, you will learn the principles and practices that guide heritage selection and protection level and be trained in tasks that are directly applicable to professional roles in the heritage sector.
You will also become versed in current and future challenges in the field. Specific focus is placed on identity politics and contested heritage. How does heritage figure into international politics? Why did the distant past become a factor in Brexit and in European debates on immigration? A second major focus is on community engagement. Who is represented by current frameworks for heritage management?
Through workshops and excursions, you will get to discuss these issues with heritage professionals. By developing and executing a heritage field project, you will also gain direct experience in working with groups that have a stake in heritage sites and narratives.
In addition to the core themes, the programme offers two specializations through optional courses. The first, Learning and Communication in Cultural Heritage, is suitable for those interested in the cultural sector more broadly, looking to work in museums or cultural institutions with a focus on the education, development and promotion of cultural heritage, or who want to pursue postgraduate research in heritage studies. The second, Politics and Engagement in Archaeological Heritage, is directed at those who aim for the archaeological heritage sector, looking to work within agencies, at sites or in the field, with management, assessment, and public outreach, or who want to pursue postgraduate research in archaeology.
Entry Requirements
Qualifications
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
This is a broad-reaching course, exploring the multi-disciplinary nature of the heritage environment and community engagement and is suited to students from various backgrounds looking to pursue careers in the heritage sector.
Applications are open to students presenting a 2:1 (upper second class) UK Honours degree, or an Honours degree from a non-UK institution which is judged by the University to be of equivalent worth in Archaeology or a related discipline such as History, History of Art, English, Geography, Anthropology, Humanities, Social Sciences or Environmental Sciences.
Applications presenting a 2:2 or equivalent, with related professional experience, will also be considered.
Please enter your country to view country-specific entry requirements.
English Language Requirements
To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking - 59; Writing - 59
Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency:
OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
Document Requirements
You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.
- CV
- an up-to-date CV/Resumé
- Degree Certificate
- a degree certificate showing your qualifications
- Degree Transcript
- a full transcript showing all the subjects you studied and the marks you have achieved in your degree(s) (original & official English translation)
- Personal Statement
- a detailed personal statement explaining your motivation for this particular programme
International Applicants
Fee Information
International Applicants
Further Information about tuition fees and the cost of living in Aberdeen
Additional Fee Information
- Fees for individual programmes can be viewed in the Programmes section above.
- In exceptional circumstances there may be additional fees associated with specialist courses, for example field trips. Any additional fees for a course can be found in our Catalogue of Courses.
- For more information about tuition fees for this programme, including payment plans and our refund policy, please visit our InfoHub Tuition Fees page.
Scholarships
Eligible self-funded international Masters students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Visit our Funding Database to find out more and see our full range of scholarships.
Careers
Graduates of this programme are equipped with both the theoretical and practical knowledge and skills needed by employers within the heritage sector, including museums, local authorities and government agencies, historic trusts, and other cultural and conservation bodies.
The MSc Cultural Heritage offers you four tailored study tracks, allowing you to choose courses based on your particular interests or career aspirations.
- Culture Sector Track
This track is for students interested in the cultural sector, looking to work in heritage tourism or the wide range of cultural institutions that focus on education, policy development, and heritage promotion.
- Museum Track
This track is for those who aim to work in the museum sector, being involved in collections management, administration or various research functions. This includes everything from open-air museums to large national history galleries.
- Archaeological Heritage Track
This track is for those who seek to join the archaeological heritage sector, working for heritage agencies or archaeological sites, performing management tasks, assessment, and public outreach. It is also for those interested in postgraduate research in archaeology/heritage.
- Archaeology of the North Track
This track is for those who wish to pursue postgraduate research or work in field archaeology. Research themes focus on the archaeology of the circumpolar north or heritage science, relating to prehistory or techniques for heritage preservation.
Our Experts
- Programme Coordinator
- Dr Elisabeth Niklasson
Information About Staff Changes
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
Get in Touch
Contact Details
- Address
-
Student Recruitment & Admissions
University of Aberdeen
University Office
Regent Walk
Aberdeen
AB24 3FX