Archaeology
Explore your curiosity
Archaeology, ancient history and anthropology encompass the study of humanity from our origins to the present. The Department has a strong offering of part-time learning opportunities in these subjects, offering students the chance for progression from a short course through to a part-time graduate degree programme.
Short courses for adult learners
Explore a new topic or revisit a favourite subject over the course of a few days, a few weeks or a term. Our short courses run in person or online, with some offered in both formats – so you can choose the study option best for you.
Many of our short courses, including flexible online courses, weekly classes (both in Oxford and online) and some summer schools, can be studied for credit, which means they can count towards a recognised qualification such as our Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education.
Oxford qualifications and professional development
Upcoming courses
In-person weekly • Short courses
We have much to learn from the antiquarians about ancient sites and archaeological landscapes. John Aubrey, William Stukeley and Stonehenge and Avebury will be our primary case studies. We also consider and compare other antiquarians and ancient sites.
- Thu 24 Apr 2025 – Thu 26 Jun 2025
- 10 meetings
- 2:00 – 4:00pm
Online - flexible • Short courses
From royal pyramids, court artisans and powerful pharaohs, to grandiose temples, mysterious gods and foreign invasions, participants will experience the world of ancient Egypt, its highs and lows, and the rich tapestry of its culture.
- Mon 28 Apr 2025 – 11 Jul 2025
Online - flexible • Short courses
How do archaeologists recognise and interpret the lives of past peoples and their societies? An introduction to the methods and techniques of archaeological enquiry, from initial site survey and excavation to scientific analysis.
- Mon 28 Apr 2025 – 11 Jul 2025
In-person day/weekend • Short courses • Professional development
This course aims to give participants an understanding of traditional construction and its defects, and to provide the skills to carry out balanced and informed surveys of historic buildings.
- Tue 06 May 2025 – 08 May 2025
- 3 meetings
- 9.00am Tues - 5.00pm Thurs
Online - flexible • Short courses
How can we begin to understand the spiritual lives of prehistoric people? When do religious ideologies first appear on the human evolutionary timescale? Using both anthropology and archaeological evidence these and many other questions are examined.
- Wed 07 May 2025 – 18 Jul 2025
Online - live • Short courses • Hybrid - in person or online
Discover how Britain’s coastline has changed and evolved over millennia with rising sea levels. Explore submerged landscapes and learn about the risks posed to coastal heritage by climate-driven sea-level rise.
- Sat 10 May 2025
- 9:45am – 5:00pm
Award courses and related programmes
Cultural heritage training
Expert CPD tuition for those with a keen interest, professional or personal, in archaeology, historic buildings and cultural heritage.Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education
A flexible, part-time route to an Oxford University qualification. Gain credit from flexible short online courses, weekly classes, and the Oxford University Summer School for Adults. Explore a wide range of subjects in this multidisciplinary programme.Undergraduate Certificate in Archaeology
An introductory part-time undergraduate course for adults with little or no previous experience of academic archaeology. Taught at first-year undergraduate level, this two-year course introduces ideas, approaches, sites and methods.Undergraduate Diploma in British Archaeology
Gain a grounding in British archaeology with this two-year part-time undergraduate course, taught at second-year university level. Modules available: Early Prehistoric; Later Prehistoric and Roman; and Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Medieval.Advanced Diploma in British Archaeology
This one-year part-time advanced diploma consists of a taught module on one of three periods of British archaeology and includes a 10,000-word dissertation. The course is taught at third-year undergraduate level.MSc in Applied Landscape Archaeology
The MSc in Applied Landscape Archaeology is a part-time modular course over two years.DPhil in Archaeology
The part-time DPhil programme was first offered in Archaeology in 2003 with several successful DPhil completions now having taken place.