Honours

Entry to the honours course is restricted to students who have obtained a bachelor's degree with an average of at least 65% in their third year undergraduate majors. The honours course comprises three coursework modules and a dissertation of between 15 000-25 000 words that is approved by the Faculty Research & Ethics Committees. The honours course is offered as a one-year, fulltime course. In addition, students are also required to:

• Participate in the Departmental Seminar Series when in residence; 
• Participate in the honours fieldschool; and 
• Demonstrate a mastery over basic field techniques.

Honours Coursework

AGL 751: Advanced archaeological theory
AGL 752: Advanced archaeological method and interpretation
AGL 753: Current issues in archaeology
AGL 754: Research report

MA

Entry to the MA programme is restricted to students who have obtained an honour’s degree in Archaeology or very closely related discipline, for which a minimum of 65% has been awarded. The master’s degree usually involves two years of full-time study and comprises a dissertation of 30 000-50 000 words that is approved by the Faculty Research and Ethics Committees. The dissertation is based on primary field research and other relevant research sources that demonstrate a specialised knowledge of the archaeological research process. While research findings can be negative, the master’s dissertation must be methodologically detailed and replicable. The dissertation must demonstrate the candidate’s ability to formulate strategies and responses to contextual and abstract problems. The research process must be fully accountable and demonstrate sensitivity to working in a post-colonial context. In addition to the dissertation, master’s candidates are required to:

Perform one outreach Activity per year registered; 

Participate in the Departmental Seminar Series when in residence; 

Submit an article to an accredited publication at the end of their study; 

Conduct at least eight weeks of fieldwork by the end of the master’s programme; 

Demonstrate mastery over basic and intermediate field techniques.

PhD

Entry to the PhD programme is restricted to students who have obtained a master's degree in Archaeology or very closely related discipline, for which a minimum of 60% has been awarded. The PhD usually involves three to four years of full-time study and comprises a thesis of 60 000-100 000 words based on Faculty Research and Ethics Committee clearance. The thesis must produce positive research findings and substantively advance the state of archaeological knowledge. The thesis must show mastery over advanced field and analytical techniques as well as sophisticated grasp and application of relevant archaeological theory. The entire project must be institutionally, socially and intellectually accountable, demonstrating an advanced grasp of what conducting archaeological research in a post-colonial context entails. Students are required to defend their written thesis in an oral presentation, usually three hours in duration. Students must conduct at least 16 weeks of fieldwork by the end of the PhD programme and demonstrate mastery over advanced field techniques.