- UCAS course code
- VV30
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Overview
- Degree awarded
- Bachelor of Arts (BA)
- Duration
- 3 years
- Typical A-level offer
-
AAA including A in History
- Typical contextual A-level offer
-
AAB, including A in History.Find out more about contextual admissions.
- Refugee/care-experienced offer
-
Applicants who have been in local authority care for more than three months or have refugee status may be eligible for an offer two grades below the standard requirements.Find out more about contextual admissions.
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer
-
36 points overall. 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects (including History).
- How to apply
- Apply through UCAS .
- UCAS course code
- VV30
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course overview
- Study past cultures through the texts that framed their lives, and the landscapes, architecture and objects they made or inhabited.
- Combine the best of both worlds: training in critical historical source analysis with practical archaeological methods.
- Study at an internationally renowned centre for social archaeology, working on sites of global importance such as Stonehenge, Star Carr and Easter Island.
- Explore Mancunium, the city's own Roman fort, and discover the University's on-campus archaeological, ancient historical and ethnographic collections at Manchester Museum.
Open days
We are pleased to announce that we are returning to hosting on-campus open days in the summer and autumn.
Please see open days for the dates, registration, and other information.
If you're a prospective student, you can also find out more about student life by chatting with our student ambassadors at a time that suits you, and ask any questions you may have about life at Manchester.
Please check our Coronavirus FAQs for the most up to date information regarding events.
You can also look at our virtual open day content to help you learn more about the University.
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2024 will be £9,250 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £25,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
- Contact name
- Katie Cowey
- Telephone
- +44 (0)161 306 1252
- ug-classics@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/cahae/
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: About us
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Compare this course
Entry requirements
A-level
Grades AAA to include A in History. General Studies is welcomed but not included as part of the standard offer.
The University recognises the benefit of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview. For this programme, as well as the regular conditions of offer, we may make students who are currently taking or completed the EPQ an alternative offer. For this course it would be AAB with A in History at A level plus the Extended Project at Grade A.
A-level exams should be taken at the same sitting, after no more than two years of study. If you have studied an advanced curriculum, where the examinations are spread over three years, consideration for an offer will be at the discretion of the admissions tutor. We may also require further information, in order to make an informed judgment on your application.
If your predicted grades are at the lower end of our advertised range and you are not studying the EPQ please contact the School to discuss your application as the School considers all applications holistically.
Contextual offer
AAB including A in History for applicants who meet our contextual offer criteria. For further information and to check eligibility visit our Contextual Offers page.
AS-level
Unit grade information
The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit information where available. Like all other information provided by applicants this may be taken into consideration when assessing your application. Unit grades will not normally form part of an offer conditions.
GCSE
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.
International Baccalaureate
36 points overall. 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects (including History).
Other international entry requirements
Scottish requirements
Two Advanced Highers at AA, plus one additional Higher at A in relevant subject (see A-level subject requirements).
English Language and Mathematics not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (minimum National 5 grade C / Intermediate 2 grade C / Standard Grade Credit level grade 3).
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
Welsh Baccalaureate
The minimum grade required will normally be the same as the lowest grade listed in the A Level entry requirements.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.
European Baccalaureate
We normally require 85% with a mark of 8.0 in History.
AQA Baccalaureate
In making offers, the University will focus on the three A Levels taken within the AQA Baccalaureate. Students need to check the standard A Level requirements for their chosen course.
The units of broader study, enrichment activities and the Extended Project are considered to be valuable elements of the AQA Baccalaureate and we would therefore strongly encourage students to draw upon these experiences within their personal statement.
Foundation year
Applicants completing the INTO Manchester in partnership with The University of Manchester international foundation programme are required to achieve AAA in academic subjects and grade A in the EAP with writing, speaking, listening and reading grade B.
Applicants completing the NCUK International Foundation year are required to achieve AAA in academic subjects and grade A in the EAP with writing, speaking, listening and reading grade B.
Please read this in conjunction with our A-level requirements, noting any pre-requisite subjects.
For all other foundation programmes please see this list of approved UK foundation programmes .
Pearson BTEC qualifications
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: we consider the National Extended Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Diploma with grades Dist, Dist, Dist, plus one A-level at Grade A in History.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma: we consider the National Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus one A-level at Grade A in History.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma: we consider the National Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Foundation Diploma with a Distinction grade, PLUS one A-level at Grade A in History, PLUS an EPQ or AS at Grade A.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate: we consider the National Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Certificate with a Distinction grade, PLUS two A-levels at Grades AA; one of which must be in History.
The University of Manchester welcomes applications from students who have achieved legacy BTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the BTEC Extended Diploma, BTEC Diploma, BTEC Subsidiary Diploma, and BTEC Certificate. The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new BTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Diploma (CTEC): we do not consider the Technical Extended Diploma for entry to this course.
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level at grade A in History .
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Foundation Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Foundation Diploma with grades Distinction*, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level/A Level at min. Grade A in History, PLUS an EPQ or AS Level at grade B.
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Certificate (CTEC) : we consider the Technical Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Extended Certificate with EITHER grade Distinction, plus two additional Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels at grades AA, OR the full Technical Extended Certificate with grade Distinction*, plus two A-levels at grades AB. In either case, one of the A-levels must be in History.
The University of Manchester will consider applications from students who have achieved legacy CTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the CTEC Extended Diploma, CTEC Diploma, CTEC Subsidiary Diploma, and CTEC Certificate. The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new CTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
Access to HE Diploma
We require a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma (a minimum of 60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3), with merit or distinction in a subject area relevant to the chosen course.
The specific course requirements are a minimum of 45 credits with a Distinction grade, in a Humanities-related subject. Where possible, 15 of the Distinction credits should be in the pre-requisite subject required for A-levels.
Applicants to Languages programmes are also required to have a minimum of GCSE grade B/6 in a modern language or in English Language.
Cambridge Pre-U
Candidates taking Pre-U principal subjects in conjunction with A levels are expected to achieve a combination of D3, D3, D3 in the Pre-U and AAA at A level in three distinct subjects.
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
The University recognises the benefit of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview. For this programme, as well as the regular conditions of offer, we may make students who are currently taking or completed the EPQ an alternative offer. For this course it would be AAB with A in History at A level plus the Extended Project at Grade A.
Core Maths
The University recognises the value of Level 3 Core Mathematics qualifications. Core Mathematics is not a compulsory element of post-16 study and as a result we will not normally include it in the conditions of any offer we make. However, if a student chooses to undertake a core mathematics qualification this may be taken into account when we consider a student's application, particularly for courses with a distinct mathematical or statistical element that does not require A Level Mathematics. Academic Schools may also choose to take a student's performance in Core Mathematics into account should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.
Where a course requires applicants to have at least grade 6/B or higher in GCSE Mathematics we would be likely to consider a pass in Core Mathematics at a minimum grade C or B as an alternative way to fulfil this requirement. Where an A Level in Mathematics is required then Core Mathematics will not be accepted in lieu of an A Level.
A Level and GCSE Mathematics requirements for our courses vary according to subject so we advise students to contact the academic School, who will clarify whether a student's portfolio of qualifications is acceptable for entry onto the chosen course.
Home-schooled applicants
Non-standard educational routes
Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences. Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.
The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to. Further information for mature students can be found here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )
English language
All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:
- GCSE/iGCSE English Language grade C/4 or;
- IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in any one component, or;
- An acceptable equivalent qualification.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.
The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student from outside the UK and the EU must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language in order to be granted a UK visa (Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. This level is often referred to as the 'B2 level'.
Additionally, our individual Schools may ask for specific English Language proficiency levels that are necessary for their academic programmes. In most cases these requirements are likely to be higher than the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found here .
English language test validity
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
How your application is considered
We read the personal statements and references of all applicants, paying particular attention to A-level (or IB etc.) predictions or achieved grades.
Regarding the Archaeology element: we are sympathetic towards mature students with an interest in, or prior experience of, Archaeology - also to those with non-standard qualifications. We may need to interview applicants in such circumstances.
Interview requirements
Returning to education
Applications from mature students are welcomed and considered on an individual basis. We will consider applicants from a variety of educational backgrounds, whether they have completed A-levels, Access courses or other qualifications.
Applicants may be required to produce a piece of written work, for assessment by the Admissions Tutor. Once you have applied, the Admissions Administrator will contact you with further instructions on this and a deadline by which to complete the exercise.
We are sensitive to the particular concerns of mature students and welcome individual enquiries.
Deferrals
Re-applications
Transfers
Course details
Course description
You'll select course units in Ancient, Medieval or Modern History as well as Economic and Social History, or even specialise in the History of Science, Technology and Medicine. Other course units offer insights into gender history or the history of warfare and violence.
By drawing from the widest range of sources and methods, History and Archaeology embraces a rich tapestry of perspectives on the human past. You'll receive expert training in analysis and critical reasoning while developing important transferable skills in communication and presentation, argument and debate, teamwork, research, and time management, all of which will help prepare you for life after university.
Special features
Fieldwork training is an integral part of Archaeology, and you'll be introduced to excavation techniques by experienced archaeologists, with the opportunity to join fieldwork or museum placements during your degree.
Fieldwork takes place during the summer vacation.
Placement year option
Apply your subject-specific knowledge in a real-world context through a placement year in your third year of study, enabling you to enhance your employment prospects, clarify your career goals and build your external networks.
Study abroad
You can apply to spend one semester studying abroad during Year 2 .
Exchange partners are offered in Sweden, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Destination specific specialisms could support research on such as Inuit material culture, Australian rock art, or Scandinavian hoards, enriching your final year dissertation.
Meet like-minded students
Both History and Archaeology benefit from well-established student societies.
The CAHAE Society offers trips to museums, monuments, conferences and places of archaeological interest, as well as research seminars and artefact handling sessions.
As part of the History Society, you'll have the opportunity to take part in activities including Manchester Histories Festival and student-led publication The Manchester Historian .
Teaching and learning
- tutorials;
- seminars;
- laboratory sessions;
- lectures;
- fieldwork;
- group exercises;
- presentations;
- reports;
- one to one academic support sessions;
- original research guided by academic tutors.
Subsidised fieldwork includes one-day site visits as well as extensive periods of excavation in a wide range of locations such as Herefordshire, Yorkshire and Scotland.
You'll also be trained in our archaeological labs and museum archives, to use a wide range of equipment to analyse and record objects or engage with texts.
Coursework and assessment
- written examinations;
- coursework essays;
- research reports;
- practical tests;
- fieldwork workbooks;
- individual projects;
- oral presentations;
- third-year dissertation.
You will get written feedback on all assessments.
This will come in the form of online mark-up and essay reports from the lecturer, allowing you to easily map your progress with your course lecturers and academic advisor.
In addition, archaeology field training involves a variety of assessment over a range of skills and techniques.
Course content for year 1
Gain core skills for dealing with the analysis of written evidence, as well as archaeological fieldwork methods. Units will train you in conceptual and methodological issues in History, while you'll study the history of Archaeology, undertaking hands-on practicals in the lab, museum and field to prepare you for two weeks of excavation in the summer.
Complement these with a wide range of ancient historical, historical and archaeological options.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Discoveries and Discoverers: Sights and Sites | CAHE10282 | 20 | Mandatory |
Doing Archaeology 1 | CAHE10501 | 20 | Mandatory |
History in Practice | HIST10101 | 20 | Mandatory |
The Making of the Mediterranean | CAHE10132 | 20 | Optional |
Introduction to the History and Culture of Pharaonic Egypt | CAHE10651 | 20 | Optional |
Introduction to Egyptian Hieroglyphs | CAHE20162 | 20 | Optional |
Modern China: from the Opium Wars to the Olympic Games | HIST10151 | 20 | Optional |
Histories of the Islamic World | HIST10172 | 20 | Optional |
Capitalism in Historical Perspective: 1700-1913 | HIST10182 | 20 | Optional |
Imperial Nation: Empire and the Making of Modern Britain, 1783-1902 | HIST10191 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 2
In archaeology, core courses on theories and methods deepen your understanding of the ways we use and interpret evidence, and your excavation skills and opportunity to travel are enriched by a further two weeks of subsidised fieldwork.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Thinking Archaeology | CAHE20112 | 20 | Mandatory |
Doing Archaeology 2 | CAHE20501 | 20 | Mandatory |
From Jamestown to James Brown: African-American History and Culture | AMER20141 | 20 | Optional |
The American Civil War | AMER21001 | 20 | Optional |
The Conquering Hero: The Life, Times and Legacy of Alexander The Great | CAHE20041 | 20 | Optional |
The Roman Empire 31BC - AD313 Rome's Golden Age | CAHE20051 | 20 | Optional |
Greco-Roman Society and Technology | CAHE20261 | 20 | Optional |
Roman Women in 22 Objects | CAHE20532 | 20 | Optional |
The First Cities: The Archaeology of Urbanism in the Near East | CAHE20912 | 20 | Optional |
From Sites to Statues: Understanding Heritage in a time of Culture Wars | CAHE24602 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
Develop your chosen specialism in either Archaeology or History or bridge the two disciplines through your dissertation: an extended independent research project.
Continue to select from a breadth of optional course units in both disciplines.
Course units for year 3
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
American Hauntings | AMER30811 | 20 | Optional |
Intensive Greek 1 | CAHE20151 | 20 | Optional |
Introduction to Egyptian Hieroglyphs | CAHE20162 | 20 | Optional |
Intensive Latin 1 | CAHE20171 | 20 | Optional |
Classics, Ancient History, Archaeology and Egyptology Dissertation | CAHE30000 | 40 | Optional |
Through Cicero's Eyes | CAHE30031 | 20 | Optional |
Advanced Latin Language 1 | CAHE30111 | 20 | Optional |
Advanced Greek Language 1 | CAHE30121 | 20 | Optional |
Intensive Greek 2 | CAHE30162 | 20 | Optional |
Intensive Latin 2 | CAHE30182 | 20 | Optional |
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Facilities
Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum is home to important prehistoric, classical and ethnographic collections.
You'll go behind the scenes to handle, analyse and interpret rare artefacts, including one of the finest Egyptology collections in Britain.
Our ongoing collaboration between the museum and the global work of archaeology staff offers unique opportunities for students to get involved in the design of major exhibitions.
Whitworth Art Gallery
The Whitworth Art Gallery holds important archaeological textile collections, and art and sculpture on themes such as landscape as part of its broader internationally significant collections.
The Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology
The Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology is home to a film library with some 1,500 titles, from classic ethnographic film to contemporary documentary and world cinema.
Archaeological laboratories
You'll learn within our archaeological labs, where you'll use microscopes, digital cameras, delicate measuring equipment and portable XRF to analyse and record objects. You can also access training in digital illustration and GIS packages to support this activity and loan landscape survey and geophysics equipment for fieldwork. Our labs are supported by a dedicated technician who can offer training and assistance.
Field survey equipment
Equipment to support your studies includes three total stations and a traverse kit, a sub metre GPS survey system, a drone and professional photography equipment. Several of our lab-based resources can also be used in the field, including our PXRF instrument, ProScope and 3D scanner.
Find out more on the facilities page.
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
Study History at Manchester and you will come away with a degree that is well-regarded by employers for the outstanding analysis and critical thinking skills you will develop.
A degree in Archaeology will also equip you with the ability to effectively communicate ideas and demonstrate an intricate understanding of different cultures and societies, leading to a career in wide range of industries.
The University of Manchester is the second most targeted university in the UK for top graduate employers (High Fliers Research, 2021).
Our graduates enjoy success in a wide range of careers, reflecting the high regard in which employers hold a History degree from Manchester, including the BBC - with whom we have well-established links - as well as KPMG, Deloitte, Marks and Spencer, Aviva, Accenture and Barclays. Typical professions for History graduates include:
- teaching and academia
- heritage and museums
- the Civil Service
- policy and thinktanks
- creative industries
- media and journalism
- marketing and public relations
- law and accountancy
- finance
- NGOs
Many of our graduates go on to undertake further study such as master's and PhD degrees, PGCEs or law conversion courses before taking up their careers.