History and Archaeology

History 

History as a subject area focuses on understanding the past through texts, images, objects and interviews. At Chester, our History course will inspire you to explore local, national and international history from AD 400 to the present, while thinking critically about themes such as: 

• Race and ethnicity
• Gender
• Class
• Trade
• Empire, imperialism and colonialism
• Conflict  

Our single honours History course will take you through medieval to modern history on a local and global scale. You’ll engage with topics like politics and justice, war and conflict, and social change, plus how history is communicated through the heritage sector and the digital world. 

Archaeology 

Archaeology as a subject area, in comparison to History, focuses more on physical evidence from the past, such as: 

• Artefacts
• Buildings
• Landscapes
• Environmental remains 

Our single honours Archaeology course focuses on the tactile remainders of our past and equips you with the skills to discover how we can unearth previously unknown practices and traditions through the objects left by our predecessors. At Chester, we balance the practical aspects of archaeology, such as fieldwork and laboratory analysis, with teaching that spans much of the human past and a broad geographic scope.   

History and Archaeology Combined Honours 

Our combined Archaeology and History degree will provide you with the experience to explore the human past from two angles at once. These are namely what people wrote and recorded, and what they left behind in the ground (and in the landscape).    

At Chester, this course is designed to blend academic depth with hands on learning, embracing the diversity of where we can gain knowledge of the past from written and physical resources. The course focuses on the multifaceted struggles, innovations, and cultures of people from different times where you will be asked to uncover the physical and theoretical traces of the past that will connect you to human stories that might otherwise be forgotten.  

Find the perfect course for you and read more about them on our course pages:  

Archaeology

History

Archaeology and History

The choice is entirely dependent on what you want from your degree and course experience. 

A single-subject degree will allow you to focus more deeply on that subject and may be the best choice for you if you already know you are more interested in one subject.  

A combined degree is a great option if you want a broader understanding of both subject areas and it allows you to develop skills and knowledge from both disciplines.  

We would always advise you to speak with one of our academics if you’re feeling unsure about your decision. You can either email our course leaders directly (their details can be found on our course pages) or visit us at one of our Open Days!

As an Archaeology student at Chester, you will look at how people lived, worked, travelled, believed and interacted with the world around them through the physical reminders they left behind. 

Your investigation into what we can learn from the past will be facilitated by: 

• Field work on excavations
• Scientific studies of archaeological materials
• Visiting heritage sites
• Laboratory analysis
• Engaging with modern debates about how the past is interpreted and presented
• Artefact analysis
• Field trips 

Practical experiences in this degree will scaffold your approach to theoretical academic pieces of work. You may not expect it, but the Archaeology degree at Chester is a multi-disciplinary subject area that interweaves methods used in both the arts and sciences. You will learn to collect, analyse and interpret data of your findings using a suite of analytical techniques, as well learning to think critically, evaluating different sources of evidence and drawing conclusions from them. You will have opportunities to work on excavations, carry out scientific studies of archaeological materials, visit heritage sites to reflect on the way the past is presented, and discuss and debate different interpretations of the past in seminars and tutorials.

You’ll collaborate with peers on real, exciting history and heritage projects, with placements, field trips and study abroad opportunities. You’ll consider what history is for, how it’s communicated by academic historians, public historians, and through the heritage sector, and how the digital world is changing our engagement with the past. 

You’ll have the opportunity to work as a professional historian and produce material for public consumption. Our students have worked directly with history and heritage organisations, ranging from BBC History Magazine to the National Trust, to produce walking tours, historic pamphlets, websites and apps, and public exhibitions, and enhance their CV and employability prospects. 

You’ll learn in the classroom, online, on field trips and through links with local organisations. You’ll also develop and enhance skills valued by employers, including digital skills, critical thinking, oral and written communication, self-motivation and teamwork. You’ll work with original material from local, national and international archives, providing opportunities for outstanding work.

Our History and Archaeology courses offer you unique opportunities like the opportunity to study a language as part of your studies, as well as an embedding of careers experience into your learning.  

Language Module

In your first and second year of university, you have the choice of choosing a language as an optional module and this will count towards your entire degree. You can learn as a beginner or as an experienced language user in either:  

• French
• Spanish
• German 

Learning a language alongside your degree enhances your understanding of other cultures and shows that you are a graduate with a global mindset. For History and Archaeology specifically, having linguistic skills in your back pocket is fantastic to harness when working with sources from that area of the world. Using your understanding of another language can help you gain an extra layer of depth to your historic and archaeological academic enquiries as you would have gained an extra cultural framework for pieces of history by working in their original language.   

Careers Experience

As part of both our History and Archaeology courses, we have an Experiential Learning module completely dedicated to providing you with vitally important skills for your future career.  

Archaeology - Professional Practice in Archaeology

You will gain experience of working as a professional archaeologist and will participate in an archaeological fieldwork project on this module. Working under the guidance of professional archaeologists, you will learn to identify evidence in the field, record it effectively and present it to a non-specialist audience in a clear and effective manner. You will also undertake practical training in key skills such as excavation techniques, sediment recording, artefact identification and handling, as well as survey, drawing and photography. By taking part in a research excavation, you will also have made new discoveries and contributed to our understanding of the past. 

History - Curious Chester

Curious Chester will ask you to work to an external, real-world brief to research the underrepresented past of Chester, its region, or other regions, and produce a professional public history resource. You will work with internal and external partners, which may include Chester Heritage Festival, Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, the Grosvenor Museum, Chester Cathedral, the University of Chester PGCE in Secondary History, and others. You will be given a brief to fulfil a real-world need identified by these partners and you will pursue an independent project to produce a public history resource, such as a learning resource, a digital catalogue, a transcription, a monument contextualisation, an exhibition design, a social media campaign, amongst many other possibilities. 

The Archaeology and History courses are delivered through a series of core modules that bring together the perspectives that each discipline provides to the study of the human past and its relevance to the world we live in today. The History course also includes options focused on period specific case studies during all three years of the course. As well as lectures and seminars, these modules employ applied teaching and learning methods, that can include laboratory work, fieldtrips, artefact analysis, computer workshops, and the option to undertake archaeological fieldwork, delivered in person by members of staff. There are no online classes, though additional digital content may be made available to complement the taught component of the course. This method of teaching builds confidence and a sense of community, and together with career support, which is embedded in modules at all levels, equips you with a suite of skills that are highly sought after by employers and relevant regardless of your intended career path. 

We see assessment as serving a dual role, acting both to assess your learning and to help you develop your capacity to think creatively and critically, and develop qualitative and quantitative skills. For this reason, we use a wide range of assessment methods, including essays, review articles, technical reports, podcasts, audio-visual presentations and museum displays. Many of our assessment methods replicate the sorts of tasks that you would encounter in a professional environment, helping to prepare you for graduate level employment.  

For our Archaeology course, you will have access to an on-site lab and will be able to engage with artefacts in the Anna Sutton Annex, along with access to the Cheshire archives and state-of-the-art digital technology.  

With both courses, you will be set within the uniquely historic environment of Chester, where our exciting courses offer you an exploration of the past and a gateway to your future. Check out our blogs from history lecturers pointing out their favourite places in our wonderful city: 

Two Towers – Our Lecturers Share the Lesser-known History of Chester

Military Machinations – Our Lecturers Share the Lesser-known History of Chester

Both our History and Archaeology degrees have a local and global focus in terms of the scope you will be asked to investigate.  

Archaeology

Archaeology specifically focuses on a geographic scope that includes Northwest Europe, the Baltic, Russia and Siberia, and continental North America. You will look at Britain within its wider European context, broadening your knowledge of the human past to the neighbouring regions of the continent, and allowing you to study the complex relationships between them. 

You will also gain a sound understanding of the principal themes in global archaeology, how we study them, and their relevance to today’s world. Key aspects of theory you will cover will be: 

• the philosophical significance of archaeological findings,
• the different theoretical approaches we take to the study of mortuary archaeology,
• and a detailed understanding of the current theoretical and practical issues in archaeological heritage and public archaeology.   

History

Our curriculum spans medieval to modern history, on both local and global scales. You’ll explore social, cultural and political histories through a variety of engaging topics, such as the Vikings, Witchcraft, the Holocaust and the American Civil Rights Movement. Along the way, you’ll consider what history is for, how it’s communicated through the heritage sector, and how the digital world is changing our engagement with the past. 

We will transform your perception of what History is and how we make History. You will become a historian that is equipped to redefine History and who is trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research. 

Our students usually spend around 8–10 hours per week in timetabled classes, with around 25–30 hours of independent study outside class. This may include set reading, research for coursework, preparing presentations or podcasts, and working on collaborative projects.

History 

Our History Course will supply you with a range of invaluable transferable skills, including some that are particular to the study of History itself and explain why History graduates are highly sought after in the workplace. 

Research Skills 

• Problem solving – observing a problem and thinking through how to approach it through appropriate reading and data
• Literature reviewing – compiling and prioritising a list of the resources relevant to any topic
• Data gathering – identifying the key data sources necessary to evaluating the literature and the problem
• Resource handling – keeping working lists, copies, and notes from the literature and data sources 

Analytical Skills 

• Conceptual framing – choosing the appropriate concepts through which to think about the problem
• Methodological approach – selecting the most suitable methods by which to analyse the data
• Information sifting – extracting key items from the data
• Evaluating – assessing the relative significance of trends in the data 

Communication Skills 

• Introducing – capturing attention, setting out the key issues, and showing their significance
• Reviewing – critically engaging with the existing explanations or discussions
• Structuring – setting out a case in logical order
• Demonstrating – presenting the evidence to support a case
• Writing – tailoring your prose to the type of communication 

Organisational Skills 

• Motivational skills – self-direction, discipline, determination, and persistence 
• Time management – planning, diary keeping, prioritisation, attendance, deadline meeting 
• Resource management – digital literacy, file generation and storage 

Interpersonal Skills 

• Communication – approaching through the appropriate medium and in a respectful manner 
• Presentation – arriving, dressing, and behaving appropriately for the situation 
• Interaction – conversing effectively with peers, superiors or clients 
• Collaboration – cooperating with peers, superiors or clients on a project 

Historical Skills 

• Authenticating – determining if evidence is genuine or forged 
• Ordering – organising information chronologically and spatially 
• Relating – connecting information and thinking about correlation and causation 
• Comparing – considering what is or is not comparable and what this tells us 
• Determining consequence – identifying and explaining continuity and change 

History and Archaeology offer a rich number of opportunities for you to pursue after you graduate.  

Archaeology 

A wide range of career paths are open to graduates with archaeology degrees. Archaeology is a thriving industry, and some graduates go on to work as professional archaeologists, undertaking excavations ahead of major construction and development projects, or as consultants providing advice to developers. Others work in the heritage sector, helping to curate and present the past to wider audiences. However, many use the skills they have learnt to develop careers in other sectors, such as the civil service, primary and secondary school education, accountancy, the police force and armed forces, or set up their own businesses. 

History 

History graduates from Chester have pursued a wide range of careers reflecting the excellent transferable skills offered by a History degree, including, amongst many others, careers in teaching, law, the civil service, publishing, business, IT and research.  

Further Study 

Both areas of study provide a fantastic basis for further research and study in a postgraduate course. Master’s you can pursue at Chester are:

MA Public Archaeology 

MRes Archaeology 

MA Death and Memory 

MA History 

MRes History 

MSc Museums and Heritage Practice