Please note that there are three complementary pathways at Diploma level. These can be studied independently of each other, and in any order. Diploma I includes units on osteoarchaeology and palaeopathology, prehistoric archaeology, and historic or classical archaeology. Diploma III offers a practical, hands-on qualification, enabling you to develop specialist skills as an archaeologist, preparing you to practise in the field.
What will I be studying?
The course is taught through three termly units, each with its own topic. The evening sessions take place on Wednesdays.
Watch a short video in which course director Dr Gilly Carr explains more about what the course involves.
Term 1: Interpretation: history and theory of archaeology
How can we think about a past we no longer perceive? Do artefacts hold the key to understanding human social behaviour and world history? This unit explores the different traditions and development of archaeological thought, from the history and development of the discipline to the various approaches to interpreting archaeological data. The unit is designed to help students capture the feeling of discovery and debate that characterises the field.
Wednesday 7 October 2015 - Wednesday 16 December 2015
Term 2: Conflict archaeology: case studies from 20th-century Europe
Conflict archaeology is a fast-growing sub-discipline of the field which, typically, investigates twentieth-century conflict and involves the interpretation which considers the experience of living through conflict and how this shapes the archaeological record in specific ways. This unit will explore many aspects of this period including war memorials and memorialisation, trench art, excavation of WW1 trenches, the archaeology of military occupation, POW archaeology, and Holocaust archaeology.
Wednesday 13 January 2016 - Wednesday 16 March 2016
Term 3: Museums and heritage
Heritage is about the past in the present - what survives, what is valued, and what is selected to be preserved. This unit aims to introduce students to recent heritage debates regarding heritage 'actors', institutions, illicit antiquities, the politics of the past, access conservation, value, interpretation, commodification, the destruction and reconstruction of heritage, Dark Heritage, intangible heritage and the ownership of the past.
Wednesday 13 April - Wednesday 29 June 2016
How will I be taught and assessed?
The course is taught through a combination of illustrated lectures, seminars, fieldtrips, practical sessions and discussion. You will learn how to present and support evidence both through speaking and writing. You will also have access to online support through our virtual learning environment, which will accelerate your learning and enhance your experience of the course.
Visit the ICE Online introductory website to find out more about our online support.
All students are expected to take an active part in the course and submit work showing evidence of learning. In particular, you will be expected to:
- attend at least two-thirds of the classes and any fieldtrips and day-schools
- participate actively in class work
- undertake reading and assignments set by the tutors
- access resources and submit assignments through ICE Online, the Institute’s virtual learning environment.
Entry requirements
The course is designed for students who have completed the Certificate in Archaeology or who have appropriate knowledge, experience and enthusiasm in this field.
Please be aware that as the course is taught at university level, you should be able to read, write and speak English fluently. If English is not your first language, you will need to send us evidence of your competence in the English language when you apply for a place
ICE English language requirements
Fees
The fee for the course is £1,800 for the year and you can pay in one of two ways:
- in full on enrolment (by cheque payable to the University of Cambridge or by credit or debit card)
- in three instalments (credit/debit card only): the first on enrolment, the second by 1 November 2015 and the third by 1 February 2016.
How to apply
Online application is recommended and you will find the link to the online application form at the top of this page.
If you are offered a place on the course, we will ask you to complete your booking within a limited time and to pay the fees (£1,800) or if paying by instalments, the first instalment of fees, to secure your place.
Applications for this course can be received until midday (12 noon) on the 7 September 2015.
What is the status of this qualification?
The course is taught and awarded at second-year undergraduate level (FHEQ 5) and offers 60 credits within the Higher Education Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS). This is equivalent to half of the second year of full-time undergraduate study.
What can I go on to do?
You can either complete a second 60-credit Diploma in Archaeology to claim a 120-credit Diploma of Higher Education in Archaeology or progress to the Advanced Diploma in Archaeology offered by the Institute.
Credit awarded by the Institute may also be transferred into the degree programmes of other higher education providers. However the amount of credit and the curriculum which can be transferred into degree programmes varies from institution to institution and are always at the discretion of the receiving institution.
What our students say
“The lessons are always interesting and exciting: the lecturers are so enthusiastic that the lessons seem to be over too quickly. The quality of teaching is really good. I feel that I am being encouraged to think for myself.” (Bess Sayers, Certificate and Diploma in Archaeology 2010-12)
Read more about Bess's experience
Find out more
Full course details, including the course specification, will be available soon.
If you would like an informal discussion on academic matters before making your application, please contact the Course Director, Dr Gillian Carr: gcc20@cam.ac.uk
For all other enquiries, please contact the Academic Programme Manager, Linda Fisher: ug-awards@ice.cam.ac.uk or + 44 (0)1223 746218 / 746227.
