Undergraduate
Archaeology
Contact us
Address
Student Central
The University of Western Australia(M355) 35 Stirling Highway Perth Western Australia 6009
Telephone
(+61 8) 6488 3939
International
1800 653 050
Hours
Frequently asked questions
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Careers and further study
This major opens up a world of future study pathways and career options.
Career Pathways
Career Opportunities
Conservation Officer
Archaeologist
Curator - Gallery or Museum
Further Study
Fees and scholarships
Learn more about the fees that apply to you for this major. For fee type definitions and further assistance, see the Fee Calculator Help page. You can also search our database for scholarships that are relevant to you or your desired course.
Undergraduate – Commonwealth supported students
Annual course fees are calculated based on a standard annual study load of 48 credit points. Except for graduate certificates which are half the annual study load or 24 points.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
Undergraduate – onshore students
Annual course fees are calculated based on a standard annual study load of 48 credit points. Except for graduate certificates which are half the annual study load or 24 points.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
Admission requirements
The University of Western Australia welcomes applications from international and domestic school-leavers, mature-age applicants and those with previous tertiary study. If you’re interested in studying this major, find out the admission details below.
Minimum entry requirements
- 8
- 525
- 3.3
- 27
- 8
- 66
- 60
- 270
- 75
- 80
- 320
Admission requirements
English competency
How to apply
Ready to apply for this major? Follow the steps and you’ll be on your way to joining us at UWA.
Course details
About the course
Quick details
- Available 2020/2021
- Perth (Crawley campus)
- Full-time
- Part-time
- On-campus
- Semester 1, Semester 2
- Variable depending on your unit choices and level of study
- Undergraduate
- MJD-ARCGY
- 3 years (BA); 4 years (BPhil [Hons])
You may also be interested in these courses
Indigenous Knowledge History and Heritage 
Philosophy 
Geographical Sciences Uncovering the past - recent news
Uncovering the past - recent news
UWA archaeologists working with the Murujuga Land and Sea Unit Rangers recently found an engraved depiction of a single-masted sailing ship in a petroglyph site in the Dampier Archipelago. This discovery sheds light on early European encounters in the Pilbara. Meanwhile, UWA’s Professor Alistair Paterson is the Chief Investigator on the ARC Linkage Project ‘Shipwrecks of the Roaring 40s: A maritime archaeological reassessment of some of Australia’s earliest shipwrecks’, which won the 2019 Museums and Galleries National Award for research for Partner Organisation WA Museum.
Other projects such as the ‘Kimberley Visions: rock art style provinces of North Australia', find documents and manage new archaeological sites in partnership with Aboriginal, government and funding agencies.
Put theory into practice
Current UWA students are eligible to take one of our professional experience units. These units bridge the gap between university and the workplace by providing opportunities to gain hands-on, practical experience. You can master new skills, make connections and network, get a taste of the opportunities in the workforce and add experience to your resume, all before graduating.
Find out more about Work Integrated Learning.
Course Structure
Our undergraduate degrees offer you a broad range of options allowing you to combine subjects in a way that matches your career goals and personal interests.
Popular combinations
You'll learn to
- demonstrate essential cognitive and social skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, ethical conduct and working in groups
- display essential practical skills such as OHS practices, understanding legislation, fieldwork and lab-work skills, and working with diverse stakeholders
Zane Blunt
Zane Blunt
Zane first discovered his passion for archaeology by watching Indiana Jones movies as a kid. It wasn't until much later that he realised what he had fallen in love with was, in fact, the study of archaeology.
"I had originally set out to become a history teacher when I started my undergrad and only took anthropology because it seemed interesting. I remember doing the readings for the very first unit, 'Introduction to Archaeology', and having a 'light bulb' moment of 'this is it, this is the thing I have been searching for'. I had always loved archaeology but I didn't know what it was or that it was something that could become a career."
As part of his honours project, Zane has travelled to the Dampier Archipelago to investigate how people responded to sea-level rise in that area over 10,000 years ago.
"The great thing about archaeology is that it combines so many of the sciences into a cohesive way of understanding past human behaviours."
For his honours project, Zane tested for plant fibres and blood on artefacts with techniques borrowed from biology and examined the elemental makeup of stone tools using specialist geology hardware and techniques.
"Working with the archaeology department here at UWA has changed my life. We are so lucky to have some of the best archaeologists in the world here, and they have been nothing but supportive and encouraging throughout my degree."
"Archaeology isn't just about understanding the past. Archaeologists also work closely with Traditional Owners to help preserve and document some of the oldest and richest cultural practices and materials on Earth, and to help the stories of Australia's Indigenous people be heard."
Interested in Archaeology Honours? Visit, handbooks.uwa.edu.au/undergraduate/honoursdetails?code=HON-ARCGY
Student Exchange & Study Abroad
Your degree options
This major is offered as a degree-specific, or first, major for these degrees. It is also offered as a second major in our other bachelor's degrees.
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)
Why study this course?
- Gain a comprehensive range of transferable skills that give you a competitive advantage in the job market.
- Work with industry, government, Indigenous groups and the broader community to better understand the past and create sustainable heritage futures
- Participate in internationally recognised, research-led, hands-on training in global and Australian archaeology, with access to the internationally recognised Centre for Rock Art Research and Management and Centre for Forensic Anthropology
- Gain practical skills through labs and field schools
Why take a second major
- Expand your skills - Taking a second major either in a complementary area or in something like Economics or Business Law will show you have developed transferable skills such as, teamwork, critical thinking, digital literacy and presentation skills – which are highly sought after in the workforce.
- Add it to your resume – Employers are looking for graduates who have skills in a variety of areas. Two majors will expand your career prospects and help you stand out amongst the crowd.
School of Social Sciences
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