Master of Arts in Material Culture and Experimental Archaeology

at University of York United Kingdom

Engage with heritage conservation in a broad interdisciplinary context and develop a unique mix of practice-based and theoretical learning for your professional work or further research in the conservation sector.

You'll learn essential disciplinary knowledge and advanced scholarship techniques with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in sustainable building conservation practice. You will engage with practical and professional issues in a series of focused skills modules from an exciting range of related disciplines and develop your own experience in practice, whilst benefiting from the knowledge of our experienced practitioners.

A voluntary work placement in a conservation organisation in the York region will enhance and focus your practice-based experience and you will develop your research skills in an original, independently conducted research project.  

Established in 1972 and drawing on our wide range of department expertise, the MA Conservation Studies is particularly suitable if you are interested in a broader interdisciplinary approach to conservation such as cultural heritage management, digital heritage, landscapes, period-based or international conservation work.

Theoretical physics provides the tools for constructing the mathematical framework of the physical world.

On a foundation of advanced physics, you'll build your understanding of theoretical techniques. You'll use mathematical analysis and an array of computational methods to address complex problems. You'll learn key skills of analysis and research, write scientific reports to industry standards, and simulate huge physical systems using our supercomputers.

Work with world-renowned physicists using sophisticated equipment to probe the nature of existence and push the boundaries of research. You will learn to utilise supercomputers like York's own Viking cluster, developing parallel code to model complex physical systems."

Gain unique global experiences spending a year at one of our partner universities. Boost your confidence by immersing yourself in a different culture and gain valuable language skills for your CV.

Through a combination of academic studies, practical training and research projects, you will learn the specialised skills required for the historical research, visual analysis and archaeological recording and interpretation of buildings. You'll gain a foundational knowledge of the history of architecture in the UK, from c.1000 to the present day. The course will allow you to explore current intellectual and professional research priorities in the archaeology of buildings and introduce you to conservation legislation, policy and practice. You'll leave with excellent research and communication skills relating to the research, analysis and interpretation of historic buildings.

The course brings together experts in buildings survey and recording, archive research, legislation and policy, conservation, theoretical interpretation and computer modelling to deliver a dynamic course, which will equip you with the specialist skills and knowledge required for a career in researching, managing, interpreting and conserving historic buildings. Specifically, you will gain valuable experience in archive research, photogrammetry and other 3D recording methods, CAD drawing, and computer modelling of historic buildings.

You'll be taught in Italian from the start, so you'll become confident using Italian as a means of communication, and for critical thinking. You'll gain an understanding of Italian culture and society which will underpin your abilities as a high-level communicator.

Your communication skills and intercultural understanding will be complemented by studying linguistics. In studying linguistics you will learn the science behind how we communicate. You’ll engage with the study of language on a conceptual level as well as the detailed level of raw linguistic data. The course has flexibility in terms of how much Italian and linguistics content you study. Your knowledge and understanding of how a language works, and how we communicate, will give you a solid foundation for many careers. Our department is one of the highest-ranked centres for research in linguistics in the UK, and the strength and diversity of our research is reflected in our teaching.

The challenge of creating long-term value while embracing environmental, social and economic/ financial risks and opportunities.

Meeting this challenge requires a fresh mindset and a toolkit of professional and research-inspired knowledge and skills.  This specialist Masters will equip you with essential theoretical and evidential foundations and help you to develop relevant practical and professional skills from which you can build or accelerate a career in the field of corporate sustainability.  

This course is designed for those with a broad interest in education. It's ideal for both education professionals looking to improve their practice and recent graduates looking to enter the field.

If you see yourself as a current or future teacher, lecturer, trainer, researcher, educational administrator or a policy maker, then this masters is for you.

Our BA History of Art will give you three distinctive and complementary years of studying the history of art and architecture.

You'll start with a year-long introduction to the history of art and then build on this, in years two and three, with rounded training in the discipline and practice of art history. The interdisciplinary nature of art history allows you to develop your existing skills and interests and is reflected in our close relationship with other departments and centres in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

We'll introduce you to an extraordinary variety of art and architecture from many areas, including Europe the Americas, but also covering the Middle East, North Africa, and East, South and South East Asia. You can also study an exciting range of time periods, from the late antique to the contemporary.

History of Art is a traditional humanities subject with a strong vocational element, allowing you to develop valuable transferable skills. We have partnerships with the Tate, the National Gallery, the V&A and York Museums Trust. We also work on art beyond the museum and gallery system, including with partners in country houses, maritime museums, and churches. These partnerships contribute to the teaching and research in our department and you'll benefit from our collaborative links with these institutions.

This course will enable you to engage effectively and critically with the theoretical and empirical dimensions of global social policy development. It offers a combination of taught coursework and a supervised dissertation. So you'll have the opportunity to develop detailed knowledge of social policy in a global context. Through your own guided research project you will explore aspects of social policy in which you have a particular interest.

This MA is especially suitable for:

• Prospective social policy analysts and researchers with an interest in global and/or international social and public policy
• Professionals working on social policy in international organisations and development agencies, global advocacy agencies and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
• Graduates from social policy, politics, sociology or international studies degrees who want to hone their undergraduate studies in a more focused area of study
• Potential PhD students who want to develop their theoretical and empirical skills in this area.

Schools and other educational organisations play a crucial role in our global network. This course will give you an understanding of the central role education has in forging more tolerant and inclusive societies by encouraging young people to become informed, socially-connected, ethical and engaged global citizens.

If you are a current or future teacher, researcher or a policy maker who wants to understand more about education and contemporary society then this is the course for you.

Our integrated Masters in Biotechnology and Microbiology examines how microorganisms can be used to produce improved therapeutic drugs, and why an understanding of microbial evolution is important for controlling pathogens.

This course is ideal if you want an interdisciplinary approach to Biotechnology and Microbiology. You will have a wide range of options to tailor the course to your developing interests.

Microorganisms are an important but often overlooked form of life. They are causative agents of many diseases, but can also be harnessed to produce a wide range of useful products including antibiotics and other medicines. Microbes are vital for providing multiple ecosystem services and are crucial for agricultural systems, whether via the microbes in the soil, those associated with plants, or in the context of providing the basis for our understanding of genetic modification. They can be used to produce biofuels, provide the means to decontaminate polluted environments and act as important models for understanding biological processes. At York, you will learn about the practical application of biological knowledge to economically important areas, such as health, food and the environment.

The integrated Masters course introduces a four-year programme that specifically focuses on the skills needed for a career as a research scientist. During this time you work with researchers within one of the UK’s top bioscience departments to learn specialised techniques; you will gain experience in a research lab doing pioneering work at the forefront of their field. You also undertake specialist research training and take Masters-level modules.