Archaeology
Explore your curiosity
Archaeology, ancient history and anthropology encompass the study of humanity from our origins to the present. The Department has a strong offering of part-time learning opportunities in these subjects, offering students the chance for progression from a short course through to a part-time graduate degree programme.
Short courses for adult learners
Explore a new topic or revisit a favourite subject over the course of a few days, a few weeks or a term. Our short courses run in person or online, with some offered in both formats – so you can choose the study option best for you.
Many of our short courses, including short online courses (live and flexible), weekly classes in Oxford, and some summer schools, can be studied for credit, which means they can count towards a recognised qualification such as our Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education.
Oxford qualifications and professional development
Upcoming courses
Online - flexible • Short courses
What are Greek myths? Who told them and why? How can we interpret them? Why are they still so powerful? How much history do they contain? This course will explore these fascinating tales from the past and attempt to make sense of them.
- Mon 08 Sep 2025 – 21 Nov 2025
Online - flexible • Short courses
An introduction to various aspects of the intriguing history, vibrant culture and fascinating personalities of Ancient Rome and its enemies during its decline and fall (or transformation) in the last two centuries of the Empire in the West.
- Mon 08 Sep 2025 – 21 Nov 2025
Online - flexible • Short courses
From royal pyramids, court artisans and powerful pharaohs, to grandiose temples, mysterious gods and foreign invasions, participants will experience the world of ancient Egypt, its highs and lows, and the rich tapestry of its culture.
- Wed 10 Sep 2025 – 21 Nov 2025
Online - flexible • Short courses
Social anthropology is the study of how humans give meaning to the world through different social norms, values, practices and means of organisation. This course provides an exciting and dynamic introduction to the world of social anthropology.
- Wed 10 Sep 2025 – 21 Nov 2025
Online - flexible • Short courses
How can we begin to understand the spiritual lives of prehistoric people? When do religious ideologies first appear on the human evolutionary timescale? Using both anthropology and archaeological evidence these and many other questions are examined.
- Mon 15 Sep 2025 – 28 Nov 2025
Online - live • Short courses
In World Archaeology we explore the emergence of past societies in multiple regions of the Earth. Some are mysterious and lost in the mists of time, while others underpin cultures that exist in our world today.
- Mon 15 Sep 2025 – 24 Nov 2025
- 10 meetings
- 4:00 – 5:00pm
Award courses and related programmes
Cultural heritage training
Expert CPD tuition for those with a keen interest, professional or personal, in archaeology, historic buildings and cultural heritage.Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education
A flexible, part-time route to an Oxford University qualification. Gain credit from flexible short online courses, weekly classes, and the Oxford University Summer School for Adults. Explore a wide range of subjects in this multidisciplinary programme.Undergraduate Certificate in Archaeology
An introductory part-time undergraduate course for adults with little or no previous experience of academic archaeology. Taught at first-year undergraduate level, this two-year course introduces ideas, approaches, sites and methods.Undergraduate Diploma in British Archaeology
Gain a grounding in British archaeology with this two-year part-time undergraduate course, taught at second-year university level. Modules available: Early Prehistoric; Later Prehistoric and Roman; and Anglo-Saxon, Viking and Medieval.Advanced Diploma in British Archaeology
This one-year part-time advanced diploma consists of a taught module on one of three periods of British archaeology and includes a 10,000-word dissertation. The course is taught at third-year undergraduate level.MSc in Applied Landscape Archaeology
The MSc in Applied Landscape Archaeology is a part-time modular course over two years.DPhil in Archaeology
The part-time DPhil programme was first offered in Archaeology in 2003 with several successful DPhil completions now having taken place.