Archaeology/Economic & Social History

Archaeology and economic and social history might seem like separate disciplines, but they share a fundamental question: how did people in the past organise their lives, their communities, and their economies, and what traces did they leave behind? Archaeology recovers those traces through excavation, survey, and the analysis of objects, sites, monuments, and landscapes. Economic and social history interprets the structures of past societies through documentary sources, quantitative data, and theoretical frameworks.

Studied together, the two disciplines offer an unusually rich set of tools for understanding how human experience has been shaped across time.

The University of Glasgow offers this combined degree on a part-time basis, which suits students who need to fit their studies around work or other commitments. The programme includes a year abroad option, giving you the opportunity to spend time at a partner institution and broaden both your academic experience and your personal perspective. You will develop skills in fieldwork and material analysis alongside training in historical method, source criticism, and the interpretation of economic and demographic data.

The combination encourages you to move between close reading of objects and landscapes on the one hand, and the wider patterns of social change on the other, developing a distinctive and flexible approach to the past.

Graduates of programmes in archaeology and history pursue a wide range of careers. Within the heritage and cultural sector, roles include archaeologist, heritage manager, museum curator, archivist, and historic environment consultant. The research and analytical skills developed through the degree are also valued in policy, journalism, education, the civil service, and the voluntary sector.

Postgraduate study in archaeology, history, heritage management, or related fields is a natural progression for those who wish to specialise or move into academic research.