Archaeology/Film & Television Studies

Archaeology and film and television studies is a pairing that brings together two quite different ways of recovering and representing the past and the present. Archaeology examines how people in the past interacted with their world through the detailed study of their objects, sites, monuments, and landscapes, building knowledge from physical evidence that often extends far beyond what written sources can tell us. Film and television studies examines the moving image as a cultural form, analysing how stories are told, how realities are constructed on screen, and how historical and contemporary subjects are mediated for audiences.

At Glasgow, both disciplines are studied with academic rigour within a university that has particular strengths in humanities and social science research. The archaeology strand will develop your skills in field methods, artefact analysis, and the theoretical frameworks used to interpret the material past. The film and television strand will build your capacity for textual analysis, knowledge of film history and theory, and understanding of the industries and institutions that produce screen content.

The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution in a different country. It runs over four years full-time, with a typical entry tariff of 200 points.

Graduates of archaeology and film and television studies programmes have a distinctive skill set that suits careers in the heritage and screen sectors simultaneously. Roles in documentary production, archive and film research, museum media work, historical consultancy for film and television, and public engagement with the past are all natural directions. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in archaeology, film studies, or media, while others move into education, journalism, and the cultural sector.