© University of Reading 2006 www.reading.ac.uk

Will an Archaeology degree give me a broad enough education?

Misconceptions of Archaeology

• There are many misconceptions about the employability of an Archaeology graduate:– That an Archaeology graduate can only work as a

field archaeologist – That an Archaeology degree is only a vocational

education – That an Archaeology graduate learns a narrower

range of transferable skills than graduates in History and related subjects

• These can be quickly dispelled…

Student employability profiles

• Published by the Higher Education Academy (2nd revised edition, May 2007)

• Co-authored by:– The Higher Education Academy– The Council for Industry and Higher Education– Graduate Prospects

• The profiles identify the skills that can be developed through the study of each discipline…

Transferable skills

• The following two slides include the transferable skills and abilities that will typically be acquired by a graduate in Archaeology, Ancient History/Classics, and History

• Equivalent and/or very similar transferable skills across the disciplines are presented in the same rows for ease of comparison

Archaeology Ancient History/ Classics

History

Select and apply appropriate and statistical numerical techniques

Extract key elements from data and identify and solve associated problems

Analyse and solve problems

Marshall and critically appraise other peoples’ arguments; Be able to critically evaluate one’s own and others’ opinions

Engage in analytical, evaluative and lateral thinking and to marshal arguments

Marshal an argument, be self-disciplined and independent intellectually

Produce logical and structured arguments supported by evidence

Exercise reflection and critical judgement;Gather, memorise, organise and deploy information

Gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information

Communicate effectively both orally, visually and in writing to diverse audiences

Present material orally and in writing

Express themselves orally and in writing with coherence, clarity and fluency

Archaeology Ancient History/ Classics

History

Use IT, information retrieval and presentation skills effectively in a variety of graphical media

Apply modern foreign language skills and basic IT skills

Use effectively ICT, information retrieval and presentation skills

Execute research, working independently

Demonstrate autonomy manifested in self-direction, self-discipline and intellectual initiative

Exercise self-discipline, self-directions and initiative

Collaborate effectively in a team

Work with others, work under pressure and meet deadlines

Work with others and have respect for others’ reasoned views; Work collaboratively and participate effectively in group discussions

Be sensitive to different cultures and deal with unfamiliar situations

Understand a range of viewpoints and critical approaches

Show empathy and imaginative insight

Compare & Contrast…

• All three subjects broadly share the vast majority of the transferable skills which their graduates acquire…

• In other words: there is no need to think “If I study for an Archaeology degree I can only become an Archaeologist” any more than there is, quite rightly, no need to think “If I study for a History degree I can only become a Historian…”

The multiple disciplines ofArchaeology

• Archaeology has a long association with multiple disciplines in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences

• As a result archaeological teaching and learning is highly multi-disciplinary

• The diverse range of skills acquired through an Archaeology degree therefore facilitates graduates entering a diverse range of careers outside of the subject

Vocational skills in Archaeology

• An Archaeology degree does of course also provide a range of specialist and vocational skills:– Practising fieldwork and laboratory techniques– Appreciating the importance of recovering primary data

through practical experience– Critically applying methodologies for quantifying, analysing and

interpreting primary data– Interpreting spatial data, and integrating theoretical models,

the traces surviving in present-day landscapes, and excavation data

– Understanding the concepts and application of scientific methods used in collecting, analysing, and interpreting archaeological data

Beyond field archaeology

• And if you do choose to study Archaeology as a vocational training degree, there are a wide range of career options within the subject…

• Beyond the various fieldwork jobs (e.g. excavation, supervision, project management, finds specialisms, surveying, remote sensing) there are also archaeology-focused careers in:– Research– Heritage management (local government and ‘national’

organisations such as English Heritage)– Museums (curation and education)– Conservation

The following pages include examples of the careerpaths taken by recent Reading Archaeology

graduates, both outside and within the subject

Recent Graduate Profiles I

• Ann-Marie Bonwick (formerly Collier):– Studied BA Archaeology, now working as PA to the Mayor of

Wokingham

• Jodi Davidson:– Studied BA Archaeology, followed by a PGCE (teacher training),

and is now a Primary School teacher specialising in the teaching of French

• Tim Ivil:– Tim studied BA Archaeology and then found employment

working for the Metropolitan Police Service in New Scotland Yard

Recent Graduate Profiles II

• Marie Hayward:– Marie studied BA Archaeology & History, and is now working in

the Press Office of the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich

• Luke Bonwick:– Studied BA Archaeology, and is now working as a Heritage

Consultant specialising in the recording of mills and historic buildings

• Virgil Yendell:– Studied BA Archaeology, now employed as a Geoarchaeologist

with the Museum of London Archaeological Service

Recent Graduate Profiles III

• Jenni Thurstan:– Studied BA Archaeology and is now working as an

archaeologist for Oxford Archaeology

• Rob Fry:– Studied BA Archaeology, then worked for the British School

at Rome for 1 year prior to returning to a research post at Reading

• Chris King:– Studied BA Archaeology, followed by further academic

studies, and is now employed as a Lecturer at Leicester University