History and Archaeology

History and archaeology together provide two of the most powerful methods available for understanding the human past. History works primarily through written records, using documents, letters, accounts and chronicles to reconstruct events, social conditions and the lives of individuals and communities across the centuries. Archaeology complements this by studying the physical traces of past human activity, from the structures people built and the objects they made to the landscapes they shaped and the bodies they left behind.

Where written records are silent, incomplete or biased, material evidence can speak, and the combination of the two disciplines gives you access to a much richer picture of the past than either provides alone.

At the University of the Highlands and Islands, this part-time programme is designed for flexibility, allowing you to study history and archaeology at a pace that suits your circumstances. You will develop skills in historical research and argument alongside the methods of archaeological fieldwork, survey, excavation, material culture analysis and environmental reconstruction. The Highlands and Islands setting is particularly significant for both disciplines: the region contains some of the most extraordinary prehistoric, Norse, Gaelic and post-medieval sites in Britain, and studying here gives you direct contact with landscapes and communities that are themselves historical and archaeological subjects.

Graduates of history and archaeology programmes go on to careers in heritage and museum work, archaeological fieldwork and contracting, conservation and historic environment management, archival and library roles, education, tourism, journalism and research. The analytical, research and writing skills developed transfer widely across professional contexts. Further study at master's or doctoral level in archaeology, history, heritage management or a related field is available for those who want to pursue academic or specialist professional paths, and the Highlands and Islands setting provides distinctive opportunities for research into a remarkable range of material and historical evidence.