Archaeological essay

Department of historical studies

The course is given within the international master program Master's programme in Archaeological Sciences

Admission to the course requires a Bachelor's degree with Archaeology as the main field of study and 30 credits of completed second-cycle course requirements in the same main field of study. The second-cycle course requirements shall include the course (or courses with equivalent content): AE 2071, Archaeological Theory and Method in the Archaeological Text (15hp). The remaining space to reach a total of 30 credits at the second-cycle level in Archaeology is freely chosen by the student.

The course consists of a small number of lectures dealing with different aspects of the theme archaeological scientific text writing. The student works parallel with these lectures with an independent written thesis, which is supervised by the teacher. This work is presented within the framework of a seminar. Within the framework of the course includes various pedagogical forms such as lectures, seminars and text production.

After completing the course, students are expected to be able to:

Knowledge and understanding 

give an in-depth account of, and have a critical understanding and insight into, an independently chosen field of archaeological study, as well as its theories and methods, and their historical background

Competence and skills

have developed their study skills individually through a major independent written work

orally argue through an opposition of another student's written work and defend their own at a seminar

acquire, assimilate and critically handle large amounts of theoretical and methodological information, and process, analyse, interpret, and present this in writing within given time frames

Judgement and approach

critically evaluate, analyse, and relate to the theories and methods of the chosen field of archaeological study and their contemporary political dimensions, and demonstrate the ability to identify their need for further knowledge and to take responsibility for their knowledge development

A small number of lectures and tutorials.

The course is examined by means of the independent written work and its presentation at a seminar. The independent written work is assessed by an external (not supervisor) examiner. If a student who has been failed twice for the same examination element wishes to change examiner before the next examination session, such a request is to be granted unless there are specific reasons to the contrary (Chapter 6 Section 22 HF).

If a student has received a certificate of disability study support from the University of Gothenburg with a recommendation of adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment, an examiner may decide, if this is consistent with the course’s intended learning outcomes and provided that no unreasonable resources would be needed, to grant the student adapted examination and/or adapted forms of assessment.

If a course has been discontinued or undergone major changes, the student must be offered at least two examination sessions in addition to ordinary examination sessions. These sessions are to be spread over a period of at least one year but no more than two years after the course has been discontinued/changed. The same applies to placement and internship (VFU) except that this is restricted to only one further examination session.

If a student has been notified that they fulfil the requirements for being a student at Riksidrottsuniversitetet (RIU student), to combine elite sports activities with studies, the examiner is entitled to decide on adaptation of examinations if this is done in accordance with the Local rules regarding RIU students at the University of Gothenburg.

The course has a 6-point grading scale:
A Excellent, B Very Good, C Good, D Satisfactory, E Sufficient, F Fail

At the end of the course, students are given the opportunity to complete a course evaluation. The results of and possible changes to the course will be shared with students who participated in the evaluation and students who are starting the course.