Undergraduate
Archaeology
Contact us
Address
Student Central
The University of Western Australia (M355), 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, Western Australia 6009
Telephone
131 UWA (131 892)
International
(+61 8) 6488 1000
Hours
Frequently asked questions
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Careers and further study
This course opens up a world of future study pathways and career options.
Career Pathways
Archaeology graduates use their skills in a wide variety of workplaces including Aboriginal corporations, government heritage agencies (state and commonwealth), heritage consulting firms, museums, resource industry advisors, universities.
Further Study
Honours is the minimum qualification required to call yourself an archaeologist. At UWA we have honours, masters, and PhD programs in Archaeology. Throughout your studies, you can undertake independent vocational training using the Arts Practicum.
Fees and scholarships
Domestic Student Fees
Eligible Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) students can use the HECS-HELP loan program to pay their tuition fees. For Full-Fee Paying (FFP) places, students are charged an annual course fee.
Find out more information about tuition fees, or visit the fee calculator for a more accurate cost.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
International Student Fees
Find out more about tuition fees or visit the fee calculator for the estimated total course fee.
Note, tuition fees are reviewed annually and are subject to increase up to 7.5 per cent per annum.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available to students from a diverse range of backgrounds, including academic achievement, financial need, educational disadvantage, leadership and community service, artistic or sporting achievements, and being from a rural or remote area.
Cost of living
Admission requirements
The University of Western Australia welcomes applications from international and domestic school-leavers. If you’re interested in studying this major, find out the admission details below.
Minimum entry requirements
- 3.6
- 75.5
- 254
- 324
- 14.5
- 280
- 61
- 1130
- 56
- 75
Admission requirements
English competency
English is the language of instruction and assessment at UWA and you will need to meet the English language requirements of the University to be eligible for a place.
Minimum overall IELTS score of 6.5, with no band less than 6.0.
How to apply
Ready for the next step?
Find out how to apply through our simple online application process.
We'll guide you through our entry requirements, admission pathways available to you and application deadlines for your chosen course.
We can’t wait for you to join us!
Course details
About the course
Quick details
- Available
- Perth (Crawley campus)
- Full-time
- Part-time
- On-campus
- February, July
- 12 hours per unit which includes contact hours, personal study and examinations
- Undergraduate
- MJD-ARCGY
- 3 years (BA); 4 years (BPhil [Hons])
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Geographical Sciences 
Classics and Ancient History Uncovering the past - recent news
Uncovering the past - recent news
UWA archaeologists working with the Murujuga Land and Sea Unit Rangers recently found an engraved depiction of a single-masted sailing ship in a petroglyph site in the Dampier Archipelago. This discovery sheds light on early European encounters in the Pilbara. Meanwhile, UWA’s Professor Alistair Paterson is the Chief Investigator on the ARC Linkage Project ‘Shipwrecks of the Roaring 40s: A maritime archaeological reassessment of some of Australia’s earliest shipwrecks’, which won the 2019 Museums and Galleries National Award for research for Partner Organisation WA Museum.
Other projects such as the ‘Kimberley Visions: rock art style provinces of North Australia', find documents and manage new archaeological sites in partnership with Aboriginal, government and funding agencies.
Put theory into practice
Current UWA students are eligible to take one of our professional experience units. These units bridge the gap between university and the workplace by providing opportunities to gain hands-on, practical experience. You can master new skills, make connections and network, get a taste of the opportunities in the workforce and add experience to your resume, all before graduating.
Find out more about Work Integrated Learning.
Course Structure
Our undergraduate degrees offer you a broad range of options allowing you to combine subjects in a way that matches your career goals and personal interests.
Popular combinations
You'll learn to
- demonstrate essential cognitive and social skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, ethical conduct and working in groups
- display essential practical skills such as OHS practices, understanding legislation and ethics, and working with diverse stakeholders
- display discipline specific skills for archaeological fieldwork and lab-work
- build a professional network with leading experts in archaeology and heritage
Unearthing secrets from the past
Treasure hunters, find out why archaeology at UWA is worth discovering.
Work integrated learning
We enjoy productive partnerships with, among others, Fremantle Prison, UNESCO World Heritage Site, the National Trust, Rio Tinto, and the WA Museum. These partnerships play a vital role in delivering the transferable skills to our students.
Zane Blunt
Zane Blunt
Zane first discovered his passion for archaeology by watching Indiana Jones movies as a kid. It wasn't until much later that he realised what he had fallen in love with was, in fact, the study of archaeology.
"I had originally set out to become a history teacher when I started my undergrad and only took anthropology because it seemed interesting. I remember doing the readings for the very first unit, 'Introduction to Archaeology', and having a 'light bulb' moment of 'this is it, this is the thing I have been searching for'. I had always loved archaeology but I didn't know what it was or that it was something that could become a career."
As part of his honours project, Zane has travelled to the Dampier Archipelago to investigate how people responded to sea-level rise in that area over 10,000 years ago.
"The great thing about archaeology is that it combines so many of the sciences into a cohesive way of understanding past human behaviours."
For his honours project, Zane tested for plant fibres and blood on artefacts with techniques borrowed from biology and examined the elemental makeup of stone tools using specialist geology hardware and techniques.
"Working with the archaeology department here at UWA has changed my life. We are so lucky to have some of the best archaeologists in the world here, and they have been nothing but supportive and encouraging throughout my degree."
"Archaeology isn't just about understanding the past. Archaeologists also work closely with Traditional Owners to help preserve and document some of the oldest and richest cultural practices and materials on Earth, and to help the stories of Australia's Indigenous people be heard."
Interested in Archaeology Honours? Visit, handbooks.uwa.edu.au/undergraduate/honoursdetails?code=HON-ARCGY
Student Exchange & Study Abroad
Your degree options
This major is offered as a degree-specific, or first, major for these degrees. It is also offered as a second major in our other bachelor's degrees.
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Philosophy
Why study this course?
- Work with industry, government, Indigenous groups and the broader community to better understand the past and create sustainable heritage futures
- Gain a comprehensive range of transferable skills that give you a competitive advantage in the job market
- Participate in internationally recognised, research-led, hands-on training in global and Australian archaeology, with access to the internationally recognised Centre for Rock Art Research and Management and Centre for Forensic Anthropology
- Gain practical skills through labs and field schools labs and field schools, including specialist training in environmental archaeological sciences not widely offered in Australia
Patrick Morrison
Patrick Morrison
Patrick Morrison, Bachelor of Science’18, Bachelor of Arts (Hons) ’19 (Archaeology)
Assistant Curator, Western Australian Museum
"I started studying straight after high school in 2016. My undergraduate majors were in Neuroscience and Archaeology, and in 2019 I completed an Honours in Archaeology.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time at UWA, and have especially fond memories of travelling for both archaeological field trips and debating competitions. I studied neuroscience after falling in love with it during the Brain Bee at high school, organised by Jenny Rodger at UWA.
My second major became archaeology after a very interesting first year class with Sven Ouzman, where I ended up sourcing and firing my own clay tablet for an assignment. I was lucky enough to get a job at the Museum straight after graduation.
I have remained connected to UWA since then, especially as I finish publishing work that I completed during my Honours year."
Hear about our major
Why take a second major
- Expand your skills - Taking a second major either in a complementary area or in something like Economics or Business Law will show you have developed transferable skills such as, teamwork, critical thinking, digital literacy and presentation skills – which are highly sought after in the workforce.
- Add it to your resume – Employers are looking for graduates who have skills in a variety of areas. Two majors will expand your career prospects and help you stand out amongst the crowd.
Meet our students
