Death and Memory MA

How and why have the dead been treated and commemorated so differently from prehistory through to the present day? Our MA in Death and Memory is a chronologically broad course that explores the complex history of death and memory, from the treatment of the body in the earliest hunter-gatherer societies to thinking about how people dealt with the dead in twentieth-century conflict. At the heart of the course, therefore, are the complex interactions between the living and the deceased seen in cemeteries, memorials and funerary cultures.

Our course is an exciting, cross-period, postgraduate degree with global application. It will allow you to examine and gain advanced expertise in the study of death, burial and commemoration in the human past, shedding light on the debates and concerns of our present day. 

The course draws on our research expertise in archaeology and history but is unusually cross-disciplinary. You will explore debates that connect to research themes shared across the humanities and social sciences, including studies of ritual, the body, material culture, memory and mortality. Consequently, this degree will interest those with first degrees in archaeology or history, as well as those with backgrounds in other disciplines.

The MA Death and Memory draws upon our shared research expertise in the history and archaeology of death and memory to deliver a truly interdisciplinary approach to the study of Death and Memory in the past. It is a chronologically broad course that explores the complex history of death and memory, providing students with a foundation of knowledge and skills that are applicable to both past and contemporary practices of memorialisation, remembrance, representation and the curation of the dead.

The taught course runs across three terms with the fourth (summer) term dedicated fully to the research dissertation.

MODULES

• Advanced Research Skills: This module examines the skills and methodologies required for advanced archaeological, historical and heritage research. You will gain the opportunity to explore a range of skills and to build on your existing knowledge and expertise, including how to identify relevant resources, how to appraise and critique research publications, and how to construct and analyse historical and archaeological evidence. This module therefore lays the groundwork for larger research projects, such as the dissertation. Through this module, you can engage with the practicalities of undertaking research in the archive and the field, considering varying approaches to active and proactive research. You will learn how to work with historical and archaeological practitioners, organisations and digital resources, honing your craft with cutting-edge research methods and practice.   
• Critical Perspectives on the Past: Why and how does the past matter? Why and how do academic researchers tackle the human journey and its significance in today's world? Spanning the disciplines of history, heritage studies and archaeology, this module provides an advanced-level introduction and engagement with current theoretical and applied debates on the meaning of the human past and its significance in today's world. These modules provide a firm academic foundation for research in your specialist topic modules and the research dissertation, as well as giving you an opportunity to collaborate with students on our other MA pathways in History and Archaeology.
• Death & Memory: Key Themes: Mortality binds past and present, but how do we interrogate the deep-time story of death and memory in human societies from prehistory to the present day? This module comprises an advanced survey and assessment of theory and method in the study of death, burial and commemoration; drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives and the application of archaeological and historical themes. We will invite you to explore current debates and approaches in the archaeology and history of death using global and European case studies. Interdisciplinary debates in the material culture of death explored by anthropology, sociology and history will be addressed and the public education, ethics and politics of the history and archaeology of death will also be tackled.
• The Body: Past Perspectives: This module explores the role of the body in death rituals and in constructing memories and identities across cultures. It will introduce you to how the body as a concept is historically and culturally contingent and how anthropological and theoretical approaches inform and enrich our studies of death and memory in past societies. This will be explored using case studies from world, European and British history and archaeology, investigating the body’s handling, representation, adornment and transformation as well as bodily interactions with materials, architectures and landscapes. It will draw upon archaeological, historical and anthropological sources and data, examining how the body can be the locus for the study of topics such as emotion and the senses, embodiment and corporeality, health and disease, disability, gender, ethnicity and sexuality.
  
• Professional Project: This module offers experiential learning opportunities in the form of bespoke placements, or experiential or research projects that are embedded in professional practice. Projects allow you to develop applied skills in public archaeology, history, museums and heritage through a closely defined piece of work. There is considerable flexibility in the design and scope of these professional projects, but they may include digital work, placements or research projects undertaken either internally or externally. Each project will enable you to understand the demand, design, purposes, commissioning and delivery of specialist research and practice across the heritage and public engagement sectors. Archaeology, History, Heritage and Museum Studies all place a high value on research project work and the communication of that work to the public.  The skills and capacity to carry out and present subject research according to required professional formats, accessibly and concisely for a range of audiences is an essential skill of the researcher. Demonstrating desk-based, collection-based, heritage or public engagement research expertise is also a key aspect of professional practice. Projects will be arranged to reflect your interests and, according to your pathway of study, may reflect on: 
  • Curation and collections management 
  • Material culture studies or archives 
  • Museums and heritage learning and public engagement 
  • Digital research or development 
  • Educational resources 
  • Relationships between archaeology and the public 
  • Archaeological, museums or heritage research practices, such as display 
  • Sector research and strategy  
• Historic Landscapes and Digital Worlds: This module interrogates specialist approaches to a shared endeavour of history, archaeology and heritage studies: to tell the story and to critique the stories we tell, about past worlds. In the 21st century, this now encapsulates a host of digital and virtual environments, as well as more traditional engagements with tangible spaces and places. Material culture studies and social memory are pivotal concepts in this innovative field, allowing us to explore how people create the past through their engagements with physical as well as digital environments. We facilitate tackling these critical approaches outside of traditional subject-specific silos, through this module you will engage with interdisciplinary and specialist frameworks to enhance your chosen Master’s pathway. Here, you will have the opportunity to work with dedicated members of staff to explore topics in-depth and to develop your skills as a professional in your particular field. The module allows you to explore a wide range of chronological and geographic landscapes and environments, virtual or physical, through one of two critical lenses, either:
  • Tangible pasts: exploring landscape, material culture and memory in the past and present (incorporating archaeological, historical and heritage theory, method and practice) 
  • Digital pasts: evaluating and utilising digital and virtual environments for public history, heritage and public archaeology. 
• Research Dissertation: Each student researches and writes a 12,000-word dissertation on a historical, archaeological, museum or heritage-related topic of their choosing. The topic and title are negotiated between the student and the supervising tutor. The research dissertation is based upon guided, but largely independent, research and upon substantial use of a range of primary source materials. The dissertation module includes taught elements on dissertation prep and design and one-to-one individual supervision.

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

The principal methods of delivery will be a mixture of lectures, seminars, and individual tutorials.

You will be assessed through course work, written portfolios and finally a dissertation in your fourth term.

This will be a 12,000-word dissertation on a historical, archaeological, museums or heritage-related topic of their choosing.

Job Prospects

Students may go on to find meaningful employment in the industry or pursue a research degree. Destinations include heritage organisations, museums, and the civil service or education sectors. 

Careers service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.