how would i go about becoming an archeologist?

Question

im 18 and i have 2 years before i graduate from gymnasium. what are some good universities in the EU or the US? what kind of grades do i need? how long does it take?

its my dream job and i would like to specialize in the history and evolution of tools, maybe even replicating and studying the uses of artifacts found on archeological sites.

any advice and help would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

I was a student of archeology, so I know something about the subject - basically, most good Universities have archeology/anthropology programs that are worth-while; getting in would require the same good SAT scores and grades as for getting in the college in general.

It sounds like your specific interest is in paleo-archeology. Be mindful of arguments within the discipline that could mark you (wittingly or unwittingly) as a follower of one particular school of thought - archaeologists can be a very, very petty lot and who who studied under and with can directly impact your ability to find a position later in your career.

In terms of how long it takes, figure 4 years for a B.A., 2 for an M.A. and 5-6 for a Ph.D. (it can take longer depending on your ability/resources to do fieldwork, which is required for almost any archeology Ph.D. program). You can't really expect to find any positions in the field until you have a Ph.D., and even then they can be few and far between.

Good luck - I saw a lot of potential archaeologists (myself included) burn out or get sick of it all (especially the in-fighting in the field and the cost of fieldwork), so you really have to have a true passion for the work and lots of money (and/or a willingness to be very poor for 10+ years) to become something.

Answer 2

You can look on www.ucas.com for universities in England. I think UCL (university college london) is the only place in london that does a (3 year) archeology course. Most would be three years (or four part time).
Ucas works on a point scheme and you can find the tariffs on their site.
N.b. UCL takes a LOT of points to get in.

Answer 3

hi, I did the direction that Mavis describes, undergraduate degree in archaeology the place I went on a uni fieldschool and realised I enjoyed to dig. saved digging as much as i ought to in the time of summers and by using my professor and senior human beings I met interior the sphere I have been given an possibility to examine some artefacts for a masters degree. This became right into a PhD and that i now instruct slightly for the comparable college and help run container college interior the summertime, on a similar time as attempting to positioned up as much as i will and prepare for each interest/investment possibility there is (artwork is extremely, very scarce in simple terms now). There are different techniques although, a lot of my previous uni acquaintances now artwork in advertisement archaeology, the place you're hired by means of a unit who're decreased in length to excavate many times by means of shape companies. The artwork varies, yet interior the united kingdom pay is undesirable and an excellent sort of companies are reluctant to offer everlasting contracts. with a bit of luck however the time you end uni the interest difficulty might have picked up. supply it a attempt and bypass on a container college interior the summertime. in case you confirm you do not like it you may constantly substitute your degree after first 12 months (i began doing anthropology and altered to on the instant archaeology). better of excellent fortune! hi returned, maximum universitis have archaeology team that run container faculties, the place they take scholars on their examine initiatives. You do many times could pay yet there is likewise many times a supply to cover return and forth and lodging costs. it would count on what college you bypass to as to what container faculties are obtainable, whether maximum will additionally take scholars from different universities. I do recommend container faculties that are run by means of school team, as there you're sure to overview excavation suggestions, recording, positioned up excavation and different artwork in touch. particularly circumstances, on inner maximum excavations you're little greater advantageous than a bucket monkey, and could learn little or no besides pushing a wheelbarrow. Vindolanda at Hadrian's Wall do have opportunities for diggers (I did it myself as an undergrad), that's fantastically stable, much less high priced and maximum universities will settle for that challenge as a powerful one. to illustrate, I went to Edinburgh, the place there have been container faculties in Cyprus, Italy, Romania and Scotland obtainable.