Master's Programme in Environmental Archaeology, 120 Credits

Entry Requirements

A bachelors degree or equivalent within archaeology, environmental archaeology, Quaternary geology, physical geography or comparable major, or equivalent. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English A/5. Where the language of instruction is Swedish, applicants must prove proficiency in Swedish to the level required for basic eligibility for higher studies.

Degree

Degree of Mster or Arts. The degree is issued in environmental archaeology.

Description of the education for current education cycle

Description of the study programme at the current level
Chapter 1 , Section 9 of the Higher Education Act:
Advanced university education shall essentially build upon the knowledge students have acquired during their basic university education or on equivalent knowledge.
Advanced university education shall further develop the students’ knowledge, skills and abilities acquired at the basic university education level and shall also:
- further develop the students’ ability to independently integrate and use knowledge,
- develop the students’ ability to handle complex phenomena, problems and situations, and
- develop students’ abilities for professional activity which make great demands on independence, or for research and development work

National goals for current degree

Knowledge and understanding
To be granted a Master’s degree, the student must:
Page 2 (8)
- exhibit knowledge and understanding within the main field of study, including a broad
knowledge of the area and significantly advanced knowledge within certain parts of the area of
study as well as in-depth insight into current research and development work, and
- exhibit deeper methodological knowledge of the main field of study for the education.

Proficiency and aptitude
To be granted a Master’s degree, the student must:
- exhibit the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and to analyse, evaluate
and deal with complex phenomena, issues and situations even when limited information is
available,
- exhibit the ability to critically, independently and creatively identify and formulate questions,
to plan and with adequate methods carry out qualified tasks within given time frames and
thereby contribute to the development of knowledge and to evaluate this work,
- exhibit the ability to account clearly for and discuss conclusions and the knowledge and
arguments that form the basis of these in dialogue form with different groups in both a national
and international context, verbally and in writing, and
- exhibit such skills that are required to participate in research and development work or to work
independently in other qualified areas

Ability to assess and approach
To be granted a Master’s degree, the student must
- within the main field of study for the education, exhibit the ability to make assessments by
taking into consideration relevant scientific, societal and ethical aspects and exhibit an
awareness of ethical aspects with regard to research and development work,
- exhibit insight as to the opportunities and the limitations that science has, its role in society
and man’s responsibility as to how it is used, and
- exhibit the ability to identify the need for further knowledge and to assume responsibility for
the development of personal knowledge.

Local goals for current degree

To be granted a Master’s Degree in Environmental Archaeology at Umeå University, in addition to the National goals the student must:

Knowledge and understanding
- have a sound knowledge of theories, sources and methods relevant to environmental archaeology.
- be able to relate environmental archaeological scientific method to other scientific traditions.
- be able to place environmental archaeological research in its historical context.

Proficiency and aptitude
- be able to manage, analyze and critically review large and diverse sources.
- have demonstrated the ability to make oral, graphical and written presentations of their own and others' research orientated towards a variety of audiences.
- be able to integrate scientific and humanistic approaches in a project to increase one's effectiveness as a contract archaeologist or scientist
- be able to actively participate in current debates on environmental archaeology in archaeological research and consultancy.
- be able to critically appraise popular beliefs about the past, with particular focus on past environmental and climatic change.

Ability to assess and approach
- have demonstrated source critical thinking.
- have demonstrated the ability to define and solve problems as well as an interdisciplinary approach towards environmental archaeology.
- have a working knowledge of relevant current research.

Examination format

Details of examination procedures and forms can be found in the individual course curricula.

Grades

Grades are awarded for each course and if applicable are assessed also for parts of a course. Grading takes place when all examinations and all compulsory elements, for example laboratory experiments, project reports and written assignments have been approved. Unless otherwise specified in the course syllabus, the grades Pass or Pass with Credit are awarded. If you have already achieved a Pass grade, it is not permitted to resit an examination to acquire a higher grade.

Transfer of Credits

Academic credit transfer of a course
The student has the right of assessment to find out whether a previous education or activity can be accepted in the form of an academic credit transfer. For further information, see the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 6, Sections 6-8 and student information website http://www.umu.se/english/education/student-handbook.
A negative decision regarding academic credit transfer is possible to appeal against to the Higher Education Appeals Board. A negative decision must also be motivated in writing.

General

The program is relevant for those wishing to:
- build a career in environmental archaeology, palaeoecology, Quaternary geology or other similar scientific subjects where a knowledge and understanding of past environments, climates and human activities is of use.
- complement previous training with a strong skills set for excavation, analysis, interpretation and presentation of archaeological and environmental archaeological data.
- learn transferable skills applicable to a wide variety of lab based, quantitative and qualitative methods.

Core courses
Students aiming to acquire a Magister degree may do so after year 1, where an independent project/dissertation (15 credits) will count as the Magister dissertation.
The Master's degree qualification requires a total of at least 30 credits of project or dissertation/thesis work. Students are required to take 15 credits of advanced method studies (specialist path, see below) before undertaking a 30 credit specialist thesis.
Teaching consists mainly of tutorials, seminars and exercises.

Elective courses
These courses are taught by the Department of philosophical and religious studies. For a description of available courses see the department's website http://www.idesam.umu.se/utbildning/.

Optional courses
Students may read up to 30 credits of optional courses within the framework of the programme. These courses may be taken at either Umeå University or other universities, and can be used to tailor the student's education as to their interests or requirements. Work placement and internships may also be counted towards optional course points, but must be arranged by the students themselves.

Degree structure
The Masters degree programme is highly problem-solution oriented with an emphasis on the learning of transferable skills, through their application in environmental archaeology, that can be used in a professional or research career.
The degree can be read in its entirety in English.
In year 1 students follow four core courses (60 credits), including a project/dissertation (15 credits) that may be used as part of a Magister qualification.
In year 2, students follow a 30 credit core course (independent work) and then select one of two paths that either allow them to go deeper into a particular set of methods (15 credits) and choose optional/elective courses (15 credits); or choose 30 credits of optional/elective courses. Students may choose to take an internship amounting to up to the respective limit of optional/elective courses (15 or 30 credits). The student is expected to be actively involved in the planning of and search for a suitable internship position.

Program outline
Semester 1
Environmental Archaeology, field and laboratory methods - 15 credits
Module 1. Field methods in environmental archaeology
Introduction to field methods in environmental archaeology
Basic concepts: sampling strategy, problem definition, multi-proxy analysis, project planning, communicating environmental archaeological ideas with archaeologists, an interdisciplinary approach, source criticism
Field work and group work
Module 2. Laboratory methods
Introduction to lab work in environmental archaeology
Basic concepts: taphonomy, taxonomy, species identification, analysis techniques, microscope work, microscope photography, the use of reference collections and keys, databases, lab routines, safety in lab environments, an interdisciplinary approach
Method development & evaluation
Own laboratory work, presentation and assignment

Environmental Archaeology, theories and methods – advanced studies - 15 credits
Philosophy of science, scientific method
Interdisciplinarity
Basic statistics
Climate and environmental change
Environmental archaeology in archaeological research and consultancy
Societal relevance

Semester 2
Presenting Environmental Archaeology - 7.5 credits
Environmental Archaeological research results will be used as study material in order to teach students to:
Write reports and scientific texts
Manage and present quantitative data and results
Plan, design and carry out digital presentations (PowerPoint)
Produce a poster for a conference/workshop
Actively participate and get more out of seminars
Evaluate and review the work of others

GIS for Environmental Archaeology and Archaeology - 7.5 credits
Basic concepts, project design, problem solving with GIS, surveying
Spatial and chronological data management, geodatabases, mapping, interpolation, analysis, interpretation
Visualization and presentation of spatial and chronological data

Project/dissertation - 15 credits

Advanced method studies: specialization or generalization (e.g. specialization in the analysis of plant macrofossils or fossil insects; a detailed study of fundamental theories and methods in environmental archaeology or combinations of methods)
Individual lab work
Essay/report

Semester 3

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Semester 4
Note: the 3rd semester specialist path or equivalent is required before admission to this semester.
Independent work/Thesis – 30 credits
Lab work, literature studies, analyses
Thesis or equivalent

Degree project/Independent project
For a Masters Degree students must have completed the equivalent of an independent project (degree project/thesis) of at least 30 credits in their main field of study. This work may comprise of less than 30 credits, but no less than 15 credits, if the student has already completed an advanced level independent project of at least 15 credits in the main field of study (or equivalent).

Deferment of studies

Deferral of commencement of study may be granted if there are special reasons for doing so: Examples of special reasons include illness, military service, pregnancy, care of children or other nursing responsibilities etc. Your application should be sent in writing to Student Services http://www.studentcentrum.umu.se/.
A negative decision on deferral of commencement of study may be appealed to the Higher Education Appeals Board.

Approved leave from studies

Students who leave the study programme must notify the programme study guidance officer of the interruption of studies.

Discontinuation

A negative decision on being allowed to resume studies after a break in study may be appealed to the Higher Education Appeals Board.

Other

In order to continue on to year 2, students must have completed at least 30 programme credits by the start of the first year 2 term.