Course Essentials
Congratulations on obtaining a place on the Archaeology course at Canterbury Christ Church University! Over the next three years, you will go on a 3-million-year journey, from early prehistory through to the present day. On the way you will develop skills and knowledge in archaeological method, theory, and practice.
Dr Jay Ingate
Course Director
Key dates
Academic Calendar: Semesters
View key dates for this Academic Calendar for 2025-26 including when teaching starts and finishes and when you break for holidays.
Welcome
We look forward to welcoming you to our Archaeology Programme in September, and we have a number of activities planned for Welcome Week to help you get to know the academic team and your fellow students. We will introduce you to your timetable, Blackboard (our online repository of learning resources for your modules) and take you on a tour of the campus, our facilities (including the new laboratories), and some of the incredible historic sites that surround us. We are a friendly and social community and we always end the first week with a trip to the pub - we hope that you’ll be able to join us! In Welcome Week you will also meet your Personal Academic Tutor who will support you one-to-one throughout your studies. Until then, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
Getting started
We encourage you to see what our staff and students have been up to over the summer on TikTok, Twitter and Facebook where we will be posting on our various fieldwork and research projects. Kent is a county steeped in history and heritage, so why not come for a visit over the summer? We particularly recommend Dover Castle, Richborough Roman Fort, the beautiful Reculver on the north Kent coast, and of course Canterbury Cathedral and St Augustine’s Abbey. Archaeology is a deeply immersive subject and it’s never too early to explore what our county has to offer!
We do not expect you to complete any preparatory work before you arrive. However, if you want to get started with some reading over the summer, please see our recommendations below.
Your welcome and induction will be w/c 16 September 2024 - we look forward to meeting you then!
Pre-course reading
You will take three modules per semester while at Canterbury Christ Church University. In your first semester, those will be Introduction to Archaeology, Archaeological Skills, and Civilisations of the Ancient World. If you want to prepare for your archaeology studies by reading over the summer, we recommend any of these introductory books:
- Greene, K. and Moore, T. (2010) Archaeology: An Introduction. Routledge.
- Hunter, J. and Ralston, I. (eds) (2009) The Archaeology of Britain. Routledge.
- Renfrew, C. and Bahn, P. (2020) Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice. Thames and Hudson.
We also recommend having a look at the following websites for new discoveries, stories and events in the world of archaeology:
It is useful to note that the University Bookshop offers 10% discount on most titles in print and have some price-beating book bundles. They also price match Amazon on core texts recommended in the module handbooks you will receive when you start in September.
International student success programme
International students: don't miss out! Make sure you register for our international student success programme which provides practical advice on preparing to live and study in the UK.