MA in Landscape, Archaeology and Heritage

Please note: This programme is under review and will not be available in the next academic year.  Please email Acting MA Director Maggie Ronayne (maggie.ronayne@universityofgalway.ie) for the most up to date information on alternative MA pathways and other postgraduate options in Archaeology at the University of Galway

Building on the success of the MA in Landscape Archaeology, from September 2022 the Department of Archaeology at NUI Galway will be offering a revised MA in Landscape, Archaeology and Heritage.

As the title suggests, revisions to the programme acknowledge the maturation of landscape studies per se, and the convergence of archaeology, landscape and heritage in professional practice and in line with the emergence of culture and cultural heritage as the fourth pillar of sustainable development goals.

Archaeology has made a significant contribution to literature on the subject, and the unique skillset that we bring to the analysis of the material and historical dimensions of landscapes earns it central place in the programme. Our focus, nevertheless, is on training for an increasingly multi- and trans-disciplinary graduate employment market.

A distinguishing strength of the discipline at NUI Galway is in the arena of Public Archaeology. The programme draws on the discipline’s track-record on supporting communities in the realisation of the social, educational and economic potential of their local heritage.

All three disciplines—Archaeology, Landscape and Heritage—are interdisciplinary by nature and are populated with multiple actors and stakeholders which, in addition to regulatory bodies and NGOs, in Ireland include national bodies such as the National Archives; National Folklore Collection; Ordnance Survey Ireland; National Monuments Service; Heritage Council; Transport Infrastructure Ireland. Through a combination of site visits and guest lectures, students learn about the roles of these institutions and how and when to draw on their resources.

In this programme we also examine relevant national, European and UN legislation, and how the obligations they impose on signatory parties shape professional practice. The principle of shared stewardship is central to current heritage theory and practice and through this and other prisms, the programme looks at contemporary landscapes and the challenge of managing change and achieving sustainability in the face of development and environmental impact. The current programme also considers World Heritage Sites where, clearly, archaeology is only ever part of the mix of attributes and values.

The programme mixes diverse learning modalities: • classroom • site visits, • place-based learning • learning online.

This is a 1-year 90 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) programme. The taught component makes up 50 ects, and the dissertation accounts for the remaining 40 ects.

For further information contact Conor Newman at conor.newman@nuigalway.ie .