Archaeology, Certificate

The archaeology certificate is designed to help students to develop the knowledge and practical skills needed to analyze archaeological materials and to participate in archaeological field research. Students who complete the certificate, along with a B.A. or B.S. degree from UWMadison, improve their competitiveness in graduate school applications and are qualified for entry-level employment opportunities in archaeology. In addition to providing a strong intellectual foundation in archaeology and hands-on experience in fieldwork, the certificate provides an interdisciplinary link to courses in three or more departments, exposing students to diverse approaches to the study of our global human heritage.

Ancient history is a puzzle made up of innumerable fragmentspieces of bone, pottery, stone, and metal; remnants of architecture and monuments; residues of food; and traces of other things. Archaeology is the field of study that provides the tools to discover these fragments and piece them together to reconstruct a picture of the ancient world and to illuminate the stories of past peoples. An accurate understanding of the past is critical for developing a better present and future.

Through their participation in the archaeology certificate program, students gain an appreciation of the diversity of human societies and a fuller understanding of the cultural processes that have resulted in the way that we live today. Students explore the origins of subsistence strategies, trade, technology, belief systems, and conflict that are relevant to understanding the human condition in our modern world.

For further information about the archaeology certificate, including a list of core faculty, please see theDepartment of Anthropology website.

1. acquire specialized training in archaeological research, which may include: obtaining basic knowledge of and skills in observational methods and recording of information for a variety of lines of archaeological evidence, putting these abilities into practice in the classroom and outside of the classroom, developing research questions and the analytical skills necessary to address them, strengthening archaeological interpretations through critical thinking and reference to empirical evidence, gaining experience in considering a problem, synthesizing information from disparate sources, and evaluating contrasting arguments, being able to distinguish between empirical research and speculation, communicating archaeological findings through written and oral expression.
2. obtain comparative global knowledge of archaeology, material culture, and the evolution of people’s relationships with the physical world.
3. become aware of the ethical practice of archaeology and heritage preservation.
4. synthesize information relevant to archaeological research across multiple disciplines.
5. gain an appreciation of cultural diversity through time and space.

All undergraduate students at UW–Madison must complete the university-wide General Education Requirements, which are designed to convey the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. These requirements provide for breadth across the humanities and arts, social studies, and natural sciences; competence in communication, critical thinking, and analytical skills necessary for success in college and beyond; and investigation of the issues raised by living in a culturally diverse society. This core is intended to provide students with intellectual and practical skills, basic knowledge of human cultures and the physical world, strategies for understanding these topics, and tools intended to contribute to their sense of personal and social responsibility. General Education complements the work students do in their majors and degrees. Together, these requirements help students learn what they need to know not just for making a living, but also for making a life.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Completing the General Education Requirements is an important part of achieving these competencies, and to do so, students choose from many courses in communication, ethnic studies, quantitative reasoning, and breadth of study across disciplines in the natural sciences, humanities, literature, and arts, and social and behavioral sciences.

Each school and college may choose to allow General Education courses to count toward other degree and/or major requirements. Students should always check with their advisors to discuss any additional degree requirements and determine if students are required to take specific General Education courses or to complete the requirements in a particular order. Students should review their Degree Audit (DARS) report to see how they are progressing toward fulfilling the General Education requirements. Please refer to.

Students wishing to receive advising for the archaeology certificate should go to the Department of Anthropology, 5240 William H. Sewell Social Science Building. The telephone number for the department is 608-262-2866.