Cultural Heritage Studies (MA)

Discover the cultural heritage industry on this master’s degree at the University of Southampton. Gain the knowledge and skills to specialise in an area relevant to your interests. You’ll graduate from this MA with the expertise for a successful career in the sector, or for further study at PhD level.

This UK master’s degree in cultural heritage studies will give you key knowledge of both land-based and maritime heritage. It covers everything from art, film and literature to the built environment and archaeological remains.

You’ll gain essential experience through field trips, meeting industry practitioners, and the chance to apply for a work placement with one of our heritage partners.

When you apply we'll ask you to choose one of the following pathways:

• cultural heritage: study the main issues and debates around the subject, including legal and ethical issues, and how heritage is managed and presented
• Heritage and Museums: gain a behind-the-scenes insight into how museums communicate the past, drawing on our links with museum and heritage partners
• Heritage and Public History: gain a specialist insight into the ways history is presented to non-academic audiences
• Heritage and the Arts: develop specialist practical skills in communicating in different genres and platforms in publishing, broadcasting, heritage management, and arts curation

The course content will vary depending on the pathway you study, but modules covering essential aspects of the subject are common to all pathways.

There is plenty of flexibility within the pathways themselves, allowing you to build the skillset that best suits your chosen career path.

Course lead

Your course leader is Alistair Pike, Professor of Archaeological Sciences. His research interests cover several areas archaeological science, from the development of dating methods for bone beyond the range of radiocarbon to the use of isotopes in the reconstruction of human lifeways.

Read Professor Pike’s staff profile to find out more about his work.

First or upper second class honours degree in an appropriate subject from a UK university, that has included assessed written academic work. Alternatively, we will also consider an equivalent overseas or professional qualification in an appropriate subject area.

Careers