Archaeology

The Master’s studies in the field of archaeology enhance the knowledge and skills which are necessary to work as an archaeologist. The study is designed so that the students can enhance their theoretical and methodological knowledge and refine their analytical skills. Besides a theoretical and methodological basis, the study will help to get a deeper insight into current European archaeology and key research topics and approaches (inclusive of an overview of prehistoric, early historic and medieval development in Europe). Focus is laid on the preparation for presentation of results in oral and written form including the publication outputs. The high level of study is secured by a wide spectrum of specialised archaeological courses and courses with an interdisciplinary overlap. Further professional training is provided by an extensive offer of specialized technical courses.

Master’s students get involved upon their interest in fieldwork and research practice at the Department of Archaeology and Museology (research teams of individual field bases, cooperation with workplaces for geophysical methods, 3D laboratory, etc.). The Department maintains numerous international contacts, within which the students can participate in foreign excavations, in a research fellowship abroad within the Erasmus+ project, or attend regular lectures by foreign lecturers.

One of the objectives is to enable the graduates make a qualified choice of employment or continue their research activities through the medium of doctoral studies.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• independent creative research work and solving of more complex problems on the basis of the current state of knowledge in European archaeology
• analytical working with specialized literature in Czech and foreign languages
• presentation of own research results on an adequate level in both oral and written form, publishing in professional literature
• planning, realisation and publication of archaeological research, inclusive of elaboration and preparation of compulsory reports, carrying out controlling and expert activity in the field of archaeological monument care
• taking part in educational and promoting activities in academic institutions, managing small research teams

The graduates are fully knowledgeable about theory, methodology and practice within the discipline, which enables them find employment in the sphere of basic and applied research (academic institutions, universities, museums, all levels of monument care). The graduates are qualified as site directors during excavations, authors of excavation reports and publication outputs from these excavations and as managers of small research teams. They are prepared to work as heads of departments for monument care within the state administration or institutes of monument care, and to work in the field of research or culture management and public relations. The graduates in general will find employment in all positions demanding systematic acquisition, analysis and administration of data as well as decision-making skills.

• No professional status

The standard duration of studies is four semesters. For admittance to the final state examination students must obtain for required, selective and elective courses a total of 120 credits in the single-subject study and 70/50 credits in the double-subject study(degree/non-degree studies). Required courses create the basis of specialised tuition within the discipline and their proportion is 46 credits for degree study (including credits for courses focused on writing a Master’s thesis), and 26 credits for non-degree study (including credits for courses focused on writing a specialised Master’s paper). Semi-optional courses 26/12 credits (single-subject/double-subject study) students choose according to their interests and intended professional specialization. The remaining credits are awarded to students for completion of any current optional courses offered within this or/and other disciplines.

During their studies, students should follow the study catalogue for their matriculation year.

A compulsory part of specialised studies is the practical training. Master’s students are obliged to complete practical training in field research in the extent of three weeks at arbitrary excavations conducted by the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Archaeological Heritage, museums or other archaeological institutions. The completion of practical training is approved upon certificate issued by the institution in which the practical training has taken place.

Standard extent of a Master’s thesis is 140,000 characters (including spaces). The extent comprises besides the text itself also comments and bibliography, but it does not contain the catalogue of finds, list and description of features, index of abbreviations and illustrations, supplements and title pages. Sufficient extent of the work is determined by the thesis advisor and the state exam commission.

The Master’s thesis should prove the ability of graduands to treat a partial scholarly topic from the field of (Central) European archaeology at a professional level. Requirements: original methodological approach to the topic, professional documentation, complete bibliography on the topic and a formally acceptable written output.

Instructions to final state exams are determined by a Directive of Dean of the Faculty of Arts No. 6/2017 On final state exams at the Faculty of Arts of the Masaryk University.

A graduate from Master’s studies in the field of archaeology can (after having met the admission requirements) continue the doctoral studies in any programme of his/her choice. At the Faculty of Arts of the Masaryk University it is possible to continue directly in doctoral studies in the field of archaeology.