Arts - Archaeology
Our BA degree programme at University College Cork is the gateway to the immense and exciting possibilities of education. We offer a wide variety of subjects across diverse fields – this allows you the flexibility and opportunity to choose your career pathway or postgraduate route.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
3 years, full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Certificate Entry Requirements
At least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H5 in two subjects and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish. Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:
English O6/H7
Irish O6/H7
Other Language O6/H7
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme LCVP
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 28 points
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Careers / Further progression
Skills and Careers Information
Graduate Study Options
Further study options for students who graduate with Archaeology as part of their degree include:
MA Human Osteoarchaeology
MA Museum Studies
MPhil Archaeology
PhD Archaeology
Career Opportunities
Archaeology is a professional career qualification, with employment opportunities in Ireland and abroad.
If you study Archaeology you will acquire important skills that are transferable to other areas of employment, including the ability to think critically, to problem-solve and to carry out research, as well as practical skills in fieldwork and computer applications.
Archaeologists work in a wide range of areas and specialisms, including:
The State heritage sector
Government bodies such as the National Monuments Service and the National Museum of Ireland
Local authorities to work in county museums and in county and city heritage offices
Commercial archaeology sector in Ireland, servicing the requirements of State agencies such as the National Roads Authority
Developers in the private sector.
Survey and excavation
Environmental impact assessment
Heritage conservation projects
Media and tourism initiatives
University sector
Further information
September 2026
CK101 Arts: Approximate Available Places 50
Find out about the mature entry requirements at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/undergrad/entryreqs/matureapplicants/
CK101 Arts: Approximate Available Places Overall 500
Entry 2026
Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: €65 Closing Date: 1 May 2026 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2026 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2026. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2026, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2026 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €65 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
This programme gives you the space to explore your options. Ultimately you will not only excel in specific subject knowledge you will develop those intellectual, social and management skills essential for today’s working environment.
Our Arts CK101 programme is a full-time three-year honours programme, based at the College of Arts, Celtic Studies & Social Sciences (CACSSS). If you wish to spend a year abroad at one of our partner institutions in Europe and beyond, you can apply to our four-year Arts (International) CK108 programme which is open to language and non-language students.
Subject options on registration: Students choose four subjects from the list below in Year 1, with not more than one subject from any group.
Students continue with 2 of these subjects in Years 2 & 3:
Group 1: Asian Studies, Computer Science***, History, Portuguese
Group 2(a)*: History of Art
Group 2(b)*: European Studies, Folklore, Gaeilge/Irish, Greek and Roman Civilisation, Studies in Psychology****
Group 3: Archaeology, Chinese Studies, German, Latin***, Mathematical Studies, Politics
Group 4: French, Sociology, Studies in Music
Group 5: Béaloideas, Economics, English, Greek***, Religions and Global Diversity
Group 6(a)**: Geography, Italian
Group 6(b)**: Celtic Civilisation, Philosophy, Spanish
*Groups 2(a) and 2(b): Students can combine History of Art with any subject from Group 2(a) in Year 1 only.Students can only study one subject from Groups 2(a) and 2(b) in Years 2 & 3.
**Groups 6(a) and 6(b): From Year 2, students may combine Italian with Spanish, but students may not combine Italian with Celtic Civilisation or Philosophy; or Geography with Celtic Civilisation, Philosophy or Spanish.
***These subjects are available in First Arts and thereafter only as a 10-credit subject in the Single Subject Programme
****This subject is available in Year 1 only
Archaeology is an exciting subject that studies past human societies through the material remains they left behind, investigating important developments in the human story over a long period of time. The subject investigates many important developments in the human story, such as the evolution of Homo Sapiens, the adoption of farming, early urbanism, and the origins of social complexity. The greater part of the human story is beyond the range of traditional historical methods and can only be studied using archaeological approaches to the ancient past.
Archaeologists collaborate with scientists in other disciplines to discover, record and date ancient objects, sites, and landscapes, and to analyse human and environmental remains. That record is part of our cultural heritage, and archaeologists play an important role protecting this resource for future generations.
You will be provided with a general introduction to the discipline of Archaeology in Year 1, so you will not need to have any particular background in this subject. You will also be introduced to the Archaeology of Ireland in its global context, spanning 10 millennia from the earliest human settlement of the island to the early modern era.
Years 2 and 3 provide foundation and advanced training in Irish and European Archaeology, as well as a range of skills-orientated courses that are necessary for career development.
Overall, the BA degree in Archaeology seeks to balance archaeological theory and culture history modules with those dealing with fieldwork and scientific approaches in the past.
Year 1 Modules
AR1001 The Archaeology of Ireland in Context (15 credits)
Dr. Griffin Murray
archaeology@ucc.ie
+ 353 (0)21 490 4045
http://www.ucc.ie/en/archaeology/