Taught courses

You will normally take seven courses across two semesters of teaching, including six compulsory courses and an option of your choice.

Core courses

You will take six compulsory courses.

Compulsory courses previously offered include:

Course name	Credits
Human Musculo-Skeletal Anatomy	20
Analytical Methods in Human Osteoarchaeology	20
Quantitative Methods and Reasoning in Archaeology	20
Skeletal Pathology	20
Bioarchaeological Analysis and Interpretation	10
Research Sources and Strategies in Bioarchaeology	10

Optional courses

You will choose a further 20 credits, subject to availability.

Option Courses 2025-2026

* * Please note that the list of courses below is provisional and subject to change.

Course name	Credits
Archaeological Illustration	20
Archaeomaterials Analysis	20
Biomolecular Archaeology: the appliance of science	20
Heritage Studies and the Archaeology of the Contemporary World: Investigating How the Past Shapes the Present	20
Practical Zooarchaeology	20
Social Bioarchaeology: Living Conditions, Lifestyles and the Impact of Disease in the Past	20
The Archaeology of Children and Childhood	20

Courses for those studying from September 2026 will be available from April 2026.

Teaching and assessment

Throughout the programme you will take part in lectures, seminars and practical work with archaeological skeletal assemblages and reference collections. Drawing on Edinburgh’s long history in the study of the human body, you will also have the opportunity to visit Surgeons' Hall Museum and the University's Anatomy Department, which provide unique collections of pathological and anatomical study remains. There may also be the possibility to attend field schools.

Further information

You can see more details about the 2025/26 programme structure on the Degree Programme Table for the MSc in Human Osteoarchaeology. We expect the 2026/27 programme structure to be available from May 2026.

This article was published on 2024-08-01