MSc Bioarchaeology

• Principles & Methods in Human Osteology: This unit will introduce you to human osteology and the principles of analysis and interpretation involved in the study of skeletal remains of modern humans from archaeological and forensic contexts, focusing on the anatomy of hard tissues and related soft tissue structures and the principles and application of biological profiling from the skeleton. Specific characteristics covered include age at death, biological sex, stature, metric and non-metric variation. You’ll also gain an understanding of the differences between human and non-human animal bone.
• Principles & Methods in Zooarchaeology: This unit provides a solid foundation in the principles and practice for identification of skeletal remains of mammals and birds and the recording and analytical methods currently employed in the study of animal bones from archaeological sites. You’ll also develop your knowledge of the principles and scope of zooarchaeological studies and an appreciation of how zooarchaeological data inform our understanding of past human societies and how animal bone studies are integrated with other aspects of archaeology.  
• Research Project: You’ll explore in detail core aspects of your subject area while developing methodological, research and presentation skills. You may develop a research paper suitable for publication in an externally recognised journal, or a dissertation.

• Palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic Archaeology: This unit covers the global record of hominin evolution from the divergence of the human lineage from that of the chimpanzees, until the end of the Pleistocene. You will explore the many lines of evidence which contribute to our understanding of the evolution of hominins and their relevance for understanding hominin evolution, earth sciences and ancient DNA to name a few.  

• Applications of Zooarchaeological Science: On this unit you’ll develop advanced faunal identification skills and a firm foundation in the identification and interpretation of skeletal remains from a diverse range of taxa, including: large mammals; small mammals; amphibians and reptiles; birds; and fish. You’ll also explore case studies to promote your understanding of the potential applications of zooarchaeological science in order to investigate past human societies.
• Archaeology of the Dead: Disease,Decay and Funerary Interpretation: The unit considers changes that take place both during an individual’s life and after death that produce variations in the nature and appearance of the skeleton. Such sources of variation during life include disease processes and injuries affecting bone, whilst relevant post-mortem events include decomposition processes, changes caused by aspects of the burial environment and alteration by burning. Themes include demography, health and disease, care, violence and conflict, with subsequent consideration of funerary theory and archaeothanatology, informed by fundamental considerations of taphonomy and degradation.  

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:

• A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:1 in a required subject.
• Required subjects include: Archaeology, History, Biological sciences, Biological Anthropology, Anthropology, Forensic Investigation, Forensic Biology, Forensic Science

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry Team for more information.

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:

• China:  学士学位 (Bachelor degree) with a minimum of 70% overall
• India: Bachelor’s degree (4 years) from a recognised HE institution with a minimum overall result of 65% 
• Nigeria:  Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with a minimum classification of 2:1
• Thailand:  Thai Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0
• Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.7/4.0
• Vietnam:  Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of 75/10, or a Master’s degree/Thac si.

All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.0 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level. 

If you want to continue your studies after achieving your Master’s, you can look into our range of doctoral programmes.

There are lots of exciting careers you can embark on once you've graduated from BU. Below is a list of what some of our graduates are up to now.

Russel Harris

Russel graduated from BU with an undergraduate degree BSc (Hons) Archaeology in 2002 and stayed at BU to complete a MSc degree in Forensic Archaeology which he graduated from in 2004. Russel then went on to be employed by Lincolnshire Police as a Crime Analyst before specialising as an Financial Investigator.

Bernice Jones

Bernice is a former undergraduate obtaining a BSc (Hons) Archaeological and Forensic Sciences degree in 2019 and a recent MSc Bioarchaeology degree in 2020. Her MSc dissertation focused on Zooarchaeology. Bernice now works for Oxford Archaeology which is one of the biggest Commercial archaeology companies in the UK.

Sam Walker

Sam is a former BU Archaeology undergraduate and obtained his MSc Osteoarchaeology degree in 2014. Sam was a student member of one of our Zooarchaeology research projects in Russia. Sam also worked for Bournemouth Archaeology on commercial projects before starting his PhD in Norway (some of which he has spent as a visiting PGR here at BU). He specialises in bird bone remains. 

Gabrielle Delbarre

Gabrielle graduated from BU in 2014 with an MSc in Osteoarchaeology. While completing her MSc she worked part-time at the National History Museum in London as a Curation Assistant and Documentation Officer within the Anthropology Collections in the Earth Sciences Department. She went on to work as a Curator and Collection Manager at Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre and Kingfisher Barn Visitor Centre in Bournemouth. Gabrielle has returned to work at BU in the Archaeology & Anthropology Department as a Demonstrator where she manages the Anthropology and Zooarchaeology laboratories, one of the largest collections of human remains and faunal skeletal material in the South of England.

This course selects candidates by looking at their applications. There are no interviews or additional selection activities and therefore we suggest that you make your application stand out from the crowd. For more information, take a look at our postgraduate how to apply pages.

There is no application deadline for this course. However, if you will need a visa to come to the UK to study, think carefully about the length of time it will take for your visa application to be processed and make sure your visa will be ready in time for the beginning of your course.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

These courses have compulsory elements involving working with dangerous substances in laboratory conditions and/or undertaking field trips in less accessible environments.  Students must complete a health and safety risk assessment taking part in these activities, for their safety and that of others.  As part of that assessment students provide information about any conditions or disabilities that might affect their ability to undertake these activities fully or safely. 

If you have such a condition or disability, please let us know as soon as possible.  You can contact our Additional Learning Support (ALS) service about this before or after making an application.  We will then work with you to identify any support or adjustments you would need.  Our ALS team works with the Faculty to seek to put in place reasonable adjustments and health and safety plans. 

Exceptionally, it may not be possible to arrange for a student to access these courses without either over-riding their core standards or competencies or creating unacceptable risks to health and safety.  If that is the case we will help you explore alternative course choices.

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course, including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Materials for laboratory and mandatory field-based teaching activity
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses
• Accommodation and living costs. Please visit our website for more information.
• Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable).
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately
• Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas) if this is part of your course of study. Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website.
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study
• SportBU membership.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

If you need to repeat one or more units during the course of your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full time fee.

We offer a range of scholarships to students who are beginning their studies at BU. Our fees and funding also provides details on living costs, budgeting and paying your tuition fees.

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable £3,000 deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

• You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
• You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

Martin Smith is a Biological Anthropologist with particular interests in prehistoric populations. His past work has covered a range of periods with a particular focus on the Neolithic. His interests centre principally on areas of taphonomy and trauma with relevance to both forensic and archaeological remains.

Martin has strong interests in the study of conflict from prehistoric to modern times. A question that continues to fascinate him is the extent to which war /organized conflict is ‘hard-wired’ in human beings rather than simply a practical response to environmental or social circumstances.

My archaeological interests range from Palaeolithic art to current techniques and practices in the field. My primary research concentrates on the later prehistory of Britain, particularly landscape and intertidal archaeology – exploring riverine and maritime networks related to coastal settlement, mostly in south-west Britain. This includes geophysical and topographic surveys as well as excavation.

Paul has specialised in archaeological geophysics since 1989. He regularly undertakes archaeological geophysical surveys and archaeological excavations of sites of all periods in the UK and Europe; his research is focused on the late Iron Age and Romano-British settlement in Dorset.

He has worked on over 50 domestic homicide cases in a search and recovery capacity, and has been involved in locating mass graves in Kosovo, Iraq and Ukraine. He has published a number of papers on search and recovery techniques in forensic contexts.

Dr Sally Reynolds is interested in how landscapes and the individual biology of species interact to create patterns of speciation, adaptation, range change and finally extinction.

We are currently using remote sensing to characterise the behaviour of certain landscapes and wetlands over decadal time-scales. This research is indicating that certain wetland areas are able to buffer against the local drying trends and provide a degree of localised refuge from climatic extremes. This has important implications for how we view and understand palaeo-wetlands, like Olduvai Gorge, which hosted hominin species over many millennia.