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Walking towards Klasies River main site for a day’s excavation
Archaeology The aim of the MA degree in Archaeology is to offer advanced professional training at the postgraduate level in the field of African archaeology of all periods and to promote inter-disciplinary exchange between various arts and science disciplines.
Archaeology The aim of the MA degree in Archaeology is to offer advanced professional training at the postgraduate level in the field of African archaeology of all periods and to promote inter-disciplinary exchange between various arts and science disciplines.

Qualification: MA 

Faculty: Humanities

Duration: 1 -2 years

School: Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies

Study mode: Full-time; Part-time

Overview

With a strong tradition in both academic and applied research, the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies is ideally placed to prepare students for the profession of archaeology on the African continent.

The School is interested in attracting students from all over the world who will be able to participate in research work in a country that is undergoing rapid transformation and change.

Part-time students are not eligible for bursary funding from the university. Students registered for the part-time degree and who are employed on a full-time basis are strongly encouraged to negotiate a regular period of time off to consult with their supervisor, visit the library to collect readings and to do research.

Research only.

Masters by Dissertation:

  • A bachelors degree with honours from Wits or another university with a 65% total mark aggregate.
  • A supervisor must be identified and approached prior to application.

Applications for admission are considered throughout the year. For admission to a Masters degree the applicant should normally have at least 65% in Archaeology Honours. Students from other institutions, according to the discretion of the supervisor and the Head of School, may need to take some courses along with conducting research for their Masters degree. Please note that students applying from outside of the University of the Witwatersrand will be required to submit examples of written work before their application will be considered.

All applications go through the Student Enrolment Centre before being screened by members of the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies. It is advisable for prospective candidates from outside of Wits to contact the school before applying in order to determine if a suitable supervisor can be assigned in the school.

  • The Student Enrolment Centre at Wits handles all student applications.
  • Please click here for an overview of the application process.
  • Check the admission requirements for your degree. Check if any additional selection requirements apply. 
  • Submit your application, required documentation and application fee before the closing date.
  • Once you have applied, an admissions consultant will be assigned to your application.
  • Applicants can monitor the progress of their applications via the Self Service Portal.
  • If you are an international applicant and/or have a foreign qualification, please click here.

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees Office website also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.