This course provides students doing postgraduate degrees in Archaeology with the necessary research and professional skills for carrying out future research or professional work within the discipline.

4 hours of seminars

5 Archaeology Research Seminars (1.5 hours each = 7.5 hours)

½ day field trip (4.5 Contact hours)

Poster, and mini-conference/poster presentations (4 contact hours)

The standard assessments for this course are:

■ Reflexive Essay - 50%

■ Research Poster - 50%

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available:

■ There is no alternative to the reflexive essay, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

■ There is no alternative to the research poster, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustments (students should follow the usual process for extensions)

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.

The aim of the Research and Professional Skills course is to provide students with the opportunity to develop:

■ An engagement with and reflective attitude to archaeological research and the productions of archaeological knowledge.

■ Advanced academic writing skills

■ Presentation skills, including verbal communication and visual display of information

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ reflect critically on the development of their own research, writing and professional skills (assessed in the reflexive essay)

■ make succinct and relevant presentations using appropriate supporting material (assessed in the poster and poster presentation)

■ apply a range of appropriate research skills, both generic and specific to archaeology (assessed in the presentation)