Archaeological Sciences (B.A.)
1-subject bachelor, 2-subject bachelor
The study of archaeology is dedicated to the legacies and traces of past civilizations. Immerse yourself in the life and art of the Paleolithic, the ancient Greeks and Romans, all the way to the end of the Byzantine Empire. Collaboration with related disciplines such as history, philology, art history, earth sciences, biology, and computer science is essential.
Fact Sheet
- Degree
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- Admission
- No Admissions Restrictions
- Duration of studies
- 6 semesters
- Teaching language
- completely in German
- Faculty
- Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology
- Start of degree program
- Winter semester
- Number of students
- 150-250
- Special ways to study
- 1-subject Bachelor, 2-subject Bachelor, Part-time degree program
Program overview
What is the degree program about?
Archaeogical sciences deal with the material legacies and traces of past cultures. Research is conducted into the living conditions, object and image worlds of pre-modern humans from the Palaeolithic Age through the world of the Greeks and Romans to the end of the Byzantine Empire. Archaeology relies on collaboration with neighboring disciplines, including history, philology, and art history, as well as geosciences, biology, and computer science. The degree program includes three subfields: Prehistoric, Classical and Christian Archaeology.
You can choose to study Archaeological Sciences either as a one-subject or as a two-subject Bachelor’s degree. In the first two semesters, students receive an introduction to archaeological methods, to scientific work, and to the individual sub-subjects (prehistory and early history, classical archaeology, Christian archaeology).
Course content:
- Orientation modules: Introduction
- Prehistoric archaeology
- Classical archaeology
- Christian archaeology
- Museum internship and documentation
- Survey and excavation work
- Field trips
- Bachelor’s thesis
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Archaeological Sciences is an undergraduate degree completed after three years of study (six semesters). However, many professional fields require a Master’s degree.
- Interest in past cultures
- Interest in historical issues and contexts
- A talent for detective work
- The willingness to hypothetically engage with lost objects and cultures
- Team skills
The combined course of study from its three sub-fields is in itself special, as it covers an unusually broad field of archaeology (if you consider the subjects that the University of Bamberg offers as part of our teaching alliance, then students can even study archaeology up to modern times). The degree program in Erlangen takes a particularly practical approach. With the two large publicly accessible teaching collections, students learn how to work in a museum, but also conduct research on and with original objects.
The wide range of methods and content covered in the degree program in Archaeological Sciences in Erlangen equips students well for careers in monument conservation, in museums and in research. At the current time, a doctoral degree is often required as a qualification on the job market.
Possible combinations without overlaps
- Art History
- Book Studies
- Business and Economics
- Chinese Studies
- Education
- Education
- English and American Studies
- French Studies
- German studies
- Greek Philology
- Hispanic Studies
- History
- Indo-European and Indo-Iranian Studies
- Japanese Studies
- Latin Philology
- Medieval Latin and Neo-Latin
- Oriental Studies
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Scandinavian Studies (BA)
- Sociology
With these subject combinations, there are generally no overlaps in the timetable.
Possible overlaps in the timetable
- Computational Linguistics
- Digital Humanities and Social Sciences
- Geography: Cultural Geography as a two subject Bachelor's degree program
- Islamic Religious Studies
- Italian Studies
- Theater and Media Studies
If you combine these subjects, individual courses may overlap in your timetable. For this reason, you can only combine the following subjects with your chosen subject after a consultation. Students are responsible for ensuring that the combination can be studied and that the deadlines set out in Section 11 of the ABMStPOPhil are met. When enrolling, proof of a corresponding consultation with the Central Student Advisory Service or the Student Service Center (Faculty of Humanities, Social Studies, and Theology) must be submitted.
Application for a Degree Program

Admission Requirements and Application
Admission
- 1st semester: No Admissions Restrictions
Application deadline
- Winter semester: 30.09.
- Summer semester: nicht möglich
Language skills
- German language skills for international applicants: DSH 2 (written 2 / oral 1) or equivalent
Details and notes
The application deadline for the winter semester for international applicants is July 15th.
In addition to the general qualification for university entrance (Abitur), there are other access options for studying at FAU.

