Educational goals

This Master's degree course aims to offer a broad historical overview of the various civilisations that developed in the Mediterranean area from prehistoric times to the early Middle Ages (from western Asia to Egypt, Maghreb, western, continental and eastern Europe, with a specific focus on Greece and the Italian Peninsula), studied and illustrated with privileged but non-exclusive access to archaeological sources. Archaeology is taken to mean the study of human history through artefacts and physical sites, also covering, among its areas of application, the history of ancient arts, an area in which the Italian school has traditionally been prominent. An educational path (120 credits) based on two closely interrelated curricula - one archaeological, one historical - resulting from a common vision of holistic archaeology, seeking to integrate the study of ancient history with archaeology, paving the way towards specialisation and/or second-level masters degree (MU2) in cultural heritage studies. The cultural-historical component of the curriculum is defined by course subjects in which history and civilisation take on different chronological and territorial meanings. A part of the course is reserved for specific archaeology terminology in ancient languages. Technical and methodological skills (e.g. development of IT skills for data acquisition, handling and georeferencing, adoption of new archaeological techniques) will be acquired through targeted course subjects, tutoring with practical applications in universities and internship experiences at sites and/or in museums; museum and management skills, through special teaching methods, which will also include external study activities and guided visits to archaeological parks and museums, such as the Egyptian Museum in Turin. Following the acquisition of fundamental historical, archaeological and technical skills in the first year, the second year is divided into the two macro-areas of history and archaeology, offering students a pathway towards areas of learning in which they can then specialise The archaeology curriculum will go into depth in the following areas: Archaeology in the Mediterranean area, acquiring skills in material culture as a result of interactions between ancient Mediterranean civilisations, with special reference to crafts and architecture, the integration of settlements in man-made and non-man-made landscapes, throughout antiquity, from prehistory to the Middle Ages, with no classicist prejudices or artificial separation of East and West. The history of art is a core subject of the educational project, studying the provenance of monuments primarily for their full historicisation, and the technological and socio-economic aspects of production and consumption; Archaeological research method aimed at acquiring the legal, technical and professional skills needed in the archaeological field, safeguarding, preserving and valorising archaeological assets in museum spaces. These skills include: theory and techniques of stratigraphic excavation and related documentation (computer, graphic, photographic); strictly archaeometric disciplines and their application in the natural sciences are presented to the student through the questions they pose and answers they can provide. The history curriculum will look in depth at the following areas of learning: Study of ancient history to complete and enhance skills concerning the event-related and cultural history of ancient Mediterranean civilisations, in the East and West, with access to and critical analysis of literary, historiographical and documentary sources, in the original if possible or at least scientifically accredited translations. Course subjects may therefore also include basic notions of reference ancient languages. The archaeology degree curriculum will also prioritise an in-depth study of aspects of economic and social history that can benefit from quantitative, unambiguous results in terms of provenance and dating of archaeological data; Studies on ancient Mediterranean history are aimed at enhancing the usefulness and productivity of the archaeological approach to post-ancient contexts, in particular the Middle Ages, and acquiring an enhanced perception and ability to interpret revivalist phenomena and the return to ancient ideals. The course of study, also intended for international students, is taught entirely in English, and therefore requires an entry level for English language proficiency of at least B2. Educational objectives also include the acquisition of "further language skills" in Italian for students whose mother tongue is not Italian. Native Italian-speaking students who already have a B2 level knowledge of English as an entry requirement will have the choice of acquiring "further language skills" through a course subject aimed at improving their English writing skills, or going deeper into aspects of the learning areas in which they intend to specialise by acquiring 6 CFUs of "Other knowledge useful for entering the job market".

Career opportunities

Archaeologist and historian of arts from civilisations of the ancient Mediterranean world. The knowledge acquired will enable graduates to: - to work in collaboration with and be part of national and international archaeological service companies and cooperatives; - to work in study and research organisations and units engaged in the preservation of archaeological, artistic, documentary and monumental assets, in both public (e.g. superintendencies) and non-State entities and institutions: municipalities, provinces, regions) and private (foundations and museums); - to conduct on-site archaeological research (surface prospecting and excavations) under authorisation and on behalf of conservation entities, either alone or as part of professional associations; - Conduct scientific communication activities on archaeological topics, using both print and multimedia tools. - to advise on archaeological issues in the forensic field or in the field of land or urban planning - to sit exams to qualify for the profession of tourist guide; - to gain access to specialisation schools, doctorate programmes and 2nd level master's degrees. As noted above ("role in a working context"), it is important to emphasise that in Italy the positions of archaeological officer, in (State) inspection and management, museum and archaeological site and monument protection roles, require a specialisation and/or doctoral degree in archaeology, in addition to the Master's degree. This requirement must also be met in order to pursue an academic career in this field.

Admission requirements

For admission to the Master's degree course, the student must hold a three-year university degree or diploma (including one obtained in accordance with the regulations in force prior to Ministerial Decree 509/1999 as amended) or another academic title obtained abroad, recognised as suitable by the competent bodies of the University. Also required is an adequate knowledge of history (preferably related to the ancient world) and a Bachelor's degree in one of the following classes: - pursuant to Ministerial Decree 270/2004: L-1 Cultural Heritage L-5 Philosophy L-6 Geography L-10 Humanities L-15 Tourism Sciences L-42 History L-43 Cultural heritage conservation and restoration technologies; - pursuant to Ministerial Decree 509/1999: 5 Humanities 13 Cultural Heritage Sciences 29 Philosophy 30 Geographical sciences 38 Historical Sciences 39 Tourism Sciences 41 Technologies for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage; or degree under the previous university system (prior to Ministerial Decree 509/99) in: Cultural heritage conservation, Humanities, Philosophy, Geography, Tourism Sciences, History, Oriental Languages and Civilisations. For a (non-selective, general) assessment of educational background, an admission interview is arranged. For candidates from abroad, this may also take place via videoconference. This will enable candidates with serious educational gaps to receive special support tutoring and possible preparatory courses. For candidates with a level 1 academic title from a foreign university, curricular requirements will be assessed on the basis of the educational content of their home course (preferably ancient literature and history: Classics). For all applicants who are not native speakers of English and have not come from a Bachelor's degree course taught in English, a knowledge of English to at least level B2 will be a prerequisite for admission; this must be demonstrated through possession of a language certificate issued by a certifying body recognised by the Ministry (e.g. Cambridge First Certificate, Trinity College ISE, IELTS, TOEFL) or, alternatively, a certificate issued by the university's language centre (or by the university of origin), or by acquisition of at least 24 English language credits in the three-year level 1 course.