University of Evansville
BA in Archaeology

Evansville, USA

DEGREE TYPE

DURATION

4 years

LANGUAGES

English

PACE

Full time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

EARLIEST START DATE

Jan 2026

STUDY FORMAT

On-Campus

Key Summary

About : The BA in Archaeology offers an engaging exploration of past societies through material culture. Students will engage in various archaeological techniques and theoretical approaches while focusing on hands-on experiences, including fieldwork. The program encompasses 18 modules covering topics from ancient civilizations to modern archaeology. Participants will gain critical thinking skills and develop a comprehensive understanding of the archaeological process.

Career Outcomes : Graduates can pursue careers in cultural resource management, heritage conservation, museum curatorship, and academia. They may also find opportunities in research institutions, government agencies, and non-profit organizations focused on heritage and archaeology.

Welcome to the Department of Archaeology!

We are a close-knit department with dedicated faculty who have been awarded recognition for their teaching at the university and national level as well as an active alumni community. Small class sizes enable us to successfully help our students (who have joined us from 40 states including Alaska and Hawaii and from as far away as Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Oman, Japan, Nepal and the United Kingdom) to pursue their educational passions and achieve their career goals.

We are one of only a few stand-alone archaeology departments in the nation and are unusual in that we grant a BA in archaeology, rather than anthropology or history. The archaeology major concentrates on the ancient Mediterranean, Near East, and Western Europe.
The interdisciplinary nature of the major provides the necessary preparation to attend graduate school or enter the workforce directly. Students are offered a wide variety of classes in our program from the ever-popular Greek Mythology to Egyptian Archaeology, and Archaeology of Pompeii, as well as more experiential classes such as Greek Ceramics, Ancient Food & Drink, and Computers in Archaeology.
Our majors have the unique opportunity to learn excavation and lab techniques at the only ongoing on-campus excavation in the nation, led by Dr. Alan Kaiser. The Tin City excavation project, begun in 2003, offers students a chance to practice archaeological field methods as well as the possibility for independent research.
In addition, the post-excavation phase of the Jezreel Expedition offers our undergraduates the chance to work closely with Dr. Jennie Ebeling, alumni, and other professionals on research projects for possible publication. This is an experience not offered in any other undergraduate archaeology program.
We provide our majors and minors with an exceptional opportunity to learn about historic preservation and modern architecture by working as a tour guide/docent at the campus' own historical home designed by Evansville native William Wesley Peters, who was Frank Lloyd Wright's favorite apprentice and, later, son-in-law.
The academic profile of archaeology majors is high. Every semester, approximately 20 students make the Dean's List. Students seek out and have been awarded competitive undergraduate scholarships from the National Science Foundation, National Park Service, and UExplore Undergraduate Research. With a pool of motivated students like these, the department has produced many successful alumni who work in an array of fields.
Our department also houses the Classical Studies Program giving students the opportunity to double major or add a minor. This field is the study of Greek and Roman cultures through the written word and archaeology classes, many taught by Dr. Pat Thomas, make up a section of the requirements.

The interdisciplinary nature of the major provides the necessary preparation to attend graduate school or go directly into the workforce. In addition, students are able to pursue a double major and minor in other areas of study such as anthropology, history, classical studies, foreign languages, chemistry, and business.

In addition to the university general education requirements Archaeology Majors must take the following:

Archaeology 105 (Greek) and Archaeology 106 (Roman)
Archaeology 192
Either Archaeology 206 (Near Eastern) or 207 (Egyptian)
A minimum of three ARCH classes at the 300 level
A minimum of two ARCH classes at the 400 level
A minimum of one ancient history course (HIST 311 or 312 or ID325)
Engineering 283 (Surveying)
Archaeology 285 (Computers in Archaeology)
One additional course dealing with interdisciplinary aspects of the ancient world or methodological approaches to the study of the field. Choose one from: Anthropology 200, 453, Art History 208, History 311, 312, 313, Interdisciplinary 250, 325, Philosophy 211.

Students contemplating graduate school are encouraged to study Greek, Latin, or German as their foreign language but we do not require a specific one.

Archaeological fieldwork is strongly encouraged but not required.