CIfA and UAUK announce University of Winchester degrees and University of York degree pathway to receive accreditation

The Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) and University Archaeology UK (UAUK) are pleased to announce details of the most recent academic programmes to be formally accredited as providing skills relevant to a career in the historic environment.  The universities of Winchester and York join the universities already offering accredited programmes

  • Queens University Belfast
  • Bournemouth University
  • University of Bradford
  • University of Central Lancashire
  • University College London
  • University of Durham
  • University of Leicester
  • University of Reading

All the accredited programmes are listed here 

Further applications are currently being assessed and newly accredited programmes will be announced in due course.  See CIfA's degree accreditation webpages for details.

Students in England and Northern Ireland now have the opportunity to choose a degree programme that will support them to develop a career in the historic environment. CIfA and UAUK hope to be assessing the first programmes in Scotland and Wales soon. The accreditation was developed to provide a career route for the historic environment as well as fostering strong relations between industry and academia.

'Accreditation is an exciting new initiative for students taking archaeology courses at universities and for the profession more widely. It recognises the value of real knowledge of working practices across the sector by students across the UK’ Chair of University Archaeology UK (UAUK), Chris Gerrard

CIfA Chief Executive Peter Hinton said ‘We are delighted to add Winchester and York to the list of universities offering accredited degrees. Working with UAUK has given us an opportunity to further improve our connections with university archaeology which has been immensely positive. All students on accredited degree programmes are being encouraged to join CIfA and to sign up to the Pathway to PCIfA programme to support their professional development as they enter the workplace. The accredited degree initiative has been a great example of partnership working in practice’

‘We are delighted to have the courses accredited, particularly given our decades-long tradition of practical training and that many Winchester graduates go on to develop careers in Archaeology and related fields.’ Nick Thorpe, Head of Department of Archaeology, Anthropology and Geography, University of Winchester

‘We take skills development and career enhancement seriously at York and we are delighted to have achieved recognition through professional accreditation by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) and the University Archaeology UK group (UAUK) in recognition.'  Michelle Alexander, Deputy Head of Department and Chair of the Board of Studies

You can read the full press release here