Archaeological Sciences - Curriculum Applied sciences to cultural heritage materials and sites

Cours : Archaeological Sciences - Curriculum Applied sciences to cultural heritage materials and sites | Moodle Scienze umane

• Master's degree: Archaeological Sciences

  Study track: Applied Sciences to Cultural Heritage Materials and Sites

  The Master’s degree acknowledges the recent scientific advances in the investigation of cultural heritage materials at different scales, from the site/landscape survey to diagnostics at the molecular and atomic levels, and the interpretation of derived information. Based on truly interdisciplinary collaborations, the programme offers the theoretical background and the necessary practical knowledge towards the application of scientific methods to archaeological and cultural heritage materials.

  The course wishes to emphasise the role of materials in human history and prehistory, showing how innovative and state-of-the-art archaeometric techniques and methods may efficiently extract tangible and intangible information from cultural heritage materials. Furthermore the obtained scientific information must be interpreted in the context of the physical chemistry properties of the material itself, the production process, the socio-economic framework, the conservation process, and finally properly inserted into the historical / social / anthropological / artistic timeline. The cultural heritage materials must be understood as having a past, a present, and a future life, always connected with the ever shifting values of human cultures.

  	Course Type: Second Cycle degree
  	Italian Class of Degree: LM-2 - Archaeology
  	Language: English
  	Location: Università di Padova
  	Duration: 2 years
  	List of courses/contents
  	Leaflet of the degree programme
  	Apply Now*
  	The Admission Calls for the 2026/2027 academic year for students holding an international Bachelor's degree are scheduled as follows: Call One: 2 November 2025 – 2 February 2026 Call Two: 2 March 2026 – 2 May 2026 Call Three: 2 June 2025 – 2 August 2026 (only for EU students and non-EU students residing in Italy) *Holders of an Italian Bachelor's degree who are interested in applying for 2025/2026 academic year should refer to the "Avviso di ammissione"

   

  Join our Open Weeks!

  Professors will present the degree programme along with international students. We will also discuss everything there is to know about applying, scholarships, fees, and student services.

  NEXT OPEN WEEK: 26th of November 2025

   

  Read what our testimonials have to say!

  International Desk: international.dbc@unipd.it
  
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• Structure of the course

  1st Year: Integrated analysis of cultural heritage materials, Geomorphology of archaeological landscapes and sites, Suite of courses on Materials properties and conservation (stone materials, binders, biomaterials), Geoarchaeology and micromorphology, Dating techniques, Geophysics for cultural heritage, Macromolecules and genetics, Communication and digital experience in CH

  2nd Year: Historical buildings and sites, Suite of courses on Materials properties and conservation (ceramics, pigments, metals, glass), Remote sensing for archaeology, Databases and data processing, Authentication, History and theory of restoration, Urban history, Management and valorization of cultural heritage

  Download the list of courses and contents  or go to the syllabus of the course with all programs.
  

  The programme structure and the focus on materials are very different from existing programmes in Italy and in most EU countries. Selected students may also have the possibility to achieve a double degree with the University of Haifa (Maritime Archaeological Heritage) and with the University of Bordeaux Montaigne (Archaeological Sciences). The students enrolling in Padova in academic year 2023/2024 will be able to select the double degree with Bordeaux or Haifa in 2024/2025.

       

• Career opportunities

  Graduates can work as:

  • archaeologists;
  • archaeological scientists;
  • consultants and planners for diagnostic programs of sites and CH objects;
  • managers of archaeological sites;
  • consultants and planners for Museums;
  • consultants and planners for conservation programs.

  
  

  In Italy, they can specialize further and enroll in the list of professional archaeologists. Their competences and knowledge will be unique for the interpretation and valorization of archaeological and CH materials.
  

• Dissertation tips

  A few tips for selecting the thesis topic and tutors

   

  1) Preferentially, you should select the topic and the tutors proposed in the section below - Proposed and assigned topics for dissertation work - because they are available and they have been discussed between teachers.

  2) if you are thinking about a specific topic that it is not included, please discuss the feasibility and timing in detail with the appropriate teacher(s) of the courses of the ASCH master

  3) if you wish to work with other teachers or scientist not directly involved in the ASCH courses, they must necessarily contact one of the teacher and discuss the details of the activities, because you must have an internal tutor of the ASCH course

  A few tips for planning and completing the dissertation.

   

  1) Remember that you need to register for graduation, within the deadlines set up for each graduation period (https://www.unipd.it/en/graduation), communicating the name(s) of the tutor(s) and the final title of the Dissertation.

  2) At the same time, you should communicate to the Director of the course and the Academic Board the language you want to adopt (usually English). If the thesis is in English, an extended abstract in Italian must also be included.

  3) The format of the dissertation should follow the proposed template (file.pdf, file.docx). Templates are also available for the Double Degree dissertations: Double Degree UNIPD-UBM (file_DD_UNIPD-UBM.pdf, file_DD_UNIPD-UBM.docx) and Double Degree UNIPD-Haifa (version for UNIPD: Thesis template-Applied Sciences asch-DD-Haifa_UNIPD version.pdf, Thesis template-Applied Sciences asch-DD-Haifa_UNIPD version.docx)(version for Haifa: Thesis template-Applied Sciences asch-DD-Haifa_Haifa version.pdf, Thesis template-Applied Sciences asch-DD-Haifa_Haifa version.docx). 
  

• Proposed and assigned topics for dissertation work

  
  
  

  Available dissertations

• Cultural heritage materials and sites