Global Archaeology (MA)

Career prospects

Mike Kneppers

Master's student

'After my master’s graduation, I will be focusing on the academic side of archaeology by applying for a PhD position and continuing my thesis research. My personal goal is to contribute to the education of archaeology at a university.'

Luc Amkreutz

Museum curator

'Since 2008 I am the curator of the Prehistoric collections at the National Museum of Antiquities (RMO) in Leiden. This means I work with the collection and communicate information to a wider (lay) audience. I also do research into the collection and participate in fieldwork with the Faculty of Archaeology.'

'I think the broad scope of the Master’s programme at Leiden offered me a solid base to deal with the enormous timeframe of prehistory. While I of course also have my specialisation in the Stone Age, the diversity of skills and knowledge in the programme gives one a valuable toolkit to build a career on.'

Broad array of skills

The broad array of skills that you will acquire as an archaeologist will make you an attractive target for a wide range of employers. These skills will equip you for a variety of positions in the Netherlands or abroad, in government or in business. They will also make you an objective, critical and, above all, articulate and creative thinker.

Creative thinkers have the ability to draw logical and accurate conclusions from incomplete information, and to come up with practical and original solutions. This ability will make you a great fit with many different professions.

Stepping-stone to the job market

Your archaeology master’s can be a stepping-stone up to a career in almost every sector of the job market. It is the winning combination of practical knowledge and academic skills that fuels employers’ demand for Leiden University’s archaeology graduates.

Sectors in which graduates of Archaeology are employed

• 37 % Consultancy Archaeology/public space-environment-soil
• 29 % Government/heritage land-management, environment
• 22 % Research
• 4 % Public-interest group
• 2 % Education
• 2 % Art and culture
• 2 % NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation)
• 2 % Others, like industry/communications

Our graduates find employment as:

• field archaeologists
• researchers
• PhD candidates at Leiden University or other universities
• policy advisors at governmental institutes or NGOs
• consultants with independent or commercial companies
• museum curators
• cultural resource managers (Heritage)
• university or secondary school teachers
• journalists
• publishers
• public relations officers
• project managers
• digital education officers at museums
• digital specialists