Study with the Department of Archaeology and History
The Department of Archaeology and History offer degrees and majors at all of La Trobe University’s Melbourne and regional campuses.
We give students the confidence and ability to grapple with complex questions, armed with the knowledge of how the past has shaped – and continues to shape – global, national, and local relationships between societies and people.
As well as sharing our passion about the past, we provide hands-on training, where students acquire transferrable skills in the archive, laboratory, field and in public history.
Student experience
We offer a dynamic, engaged and supportive learning environment. We have a commitment to decolonising our curriculum and respecting the knowledges and perspectives of other cultures.
Our graduates develop long-term perspectives on modern issues, from the ancient past to the present, drawn from times and places across the globe.
Find out how we set our students up for success.
At La Trobe University, we have a longstanding commitment to diversity, inclusion and social justice; our students are among the most diverse of all Australian universities, and we are committed to providing a learning environment and workplace where all students and staff feel valued, respected and supported to achieve their full potential.
We care about building a connected community that actively champions diversity and inclusion to help people thrive. We achieve this by supporting our people, valuing diverse thinking as a key driver of innovation, and holding ourselves to account in delivering a culture where equity is a way of life.
La Trobe is committed to promoting equal opportunities and support for all students and staff, with a focus on six key pillars: cultural, disability, gender equality, Indigenous, LGBTIQA and life stages.
Find out more about our services and events.
We are passionate about sharing our knowledge with students, and committed to giving them a great education and a gateway to a rich life beyond university.
Students have ready access to staff, and our Archaeology program has outstanding teaching laboratories and facilities. Students can also engage with the past in our Digital Humanities Lab, or learn from experienced media commentators on how to build a profile as a public historian.
Our Department has one of the largest postgraduate communities in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Undergraduate students can engage with each other in the La Trobe Archaeology Students Society or through one of the University’s other student associations.
We have a strong staff presence on regional campuses and value the perspectives and connections of our regional students.
We also believe that wellbeing is just as important as success. La Trobe offers extensive support services to optimise the student experience.
Find out more about how we support our students to excel at La Trobe.
Our students have opportunities to participate in field schools and study tours in Australia and abroad.
Our programs have longstanding connections to the heritage and museum sector, which provide placement opportunities for both undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Our Department is engaged with research across the globe, and our students have the chance to learn about the rich pasts of many countries.
We encourage students to think about how our world has been shaped across time and how that enables us to understand the political, social and environmental issues we face today.
Our international partnerships and opportunities add to the richness of our education programs, as well as the staff and student experience. Many of our staff work with researchers in Asia, North America and Europe on projects of mutual interest. We are also engaged in ongoing work with many First Nations communities in Australia and elsewhere.
Our students have opportunities to undertake overseas fieldwork or study trips, adding to their learning and personal development. We are also finding new ways to connect internationally through hybrid study trips.
Find out more about our exchange programs.