Archeology and Art History master’s degree

An international course degree in Archaeology and Art History in collaboration with the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes de Paris, PSL, unique in Italy.

The course was accredited by the Ministry of Education with a decree dated June 15, 2017. The University of Basilicata, the administrative headquarters of the course, has appointed prof. Aldo Corcella as Coordinator.

The structural features of the Master of Archaeology and Art History are:

• the Course combines two Master's degrees, the one in Archaeology (LM 2) and the one in Art History (LM 89); each student chooses at the beginning of the course which of the two titles to acquire;

• It offers the possibility of entering an international context since it allows the obtaining of a double Italian and French title (Master's Degree in Archaeology and Art History / Master's Degree in European Studies, Mediterranean and Advanced Studies, Specialization of Archaeology and Art History);

• it is managed in a consortium by the University of Basilicata - DiCEM Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures and by the École Pratique des Hautes Études of Paris, PSL: for this reason the students of the two institutions have the obligation to attend part of their training (at least 30 credits CFU/ECTS) at one of the two partner universities; this mobility will be possible starting from the second semester of the first year for students who will attend most of their course at the EPHE and from the first semester of the second year for students who will attend most of their course at DICEM UNIBAS;

• Internationalization with EPHE is supported by the ERASMUS agreement signed between Unibas and EPHE and also by ERASMUS grants dedicated to international study courses;

• The master's degree in Archaeology and Art History constitutes in Italy a requisite for access to the School of Specialization in Archaeological Heritage and to the School of Specialization in Historical-artistic Heritage. The inter-class Master's Degree opens access to ministerial competitions and teaching in schools (Art History).

• The course degree follow the close connection between Archaeology and Art History and finds motivation in the illustrious Italian and French academic tradition in particular, but not only, which has seen the two disciplines correlated also in the traditional Schools of Specialization in Archaeological Heritage and in Historical and artistic Heritage.

• Precisely the mandatory nature of a title useful for accessing the respective Specialization Schools, necessary for access to national ministerial competitions for the profile of archaeologist and for that of art historian in the Superintendencies, which have become unique on the basis of recent ministerial decrees in matter, and in the Museum Networks, explains - first of all - the activation of a master’s degree course in Archaeology and Art History.

The close connection existing between the two classes LM2 (Archaeology) and LM89 (Art History) today finds its foundation in a concept of cultural heritage spread over a wide time span that extends from the ancient world to the modern one and which needs to be investigated with methodologies and research approaches that go beyond the traditional boundaries of the individual disciplinary sectors.

The training offer proposal is strongly focused on a multidisciplinary course that uses and optimizes the humanistic and scientific competences present in the various sectors of University of Basilicata, and in particular in the Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures (DICEM) and in the Department with which the course shares the inter-structure dimension (Department of Humanities, DISU) as well as the skills and the competencies of EPHE professors.

Internships and archaeological excavation activities in Basilicata and abroad are aimed at encouraging students to gain direct knowledge of the national and international archaeological, historical and artistic heritage, through collaborative experiences in close contact with local authorities and protection bodies and with international institutions dealing with archaeological and historical-artistic heritage.

The master's degree course in Archaeology and Art History aims to provide the most adequate and up-to-date theoretical, methodological and operational scientific knowledge in the fields of classical and medieval Archaeology and the history of medieval, modern and contemporary art.

The course has as its main objective to train specialists - the Archaeologist and the Art Historian - who carry out activities of identification, knowledge, research, protection, enhancement, management, education, communication concerning the archaeological and historical-artistic heritage in the their wider value as a good of interest, context, site and cultural landscape. These activities are aimed at the historical and cultural reconstruction of past societies and of the historical-artistic climate, based on sources of different nature that are unique and unrepeatable.

The outgoing profile is therefore responsive to jobs such as professional figures in the field of research, protection and enhancement of the archaeological and historical-artistic heritage, at institutions of research, local Bodies and specific Institutions, such as, for example, Superintendencies, Museums, Libraries, as well as in companies and professional organizations operating in the field of archaeological research in the field, protection, conservation, use and education of cultural and artistic heritage.

Other useful information is available by consulting the FAQ.

Access mode
A Commission verifies the graduate's personal preparation, including the possession of a basic IT competence and sufficient and adequate basic preparation in one or more of the following languages: English, French and Italian (linguistic suitability acquired in the three-year degree or European certificate equal to level B1).

The interviews will focus on the notion of cultural heritage and its applications in different disciplinary fields and will take place in Matera, at the Via Lanera Campus on October 9th 2019, starting at 10:00 am and, limited to those who have subsequently registered , 22 January 2019, starting at 10:00.

In the event of gaps in entry preparation, the student will be shown how to integrate their own preparation.

Graduates in the classes indicated in the Manifesto of Studies who have obtained the title in the three-year degree with a mark of at least 90/110 will be exempted from the interview.