Michelle Feider

Michelle Feider -  Archaeologist, Suffolk County Council

I chose MSc Osteoarchaeology as I wanted to study something completely different to my undergraduate degree. Staff responded helpfully to my enquiries and, since the study of human and animal remains in archaeology draws upon a wide range of subject backgrounds, I felt encouraged and confident in applying. I am really glad I took the MSc Osteoarchaeology course as it has taken my career in a new direction and I am really enjoying working in archaeology.

The facilities available at Bournemouth University (BU) for studying human and animal remains made it possible to start a Masters in an unknown subject and succeed.  The levels of teaching were set very high, lecturers were enthusiastic about the subjects they were teaching and staff were always approachable and available to help. The library and laboratory resources were excellent. Skeletal material was always available in the labs or from the stores and there was always somewhere to work. The practical elements of the course brought all the theory together and made it real.

I think studying both human and animal bone in one course is ideal.  Both complement each other and give a better understanding of what information can be derived from these remains. I would definitely recommend studying MSc Osteoarchaeology to anyone, even if they have no direct previous experience in osteology or archaeology.  At the moment, due to popular TV programmes, there is a lot of interest in forensic courses.  Osteoarchaeology offers something similar (with an archaeological focus instead of a forensic one), with good career prospects and plenty of scope for personal research.