MA Ancient History and Archeology: Course, Admission, Top Colleges, Syllabus, Jobs, Salary, 2023

Q: What is the syllabus structure for M.A. in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology at St. Xaviers, Mumbai?

St. Xaviers offers 2 years post-graduation program and Students holding the Graduation Degree from Universities across India and Abroad and seeking admissions to First Year M.A. Courses have to apply for a Provisional Eligibility Certificate through the College at the time of admission. The application form should be duly filled and should be submitted with a passport size photograph and an attested copy of the Degree mark sheet, along with the prescribed fees of Rs.320 & Rs.500 (for verification of documents) to the College Office. After admission is granted, students should submit to the College Office the Migration Certificate and all the original Passing Certificate before the end of the first semester.

Sounak Banerjee

Associate Content Manager

MA Ancient History and Archaeology is a two years Post-Graduation Program that promotes the idea and wishes to conserve our heritage and boost the mind for ideas of heritage management. It discovered the path of involvement in the streams of Museology, ConservationArchaeology, Social Sciences and Humanities.

Table of Contents

MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology Quick Facts
All About MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology
Why MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology?
MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology Admission Process

4.1 Eligibility

4.2 Entrance Exams

Course Curriculum
MA Ancient History and Archaeology: Course Comparison
Distance Education
Top colleges in India
Top colleges in Abroad
Scope
Jobs
FAQS

MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology Quick Facts

Ancient history and Archaeology is a very interesting branch with a good job prospect for all those interested and meritorious candidates who wish to pursue this career. This course provides access to the topics related to the practices and methods used in archaeology and how they can be integrated with another branch of applied sciences.

Various job opportunities include Activists, Historian, Archaeologist, Civil Servants, Professor, Researchers, Teachers and many other services

The eligibility for admission in this course is that a student must have graduated with history and archaeology or a graduation degree in history from a recognized institute. The entire course curriculum is split into four semesters each after a gap of six months approximately. The semesters include elective papers in which a candidate needs to choose a group and study by the prescribed guidelines.

Some institutes conduct their own entrance which becomes the basis for admission in this course. However, some Universities induce a criterion of having a minimum of 50 % marks in graduation for enrolling in the merit list. This course gives an insight into the culture and history of ancient India. This specialized course is mandatory if a student wishes to enrol himself/ herself for pursuing degrees like M.Phil. or PhD.

Course Level	Post- Graduate
Duration	Two years
Eligibility	Any Graduation degree/ Graduation in history or graduation with courses in history and archaeology
Mode of Examination	Semester based
Admission Process	Merit-Based/ Entrance exam based
Course Fee	Between Rs.800 and Rs.32000
Top Recruiting Companies	Educational institutions, Research Labs, Museums, Govt. research, Civil services, Media and Press.
Average Starting Salary	5,00,000 - 9,00,000
Job Positions	Librarian, Research assistant, Archivist, Historian, Lecturer.

All About MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology

Pursuing a course in Ancient History and Archaeology enables a candidate to study the Cultural History of India, understand the various stages in its evolution, learn the methods of interpretation of Archaeological data and how to analyse those data.

To create awareness of conservation of ancient historic sites and monuments, museology and learn the remediation techniques that promote better conservation for monuments and artefacts via practical experience through workshops and field trips.
To develop a strong community of research scholars who have knowledge about the recent advances in the field of Cultural History, World Civilizations, Museology, Conservation, Philosophy, Performing Arts, Archaeology, Religion, Pali, etc.
The fee structure for the course varies with the institute but generally ranges between INR 800 to 32000 particularly in India.
Post-Graduates with a degree of M.A. in Ancient History and Archaeology have a widespread research scope and job opportunities like Educational services, tourism, Civil services, journalism, research areas, museums etc.
The average annual salary of graduates from India ranges between Rs.9000 and Rs.50000 per month.

Why MA in Ancient History and Archaeology?

Some of the key facts that provoke an Individual to take up Ancient History and Archaeology are as follows:

The post-graduation courses in Ancient Indian History and Archaeology gives an insight into the world of archaeology which becomes an area of interest for an individual having the ability to solve mysteries along with a high inclination towards archaeology and history in general.
The course gives an idea of the different methods and practices in archaeology and the amalgamation of other applied sciences with archaeology. The course is engrossing and helps in developing the mindset that are very essential for the creative and ethical aspects of life linked with being an archaeologist or a historian
The course set a seal on the students that they learn the skills of looking at the right place and thinking about the correct topics. The course is mandatory for undergoing degree programs related to research and being a research scholar.
Knowing Archaeology is important as it has the potential to provide updated importance of the past human activities, strengthen the bond with the natural heritage and provide economic means to different locations across the globe.
Studying Ancient history makes us know how humans have transformed through decades and helps to analyze the differences between the two distinct eras in a more accurate way.

MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology Admission

The Admission criteria vary from one institute to another. Some institutes organize their own entrance exam which other allow admission based on the marks obtained in the graduation course. The premier institute and their basis of admission are as follows:

Entrance Exam Based: These colleges conduct their own entrance tests based on which they allow the admission of the candidates. Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Visva Bharati University, Banaras Hindu University, Andhra University fall in this category.

Merit-Based: Some offer admission depending on the marks a student has secured in their graduation program. Some of these institutes are Patna University, Kurukshetra University, University of Madras.

Documents Required for M.A. Ancient Indian History & Archaeology Admission

HSLC Certificate and Mark sheet.
10+2 Certificate and Mark sheet.
Graduation All Mark sheets and Certificates.
Migration Certificate in case of a student migrating from another university.
Provisional Certificate.
Five Recent passport size colour photographs.
Caste/Tribe certificate (for SC/ST candidate)
Physical Disability certificate if required.

Students who are admitted must bring all the original documents and students failing to present all the prescribed documents will be rejected for admission into the institution for pursuing the Course.

Eligibility Criteria

Many Educational Institutes allow only the candidates to have a graduation degree in history or archaeology or a graduation degree in history. However, the basic eligibility criteria for admission in the post-graduation program is a graduate degree in any stream with a minimum of 45-50% marks depending on the caste as assigned by the constitution of India.

Admission to the institute will be based on the marks and All India Ranking obtained in the entrance examination conducted by the institution of interest or on the marks achieved in the graduation.

Entrance Exams

Several Universities conduct their own entrance exam based on which permission of admission to a particular course is granted. The following table provides a glimpse of the entrance dates and other associated information.

Entrance Exam Name	Exam Date
JNUEE	Check here
BHU PET	Check here
Dr Hari Singh Gour University	To be announced
PUCET	Check here
CUCET	Check here

MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology Course Curriculum

The entire course is split into four semesters, all of which are necessary for course completion.

Semester I	Semester II
Principles & Methods of Archaeology-I	Prehistory
Principles & Methods of Archaeology-II	Protohistory
Archaeology & Applied Sciences-I	Archaeology & Applied Sciences-II
Political History of India from 6th century B.C. to A.D. 300	Political History of India from A.D. 301 to 1200
Social and Cultural History of India up to AD 1200	-
Semester 3	Semester IV
History of Indian Art & Architecture from the earliest time to A.D. 300	History of Indian Art and Architecture from A.D. 300 to 1200
History of Orissa from the earliest time to A.D. 700	History of Orissa from A.D. 700 to 1435
Archaeology & Applied Sciences-I	Archaeology & Applied Sciences-II
Special Paper (Choose any one Group)	Special Paper (Choose any one Group)

Group A	Group B
Art and Architecture of Orissa	Epigraphy and Numismatics
Architecture of Orissa-II	Indian Epigraphy - II
Sculptures and Paintings of Orissa	Indian Numismatics - II
Group C	Group D
Religious History of India & Iconography	Art and Archeology of Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka
Indian Iconography - I	Art and Archeology of Sri Lanka - I
Indian Iconography - II	Art and Archeology of Sri Lanka - II
-	Fieldwork and project report

MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology Course Comparison

MA Ancient History and Archaeology vs MA Political Science comparison.

The below table gives insights into the difference between MA History and MA Political Science.

Parameter	MA Political Science	MA Ancient History and Archaeology
Overview	It is the study of Governmental policies and rights.	It is the study of past events and unmasking the mysterious facts through critical thinking and research.
Syllabus	It is a detailed subject that is purely related to the structure of the government, democracy, policies, ideologies, laws, political ideas etc.	It is a vast subject that includes topics like Ancient History, Historical monuments, Epigraphy, History of ancient arts, Archaeology and allied sciences, historical events that also include politics.
Annual Fees [INR]	10000 to 30000	10000 to 30000
Eligibility	Graduation	Graduation
Scope and Job roles	They can work as a manager, administrator, in the field of politics, law, business, journalist, consultant, media, or public services, lecturer, political content writer etc.	Graduates can work as archaeologists, high school teachers, historians, museums, archaeology departments, academic institutes, museum curators, archivists etc.
Average Salary [INR]	30,000 to 5 lacs	30,000 to 5 lacs

MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology Distance Education

The admission is based on the entrance test conducted by the institution or based on marks secured at the graduation level. The basic eligibility criteria for admission

Graduation with 45 to 50% marks
A student should pass the entrance examination if prescribed by the institute.

College Name	Fees (INR)
Karnataka State Open University.	9,900
Bhoj Open University	8,700
Kuvempu University	9,000

Top colleges in India

Top Colleges offering MA in Ancient Indian History and Archaeology are listed below

College Name	Total Fees [INR]
University of Madras	8900
Punjab University	30100
Andhra University	17700
Kurukshetra University	10500
Nava Nalanda Mahavihara	12500
Dr Hari Singh Gour University	8000
Indira Gandhi National Tribal University	9000
Visva Bharati University	7500
Banaras Hindu University	800
Acharya Nagarjuna University	5500
Arya Mahila PG College	12800
Awadhesh Pratap Singh University	20000
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University	16000
Bastar University	7000
Central University of Jharkhand	13490
Chaudhary Charan Singh University	7500
Chatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University	8000
Dayanand Anglo Vedic College	32415
Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidhyalaya	8800
Dr, B.R.Ambedkar University of Social Science	16500

Top colleges Abroad

Top Colleges offering MA in Ancient Indian History and Archaeology outside India are listed below

Institute	Fees [INR]
The University of British Columbia	5.5 lakhs
McGill University	10.8 lakhs
University of Windsor	13.9 lakhs
Queen's University	7.8 lakhs
University of Barcelona	8 lakhs
University of Edinburgh	10 lakhs

MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology Scope

The career prospects of a historian and archivist are varied and touch all aspects of life. They are hired for all kinds of profiles ranging between civil servants and librarians. The average salary is between INR 10,000 and 15,000. The employment areas are among Civil services, Educational services, journalism, museums, tourism, research areas, Historical parks, Archaeological excavation programs etc.

The job profiles for these positions range as Archivist, Historian, Civil Servant, Govt. servant Records manager, documentation specialist, librarian, Information manager, research assistant, professors, lawyers, teachers and lecturers etc.

The compensation and salaries for these individual jobs are very area-specific and also depend on expertise and level of operation.

Advance courses in Ancient Indian History and Archaeology:

PhD in Ancient Indian History and Archeology
M.Phil. in Ancient Indian History and Archeology

MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology Jobs

Job Profile	Average annual salary	Job Description
Civil Servant	7-9 lacs	The Civil Services refer to the permanent executive branch of the Republic of India.
Museum Curator	4 to 5 lacs	They specialize in historic elements like terracotta, textile, metals, paintings, etc. They maintain the records of each item and follows the conservation methods.
Librarian	2 lacs	Cataloguing, Selecting, developing and classifying library resources. Answering readers' enquiries using specialist computer applications and library systems.
High school teacher	1 to 3 lacs	They work to educate the upcoming youths and make them capable to do something for India in the field of archaeology and ancient history.
Professors	5-6 lacs	Professors must keep up with the innovations and research in the field of archaeology, and they may also provide professional consultations to private companies, government agencies, organizations, and researchers in other academic fields.
Archaeologist/Research assistant	6-7 lacs	Study of past human activity by dating, excavating and interpreting sites and objects of historical interest.
Archivist	4 to 5 lacs	hey, specialize in preserving historic records and documents, microfilming the documents and repairing parchments & paper manuscripts. They can get jobs in libraries, national museums and state archives, etc.

MA Ancient Indian History and Archaeology FAQs

Ques. How are admissions conducted at Banaras Hindu University for MA History?

Ans. There are two ways to get admission to Delhi University for MA History:

Direct admission: If the candidate has 50% above in Graduation.
Entrance exam: The candidates will have to score good marks in the BHU-PET entrance exam to get admission, otherwise the candidate will be rejected.

Ques. What are the colleges that offer distance learning courses in MA Ancient History and Archaeology?

Ans. The colleges that offer distance learning courses in MA History are:

Karnataka State Open University
Bhoj Open University and many more

Ques. What is the scope after studying ancient history and Archaeology?

Ans.

MA in Ancient History and Archaeology graduates can get a doctorate with a PhD in the relevant subject.
The candidates who have concluded their PhD can go for a professorship in any university or educational institute.
The students after completing their post-graduation can pursue their own research.
Civil services - The subject is wide and therefore it becomes quite easy for the MA graduates to prepare for the exam.
Politics - They can work as a lecturer, political content writer/ journalist, manager, administrator, consultant in the field of politics, media, law, business or public services, etc.

Ques. What is the syllabus structure for M.A. in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology at St. Xavier’s, Mumbai?

Ans. St. Xavier’s offers 2 years’ post-graduation program and Students holding the Graduation Degree from Universities across India and Abroad and seeking admissions to First Year M.A. Courses have to apply for a Provisional Eligibility Certificate through the College at the time of admission. The application form should be duly filled and should be submitted with a passport size photograph and an attested copy of the Degree mark sheet, along with the prescribed fees of Rs.320 & Rs.500 (for verification of documents) to the College Office. After admission is granted, students should submit to the College Office the Migration Certificate and all the original Passing Certificate before the end of the first semester.

Ques. What is the admission criteria for MA in Ancient History and Archaeology?

Ans. Admission will be based on the scores obtained in the entrance examination, degree result and personal interview. However, it totally depended on the University about how it judges a student for admission.

Ques. What are the colleges situated outside India that offer courses in MA Ancient History and Archaeology?

Ans. The colleges that offer courses in MA Ancient History and Archaeology outside India are:

University of Edinburgh
The University of Kent and many more

Ques. What is the average salary package earned by a student graduated in Ancient History and Archaeology?

Ans. The average salary package ranges between 15000 to 45000 a month depending upon the organization and experience of the individual.

Ques. What are the colleges that offer regular courses in MA Ancient History and Archaeology?

Ans. The colleges that offer courses in MA in Ancient History and Archaeology are:

University of Madras
Banaras Hindu University
Deccan College, Pune
University of Kerala
Guru Govind Singh Indraprastha University.

Ques. What should a person do after his/her post-graduation in Ancient History and Archaeology?

Ans. After post-graduation some people go for their PhD and Post Doc in that particular subject while some apply for the relevant jobs that help to become an Archaeologist.

Ques. What are the government organization that intake Students of Archaeology?

Ans. ASI or the Archaeological Survey of India is one such Organisation under the Government of India that recruits graduated in Archaeology and Ancient History.