Brief History

The Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, originally called the Department of Archaeology was established in 1951 and is the first in Sub-Saharan Africa. Until 1963, the Department functioned primarily as a research Department; except for short courses given once a year to the students of the History Department. In 2008, the Department was renamed the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies. This also ushered in new programmes in heritage studies. Currently, the Department has a vibrant undergraduate Bachelor of Arts programme on the main and City Campuses of the University of Ghana with an enrolment of over two thousand students as well as four graduate programmes on the main campus of the University of Ghana.

A Master of Arts programme in Museum and Heritage Studies comprises coursework, research, and internship through which students are trained and equipped with skills that enables them to oversee and manage museums, historical monuments and sites, and cultural property at large. The objective of the programme is to produce graduates who can be able to serve in museums and heritage institutions in Ghana and elsewhere as managers, curators, exhibitionists, conservationists, and educators. It is also tailored for them to be able to conserve and exhibit varied material objects of Ghana and other parts of Africa for purposes of tourism development and heritage conservation. 

The Department has a museum of archaeology, a conservation and photographic laboratory and a digital resource unit to support the programme. Some students may undergo internships at local museums such as the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Ghana, the Ghana National Museum in Accra, and other regional museums across the country. Students may also gain internship experiences with international museums such as the British Museum, the Norwegian and Danish Museums, the West African Museums Programme (WAMP), and other museums and institutions with which the Department and the University of Ghana have partnership agreements. Such avenues will provide immediate opportunities for the students to gain invaluable practical internships and experiences.