In this Guide
Learn the many ways you can extend your classroom experience to the real world.
- Take required Archaeology courses and explore other programs of interest.
- Attend the Meet the Prof Night and get to know your professors.
- Attend Dig Night to help determine the appropriate field school for you.
- Take required field school courses to prepare for future employment opportunities. Recent field schools have been carried out in Ontario at a 16th/17th-century Huron-Wendat village, the ancient city-state of Sikyon in Greece, and the biblical town of Nebo (Khirbat al-Mukhayyat) in Jordan.
- Enhance your academic experience at Laurier through professional one-on-one, online and peer-to-peer resources available through Academic Advising and Support.
- Explore courses in related areas of study and begin thinking about a specialization (e.g., Bioarchaeology, North American, Classical Archaeology).
- Take an advanced spring/summer field work course.
- Learn about research and instructional assistantship opportunities in Archaeology and Heritage Studies.
- If you’re thinking about applying to graduate school, talk with your professors and visit the Career Centre.
- Explore a range of research interests in archaeology and choose a personal favorite for your fourth-year capstone project.
- Submit a paper and/or attend an archaeology-related conference such as Council for Northeast Historical Archaeology (CNEHA), Ontario Archaeological Society (OAS), Forward into the Past (Laurier), Canadian Association for Biological Anthropology (CABA), or Archaeological Institute of America.
- Participate in the Schliemann Graduation Ceremony in which students, family, faculty and staff participate in an informal toast-and-roast held before convocation.
- Consider working in Cultural Resource Management and pursuing an archeological license.
- If you’re applying to graduate school, sign up for a scholarship proposal writing workshop and book a further education application appointment.
As an Archaeology and Heritage Studies student, you can:
- Join student clubs such as the Archaeology Society or the Laurier Ancient Music Society and build leadership skills through joining an executive team.
- Volunteer in a faculty member’s lab, local school or museum.
- Look for summer field work with cultural resource management organizations, museums and Parks Canada.
- Each year there are several instructional assistant positions available for senior undergraduates for lab and field courses.
Outside of your program, there are many co-curricular opportunities for you to participate in.
- Check out the Experience Catalogue for a full list of co-curricular experiences that are currently offered across campus.
- Volunteer with the Students’ Union (e.g., Laurier Orientation, Hawk Walk, EcoHawks, Food Bank, Emergency Response Team, Shinerama).
- Volunteer on campus with the Accessible Learning, Global Engagement, Sustainability Office, Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, WLU Student Publications and more.
- Get involved in the local community by volunteering off campus.
- Apply for on-campus jobs:
- Check Navigator frequently for job postings or contact individual departments directly.
- Search for job opportunities on the Students’ Union website.
- If you meet eligibility criteria, apply for the Laurier Work Study Program or International Student Work Experience Program.
- Attend Job Fairs to network with employers.
- Explore ways to get involved in research.
- Look into StartUp Lab opportunities for support in launching a new venture.
Job/Volunteer Search Tips
- While on-campus opportunities are posted year-round, recruitment often starts early! Start looking in the winter term for opportunities in the following academic year.
- Have your resumé and LinkedIn profile reviewed by Career Centre staff for both on and off-campus opportunities.
- Laurier offers a variety of co-curricular certificates that you can complete during your studies. Earn certificates in topics including academic development, professional development, wellness, leadership and career development.
- Participate in workshops, programming and events offered by the Career Centre, Gendered and Sexual Violence Prevention and Support, Laurier Library, the Centre for Student Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and more.
- Engage in the First-Year Leadership Program including Campus Councils and House Council and the Leadership Certificate.
- Connect with Global Engagement to learn about international options available to you including opportunities abroad and language and culture sharing programs.
Design Your Degree
These are a few popular academic opportunities which allow you to dive deeper into your major area of study or broaden your knowledge. See undergraduate options, minors and courses for more information.
Develop Your Knowledge and Skills
As a Laurier student, you will develop the following competencies through your curricular and co-curricular experiences.
Competency Framework
Competencies are categories of transferrable skills that appear on your online Experience Record to help you reflect on what you've learned from your experiences. The competencies include:
- Adaptability and Resiliency
- Collaboration and Teamwork
- Communication
- Creativity and Innovation
- Critical Thinking
- Digital Literacy
- Diversity and Intercultural Understanding
- Functional Knowledge
- Leadership
- Problem Solving
- Professional Attributes
- Self-Awareness
Functional Knowledge
You will develop functional knowledge in your program including:
- Acquire an understanding of the concept of stewardship in archaeology: preserving non-renewable cultural resources through policy, law and public education.
- Develop a professional ethos in archaeology that is engaged and integrative, and will enhance the operationalization of responsible scientific research.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the formation of the archaeological record and acquire skills to conduct archaeological excavation: how to record, investigate, analyze and interpret archaeological derived remains.
- Produce and express coherent, persuasive and innovative written studies (using relevant literature) with attention to academic integrity and respect for diversity, including contrary opinions and ideas.
- Acquire, digest and critically evaluate scholarly arguments, the assumptions behind them, and their theoretical and empirical components.
- Field school, laboratory and research opportunities provide skills and experience sought by employers in the Cultural Resource Management field – many graduates are successful in gaining employment in this field.
Discover Career Options
All your experiences at Laurier can help you prepare for your future. Attend Career Centre events and workshops or book a career consulting appointment to explore career and further education options.
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Pursuing Further Education
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Employed
16 Archaeology respondents from the 2024 Laurier Graduate Survey conducted by the Career Centre. Graduates were surveyed within 12 months of graduation. 6% of graduates were looking for employment when survey data collection ended.
Alumni Careers and Pathways
Sample Further Education Programs Within the First Year After Graduation
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Master’s Degree – Archaeology, Library and Information Science, Global Justice, Religion and Culture
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College Program – Museum Management and Curatorship, Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management
Sample Jobs Within the First Year After Graduation
- AI data trainer
- archaeologist field technician
- field liaison representative
- museum experience specialist
- project coordinator
- student teacher/interpreter
Careers Of Alumni Two to Five Years After Graduation
- archaeologist
- bioarchaeologist
- field director
- fund development coordinator
- geomatic specialist
- heritage cartographer
- heritage planner
- museum assistant curator
Career Options and Resources
Need some guidance on what you can do with your degree? Discover some career options and find resources to help guide you.
Career and Industry Options
- archaeology
- criminal justice
- cultural heritage/tourism
- education/teaching
- environment
- forensic science
- government
- historical education
- law/legal field
- media/digital media
- museum/archives/library
- non-profit/advocacy
- research/market analysis
- social policy
- urban planning/development
- writing/journalism/journalism
Career Resources
- Canadian Archaeological Association
- Ontario Archaeology Society
- Canadian Association of Physical Anthropologists
- Society for Historical Archaeology
- Earthworks-Jobs
- Canadian Museums Association
- Association of Canadian Archivists
- American Schools of Oriental Research
- The Classical Association of Canada
Your Experiences Tell Your Story
Share your story through your Laurier Experience Record. An interactive, shareable and official record of your hands-on experiences and learning opportunities at Laurier – the first of its kind in Canada!
Share Your Feedback
We'd love to hear from you. Complete the Laurier Experience Guide Feedback Survey to share your thoughts.