MA in Archaeology?

Hello,

I graduated last summer with a BA in history. I enjoyed it a lot, but the problem is it doesn't really lead anywhere. For the longest time I wasn't sure where I wanted to go careers-wise (one of the reasons I, perhaps naively, chose a history degree in the first place), but eventually decided I wanted to work in the same vein as my degree and started looking into the museums/heritage sector. I've volunteered a lot over the last year and even managed to do an internship, but ultimately found the job market to be over-saturated and extremely competitive.

I'd still like to work in something heritage-related if possible and have been increasingly leaning towards archaeology. I've heard good things in terms of job prospects, particularly in commercial archaeology.

Archaeology hadn't factored much into my plans until recently because I assumed you would need to have studied it at undergraduate level, but I was pleasantly surprised to find archaeology MA programmes routinely take on people from related degrees (such as history).

My question is: is this worth pursuing? Will I be at a disadvantage (personally and/or professionally) not having any undergraduate experience or will I be able to pick things up on the MA?

Are there any archaeologists on here (undergrad or postgrad) who can shed some light? I'd also be grateful for any advice on the best choice of course, university, etc.

I did an MA in Egyptology. I don't work in commercial archaeology but some of my friends do. Let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for the response. I've got quite a few so I hope you don't mind.

What did you do at undergraduate level? If it was different/distantly related (e.g. history to archaeology), how did you find the transition? I presume there's a lot more practical/fieldwork aspects in Egyptology so I'd be interested to hear how you adjusted to that.

Are there any universities or courses you're aware of that are especially good for commercial archaeology? I'm currently leaning towards Higher Archaeological Practice MSc | University of Southampton - do you think this would be a good choice?

What do you hear from your friends in commercial archaeology? Does it sound like a good career?

What would you recommend I do in the meantime? I presume volunteering - do you know where I could find opportunities? I have some experience in museums and working with archaeology in that context, but no direct experience with digs, etc.

I've also heard field schools mentioned a lot, but not sure what these really are or how to go about finding them. Are they geared towards people with prior knowledge of archaeology or could I join as an outsider?