PhD programmes in archaeology involve substantial original research leading to the production of a thesis that constitutes a genuine contribution to knowledge. Archaeology students often undertake some form of fieldwork as part of their PhD, whether that be small-scale excavation, survey, rock art recording, working with museum collections and archives, or carrying out qualitative social research in the realm of heritage studies (e.g. conducting qualitative interviews or participant observation). The maximum length of the PhD thesis is 80,000 words. Assessment is based on the thesis and an oral examination. Supervision, research training and research environment: The PhD postgraduate programme is based on supervised independent research. The student-supervisor relationship thus sits at the heart of this programme. The breadth of supervision that we can offer is detailed on our website and in the Archaeology Postgraduate Brochure. Each student has a main supervisor, a co-supervisor and an additional panel member who acts as an independent reviewer. The Archaeology Postgraduate Officer provides more generic academic advice and support.