Numbers of undergraduates and graduates studying prehistoric archaeology, and medieval and post-medieval archaeology, in 2022

Abstract

As has been the case since 2019, the DGUF also surveyed the student and graduate numbers for Central European archaeology in Germany for 2022. This article documents the results of this survey. Extrapolated, there were approximately 112 subject-relevant BA degrees, 104 MA degrees and 49 doctorates in 2022. Compared to previous years, these are largely constant figures, which suggest similar numbers as a forecast for the years immediately ahead. The current figures on the economic situation of private archaeology in Germany (Siegmund, 2023) collected in a parallel survey, and an interpolation from the figures of the DISCO studies 2008 and 2012-14 for state archaeology together result in a labour demand of approx. 305 UFG and AMANZ graduates in 2023, compared to approx. 150
graduates. This disproportion not only indicates a problem for the employer side, but also points to the great opportunity to achieve an appropriate salary level especially in private sector archaeology.