BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad

University of Reading

United Kingdom, Reading

University RankQS Ranking

173

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Home/United Kingdom/Reading /University of Reading/BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad

University of Reading

United Kingdom , Reading

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

PV16

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 25,850 / year

Next Intake September-2026

BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad

About

Take your first step towards a rewarding career in heritage – and gain international experience – with our BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad degree.

Choose the University of Reading

The University is in the top 100 in the world for Archaeology (QS World Rankings by Subject, 2024, Archaeology. The University of Reading is ranked 51-100 in the world).
Ranked 1st in the UK for environmental and ethical performance (People and Planet University League 2023/24)
In 2023, the University of Reading was the first ever winner of the Times Higher Education (THE) award for Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Leadership
Ranked 1st in the UK for research quality and research outputs in Archaeology (Times Higher Education Institutions Ranked by Subject, based on its analysis of REF 2021)
The University of Reading scored 1st for teaching quality in Archaeology and Forensic Science (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025).
97% of our students said teaching staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2024, 97.06% of responders from the Department of Archaeology)
Overall, 96% of graduates from Archaeology are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation. (Three-year average, based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022-2024, Graduate Outcomes Surveys 2019/20-2021/22; includes Full-time, UK domiciled, first degree Archaeology responders).
Our three on-site museums – including the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology – enable you to gain practical, hands-on experience.

At Reading, you will combine the study of museology with the excitement of archaeological discovery. You'll learn the core skills of curatorship: researching, analysing, cataloguing, interpreting and displaying museum objects, historic buildings and landscapes.

You will also benefit from the professional expertise of our Museum Studies staff. All of our lecturers are practising heritage professionals, including curators, conservators and archivists.

Explore how we understand and communicate the past

With our BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad degree, you'll explore archaeological techniques and gain practical training on museum practices, perspectives and ethics.

Your studies will explore our human past through material remains, spanning as far back as the first hominins millions of years ago. Our wide range of modules allows you to shape your own learning, focusing on the topics and periods that most interest you.

At Reading, you'll examine archaeological and heritage issues that are critical to our shared global future, including:

diets and health
identity and inequality
migration and environmental change
social and cultural differences.

You’ll learn how to investigate, interpret and present our human past through artefacts, sites, digital and museum exhibitions, and public engagement.

We’ll support you to develop a broad range of subject-specific and transferable skills that span the sciences, humanities and social sciences. Your learning can include:

the investigation of artefacts, monuments, and museum collections
the development of human societies from six million years ago to the present day
museum history, policies and ethics
the role of religion and gender in social change through different time periods
collections management and preparing exhibitions
interpreting archaeological subjects and objects for and with different audiences.

By studying human societies through time and investigating how we discuss and display them today, you'll understand how today's issues have roots in the past, and how previous cultures tackled comparable problems.

Study Abroad

A key component of this course is a year abroad that enables you to further your studies at one of our partner universities overseas.

We have a number of partner universities in Europe as well as opportunities farther afield. For details of our current exchanges, please visit our Study Abroad Find A University website and select ‘Archaeology’.

All classes are conducted in English and bursaries are available to help with travel and accommodation costs. Visit our Study Abroad website for more information, and to view the full list of current partner institutions.

Further information about studying abroad is available on our Important Information page.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.

Typical offer

BBB

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to your chosen degree you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme. Successful completion of this 1 year programme guarantees you a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. English language requirements start as low as IELTS 4.5 depending on progression degree and start date.

Learn more about our International Foundation programme

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

English Program Requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

Career

Museum Studies and Archaeology are more than studying material culture: they’re disciplines that actively prepare you for the job market. You’ll develop an impressive range of practical and academic skills, whether you want to move into the archaeology or heritage sectors or enter a wide range of other industries and careers.

Overall, 96% of graduates from Archaeology are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation. (Three-year average, based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2022-2024, Graduate Outcomes Surveys 2019/20-2021/22; includes Full-time, UK domiciled, first degree Archaeology responders)

Currently, there is a rising demand for archaeologists in the UK. More than 40 major infrastructure projects are planned over the next 17 years, and archaeologists are required for exploratory excavations and analysis before construction begins. In 2021 David Connolly, Director of British Archaeological Jobs & Resources, said: “For all the infrastructure projects the government is pushing forward…the country is anywhere from 500 to 1,000 archaeologists short.”

Read how Matthew Abel has used the skills he developed at Reading to pursue a career at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Previous Reading graduates have gone on to work within the archaeological and heritage sector for companies such as:

Museum of London Archaeology
Thames Valley Archaeological Services
Cambridge Archaeological Unit
Victoria and Albert Museum

Our graduates have also found careers with a diverse range of employers outside the heritage sector, including:

Mott MacDonald (engineering consultancy)
Hargreaves Lansdown (financial consultancy)
RPS Group

Many graduates from the Department of Archaeology have used their expertise across the humanities and sciences to enter careers such as teaching, policing, industry and commerce.

Based on HESA data © HESA 2020 - 2024, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017/18 - 2021/22; includes undergraduate responders from the Department of Archaeology.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 25,850

Application Fee

GBP

How to Apply

You can apply online for all of our courses, including courses with an Integrated Foundation Year, via the national admissions service, UCAS. You can choose to apply for up to five courses in total, including more than one course at the same institution.

1. Find a course

Browse our undergraduate courses and identify which ones you'd like to apply for. Make sure to check your course's entry requirements before you apply.

2. Begin your application

Our UCAS code is R12. The University does not have a campus code.

3. Write your personal statement

As part of your application, you'll be asked to submit a personal statement to support your application. This is your opportunity to tell us more about why you want to study the course and what interests, skills and experience you have that demonstrate your passion for the subject.

4. Submit your application

When you're happy with your application and have added the required information such as qualifications, personal statement and reference, you can submit your application.

A small charge is made by UCAS for applying to university. The application fee for 2024 entry is £27.50 for up to five choices.

Make sure to check the UCAS website for the most up-to-date application deadlines. If you have missed the January deadline, there is still the opportunity to apply (via UCAS), and we are happy to consider late applications until 30 June 2024 (all applications received after 30 June are entered into Clearing). Please be aware that some of our courses may be full after the January UCAS deadline, so we recommend early applications where possible.