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BA ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY WITH PROFESSIONAL PLACEMENT

  • UCAS code
    VL47
  • Typical offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2021
  • Course duration
     4 years
  • Year of entry
    2021
  • Course duration
     4 years
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Explore humanity from its earliest origins to the cultures and societies of today with our BA Archaeology and Anthropology with Professional Placement degree.

This four-year, joint honours course combines archaeology’s examination of material evidence from our past and present with anthropology’s focus on human development and contemporary cultures and societies. Studying these two disciplines together allows you insight and understanding of what it means to be human.

This understanding will be crucial in addressing issues critical to our shared global future, including:

  • the relationship between humans and environmental change
  • inequality, migration and identity
  • population growth and development
  • human diets and health
  • politics, economics and sustainability.

By examining human development, behaviour and different cultures, you will better understand the roots of these issues, and learn how other societies have tackled comparable problems – and how contemporary societies are addressing them now.

Using methodological approaches from the sciences, social sciences and humanities, you will examine the diversity of human experience. You will learn about the biological evolution of our earliest ancestors, the pre-historical and historical development of different cultures, and present-day ways of life and social issues.

During your studies you will analyse:

  • material culture
  • biological evidence
  • ethnographic evidence
  • theoretical and empirical perspectives from the past and present.

Professional Placement

A key component of this course is a fourth year so that you can complete a placement during your third year of study.

A professional placement allows you to apply – and increase – your academic knowledge while enhancing your employability.

Previous placement students have analysed samples in labs, processed human remains, worked on hominin skeletal morphology, drawn archaeological finds, conducted collections-based research, studied the ecology of the Crusades through isotope analysis and faunal remains, investigated paleoclimate records, and participated in castle excavations in Spain.

You can complete your placement with an employer in the UK or abroad, and take advantage of our connections with a range of organisations in the archaeological, heritage, planning and museum sectors, including:

  • research institutions
  • government organisations
  • local planning authorities
  • archaeological consultancies
  • field units
  • archivists.

Alternatively, you may choose to complete a placement in a non-related business or industry to explore different career options.

Recent placement employers have included:

  • Oxford Archaeology
  • Mediterranean Paleoclimate Project
  • Ure Museum
  • Cole Museum of Zoology
  • the Museum of English Rural Life
  • QUEST, the University of Reading’s scientific consultancy company.

In addition to your formal professional placement, you will also be encouraged to undertake short placements with local and regional employers during your studies.

For more information about securing and completing a placement for your placement year, please visit our Important Information page.

Studying at Reading

During your studies, you will work with academics from our Department of Archaeology – and other experts from our School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science – who are passionate about reconstructing our past to influence our future. For example,

  • Dr Mary Lewis analyses skeletal remains to uncover the health of past peoples
  • Professor Hella Eckardt is proving Britain’s long history of diversity
  • Dr Aleks Pluskowski is using environmental archaeology to provide a different perspective on the impact of religious change
  • Dr Alanna Cant studies how people make use of culture and the past in today’s world.

Our research directly informs what you learn at Reading, and it is highly regarded in the field: 97% of our research overall was judged to be world leading, internationally excellent, or internationally recognised, according the latest Research Excellence Framework, 2014.

We provide a welcoming, friendly community. Our staff are approachable and aim to create a supportive learning environment, and lively student-led societies like RUined (Reading University Archaeology Society) offer a variety of social events and activities.

Reading is ranked in the top 10 UK universities for Archaeology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2019), and we have an outstanding track record for student satisfaction, with scores consistently between 90-100% for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2010-2020.

Your learning environment

On this course you will learn through a combination of:

  • field classes and fieldwork projects
  • lectures and seminars
  • laboratory and other practical work
  • placements.

Depending on your module choices, methods of assessment can range from fieldwork diaries and laboratory-based practical tests to article critiques and presentations.

Your studies will encompass ethnographic approaches and case studies, and the study of social and scientific archaeology, including:

  • the investigation of artefacts recovered through excavation
  • the study of human bones (including osteology and palaeopathology)
  • the study of plant and animal remains
  • human-environment interaction
  • how climate and environmental change have affected lives past and present
  • religious, social, economic and political diversity around the world.

You will gain direct, hands-on experience in all aspects of an archaeological excavation through your time with the Archaeology Field School (currently run at Silchester Roman Town and Dunyvaig Castle on Islay). You will also be encouraged to get involved in other archaeological excavations in the UK and abroad, such as at prehistoric monuments, Roman cities, and medieval castles.

In addition to excavation skills, you will also learn about surveying, GIS (geographical information systems) mapping, planning, and finds processing. 

Specialist fieldwork equipment will enrich and support your learning, as will access to our extensive collections of artefacts, biological and geological specimens, analytical IT software facilities, and diverse suite of laboratories. You will also have access to our three on-site museums and the University’s special collections.

Through practical work you will be able to experience the excitement of discovery and have the chance to make a direct contribution through the creation of new archaeological and anthropological knowledge. 

Flexible study options

Tailor your degree to your interests with our range of optional modules and flexible pathway structure. For example, you can pursue pathways in:

  • cultural diversity
  • global development, inequality and sustainable living
  • biological and evolutionary anthropology
  • environmental and climatic change
  • material culture and heritage.

You can also choose to study this course over three years with our BA Archaeology and Anthropology. Other four year options include:

  • BA Archaeology and Anthropology with Study Year Abroad
  • BA Archaeology and Anthropology with Placement and Study Abroad

Overview

This four-year, joint honours course combines archaeology’s examination of material evidence from our past and present with anthropology’s focus on human development and contemporary cultures and societies. Studying these two disciplines together allows you insight and understanding of what it means to be human.

This understanding will be crucial in addressing issues critical to our shared global future, including:

  • the relationship between humans and environmental change
  • inequality, migration and identity
  • population growth and development
  • human diets and health
  • politics, economics and sustainability.

By examining human development, behaviour and different cultures, you will better understand the roots of these issues, and learn how other societies have tackled comparable problems – and how contemporary societies are addressing them now.

Using methodological approaches from the sciences, social sciences and humanities, you will examine the diversity of human experience. You will learn about the biological evolution of our earliest ancestors, the pre-historical and historical development of different cultures, and present-day ways of life and social issues.

During your studies you will analyse:

  • material culture
  • biological evidence
  • ethnographic evidence
  • theoretical and empirical perspectives from the past and present.

Professional Placement

A key component of this course is a fourth year so that you can complete a placement during your third year of study.

A professional placement allows you to apply – and increase – your academic knowledge while enhancing your employability.

Previous placement students have analysed samples in labs, processed human remains, worked on hominin skeletal morphology, drawn archaeological finds, conducted collections-based research, studied the ecology of the Crusades through isotope analysis and faunal remains, investigated paleoclimate records, and participated in castle excavations in Spain.

You can complete your placement with an employer in the UK or abroad, and take advantage of our connections with a range of organisations in the archaeological, heritage, planning and museum sectors, including:

  • research institutions
  • government organisations
  • local planning authorities
  • archaeological consultancies
  • field units
  • archivists.

Alternatively, you may choose to complete a placement in a non-related business or industry to explore different career options.

Recent placement employers have included:

  • Oxford Archaeology
  • Mediterranean Paleoclimate Project
  • Ure Museum
  • Cole Museum of Zoology
  • the Museum of English Rural Life
  • QUEST, the University of Reading’s scientific consultancy company.

In addition to your formal professional placement, you will also be encouraged to undertake short placements with local and regional employers during your studies.

For more information about securing and completing a placement for your placement year, please visit our Important Information page.

Studying at Reading

During your studies, you will work with academics from our Department of Archaeology – and other experts from our School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science – who are passionate about reconstructing our past to influence our future. For example,

  • Dr Mary Lewis analyses skeletal remains to uncover the health of past peoples
  • Professor Hella Eckardt is proving Britain’s long history of diversity
  • Dr Aleks Pluskowski is using environmental archaeology to provide a different perspective on the impact of religious change
  • Dr Alanna Cant studies how people make use of culture and the past in today’s world.

Our research directly informs what you learn at Reading, and it is highly regarded in the field: 97% of our research overall was judged to be world leading, internationally excellent, or internationally recognised, according the latest Research Excellence Framework, 2014.

We provide a welcoming, friendly community. Our staff are approachable and aim to create a supportive learning environment, and lively student-led societies like RUined (Reading University Archaeology Society) offer a variety of social events and activities.

Reading is ranked in the top 10 UK universities for Archaeology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2019), and we have an outstanding track record for student satisfaction, with scores consistently between 90-100% for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2010-2020.

Your learning environment

On this course you will learn through a combination of:

  • field classes and fieldwork projects
  • lectures and seminars
  • laboratory and other practical work
  • placements.

Depending on your module choices, methods of assessment can range from fieldwork diaries and laboratory-based practical tests to article critiques and presentations.

Your studies will encompass ethnographic approaches and case studies, and the study of social and scientific archaeology, including:

  • the investigation of artefacts recovered through excavation
  • the study of human bones (including osteology and palaeopathology)
  • the study of plant and animal remains
  • human-environment interaction
  • how climate and environmental change have affected lives past and present
  • religious, social, economic and political diversity around the world.

You will gain direct, hands-on experience in all aspects of an archaeological excavation through your time with the Archaeology Field School (currently run at Silchester Roman Town and Dunyvaig Castle on Islay). You will also be encouraged to get involved in other archaeological excavations in the UK and abroad, such as at prehistoric monuments, Roman cities, and medieval castles.

In addition to excavation skills, you will also learn about surveying, GIS (geographical information systems) mapping, planning, and finds processing. 

Specialist fieldwork equipment will enrich and support your learning, as will access to our extensive collections of artefacts, biological and geological specimens, analytical IT software facilities, and diverse suite of laboratories. You will also have access to our three on-site museums and the University’s special collections.

Through practical work you will be able to experience the excitement of discovery and have the chance to make a direct contribution through the creation of new archaeological and anthropological knowledge. 

Flexible study options

Tailor your degree to your interests with our range of optional modules and flexible pathway structure. For example, you can pursue pathways in:

  • cultural diversity
  • global development, inequality and sustainable living
  • biological and evolutionary anthropology
  • environmental and climatic change
  • material culture and heritage.

You can also choose to study this course over three years with our BA Archaeology and Anthropology. Other four year options include:

  • BA Archaeology and Anthropology with Study Year Abroad
  • BA Archaeology and Anthropology with Placement and Study Abroad

Entry requirements A Level BBB | IB 30 points overall

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we will guarantee you a place if you achieve one grade lower than the published offer.

Typical offer

BBB

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall

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.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM

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

Structure

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3
  • Year 4

Core modules include:

  • Archaeology Today: Methods and Practice
  • Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present
  • Forensic Anthropology and the Archaeology of Death
  • Contemporary World Cultures: An Introduction to Social Anthropology
  • Contemporary Issues in Human Geography

Optional modules include:

  • Museum History, Policy and Ethics
  • Introduction to Environmental Science
  • Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt & Rome

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Core modules include:

  • Archaeology and Heritage: Past, Present and Future
  • Changing the Face of the Earth: Archaeology, Climate and Sustainability
  • Professional Practice
  • Culture, Identity and Place

Optional modules include:

  • Forensic Archaeology and Crime Scene Analysis
  • Ancient Objects: Materials and Meanings
  • Bioarchaeology
  • Geographies of Development
  • Analysing Social Data
  • Corporate Social Responsibility Consultancy
  • Environment Governance for Sustainable Development

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Professional Placement

Core modules include:

  • Dissertation

Optional modules include:

  • Anthropology of Heritage and Cultural Property
  • The Archaeology and Anthropology of Money
  • The Archaeology and Anthropology of Food
  • Human Activities in Settlements and Landscapes
  • Drugs, Development and Democracy in Latin America
  • Climate Policy, Justice and Society
  • Global Justice, Labour and Development

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250* per year

New international students: £20,830 per year

*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government's guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Placement Year fees

If you spend a full year on placement – including professional and research placements and industrial experience – you'll pay a discounted tuition fee for that year.

For UK/Republic of Ireland students, the discounted fee is subject to parliamentary approval and is currently capped at £1,385.

For International students, the discount is 15% of your normal tuition fee.

For more information, please contact placements@reading.ac.uk.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Flexible courses (price per 10 credit module)

UK/Republic of Ireland students: £750

International students: £1275

* UK and EU Fee Changes

Subject to the Government passing legislation to raise the minimum fee cap, we will raise undergraduate tuition fees from £9,000 to £9,250 for new UK/EU students applying to start courses in the 2017/18 academic year. You will not be affected by this rise if you have deferred entry to the 2017/18 academic year. The Government will confirm future arrangements for EU students in due course.

The tuition fee will remain £9,000 per year for the full duration of this course if you start in the 2016/17 academic year or have accepted an offer but deferred your entry until the 2017/18 academic year. This is unlike other institutions who are planning to raise fees midway through courses.

For further information, please see our webpage on the Teaching Excellence Framework and future tuition fees.

Additional costs

These course fees cover the cost of your tuition. Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK and other EU countries may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Careers

Studying a joint honours degree in archaeology and anthropology means you will develop a broad range of subject-specific and transferable skills in the humanities and the sciences, preparing you for a diverse range of career opportunities.

The archaeology, heritage, education, public and not-for-profit sectors are popular choices for graduates of the archaeology and anthropology disciplines.

Roles within marketing, advertising, PR and the media require the communication and analytical skills you will develop during your studies. A career in insurance or the law is also possible, requiring the ability to formulate and articulate arguments based on facts – an ability that will be nurtured during your time at Reading.

Anthropology can be a path into international development (with governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations), agriculture, health, and social research, and social policy.

Archaeology, meanwhile, can lead to a career in commercial archaeology or the heritage sector, perhaps in a museum or archive, or you could take advantage of development-led archaeology opportunities in planning departments and commercial companies. We have long-established, excellent relationships with employers within the archaeology and related sectors, including Oxford Archaeology and Cotswold Archaeology, both of which regularly consider our graduates for vacancies.

Pursue your passion with Archaeology at Reading

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We make contextual offers for all our courses.

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    Full Time: 3 Years
  • BA Museum Studies and Archaeology PV14
    Full Time: 3 Years
View all Archaeology degree courses at University of Reading courses
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2020
2021
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Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teaching
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

Subjects A-B

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Science
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management, Accounting and Finance

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Drama
  • Ecology
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environment

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Foundation programmes
  • French
  • Geography
  • German
  • Graphic Communication and Design

Subjects H-M

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • International Development
  • International Foundation Programme (IFP)
  • International Relations
  • Italian
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Marketing
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Sciences
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Museum Studies

Subjects N-T

  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacology
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate Studies
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Surveying and Construction
  • Teaching
  • Theatre

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Animal Sciences
  • Archaeology
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Business (Post-Experience)
  • Business and Management (Pre-Experience)
  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Ancient History
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management and Engineering
  • Consumer Behaviour
  • Creative Enterprise

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Science
  • Film, Theatre and Television
  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Medieval History
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutritional Sciences
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

Subjects Q-Z

  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teaching
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

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