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BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad

  • UCAS code
    VV43
  • Typical offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2022/23 See 2021/22 entry
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years Other: including a placement year or year abroad
  • Year of entry
    2022/23 See 2021/22 entry
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years Other: including a placement year or year abroad

Our BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad will enable you to understand the societies and people of the past. On this course, you will have the opportunity to explore ancient Greece and Rome, join an archaeological dig, and study abroad.

Ancient History is the study of the Greek and Roman worlds over a period spanning from 2000 BC to around 600 AD; it covers parts of modern Africa, Asia and Europe. You will learn about these ancient worlds in their political, literary, social, cultural and religious contexts. 

At the University of Reading, our expertise in Archaeology starts with the earliest humans and spans up until the medieval period. We focus mainly on British, European and Near Eastern Archaeology, but explore other regions across the world. 

In the Department of Classics, our academics are at the forefront of their disciplines. Their research feeds directly into your studies, exposing you to the latest developments in the field. 

The Department of Archaeology is a research-intensive department, specialising in social and scientific archaeology. 97% of our research was judged to be of international standing in the Research Excellence Framework 2014. We also have an outstanding track record for student satisfaction, with scores consistently between 90%–100% for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey, 2010–2021.

If you are interested in studying abroad, you have the opportunity to spend a term at one of our partner universities in your second year, getting to know a new academic and cultural environment. You can also apply to study at the British School at Athens and the British School at Rome, which both offer summer school opportunities to University of Reading students.

Your first year is about discovery and experimentation. You will address important modern questions and trace them back to their roots, exploring different periods of ancient history through both literary and material sources. You can enhance your knowledge of the ancient world through optional Latin and Greek language modules, or deepen your understanding through hands-on experience with artefacts from the Ure Museum.

You will learn about burial archaeology, material culture, bioarchaeology (including human remains), forensics, past environments (including geoarchaeology), museums and gender archaeology. Core modules will provide you with a solid historical and archaeological grounding and optional modules will allow you to explore the different periods, cultures and countries that interest you. Popular modules taken by students on this degree include The Ancient World on Film and Rome's Mediterranean empire.

Study year abroad

This four-year degree course includes a placement or a year's study at a university abroad in your third year, giving you the opportunity to develop valuable professional and international experience.

Opportunities are available working across the archaeological, heritage, planning and museum sectors including: research institutions, government organisations, local planning authorities, archaeological consultancies, field units, specialists and archivists. History teaching staff also have links to specific areas of interest such as Cliveden, Historic England, Reading Museum, Reading Borough Libraries and the Museum of Rural English Life (MERL). Alternatively you can choose a placement in a non-related business or industry, exploring different career options and enhancing your employability by drawing on the many non-vocational, transferable skills you obtain from an Ancient History and Archaeology degree.

Recent examples include:

  • Traineeship with Oxford Archaeology
  • Traineeship at the Field School
  • Archaeological science placement at QUEST, the University of Reading’s scientific consultancy company
  • Volunteering at the Ure Museum, Cole Museum of Zoology and the Museum of English Rural Life
  • Human remains placement
  • Mediterranean Palaeoclimate Project placement
  • Hominin Skeletal Morphology placement
  • Archaeological Graphics placement
  • Lithics Reference Collection placement
  • “Developing Experimental Archaeology for Research and Training” placement
  • “The Ecology of Crusading: Isotope Analysis and Faunal Remains” placement
  • Summer Enterprise Experience and Discovery internship scheme

Our Department has a dedicated member of staff in charge of placements, who can provide you with advice and support.

Students opting to undertake a standard three-year degree course will also have the opportunity to take a fully-credited placement or to spend a single term at one of our partner Universities abroad. Current options include the Universities of Malta, Aarhus (Denmark), and the University of Florida in Gainesville (USA).

More information on the placement and study abroad selection process.

 

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

New international students: £19,500

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.

Year abroad fees

If you spend a full year abroad, you will only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee for that year. For more information, please see our fees and funding pages or contact studyabroad@reading.ac.uk.

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.

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.

This joint degree can lead to a variety of careers. The course is an ideal foundation to begin your career in commercial archaeology, planning, heritage management and research, as well as disciplines such as teaching, business, publishing and marketing.

You will gain a broad range of subject-specific and transferable skills spanning the humanities and sciences. Employers consistently rank attitudes and aptitudes for work higher than any other factor, according to the CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey report 2019. Our curriculum is designed with this in mind, giving you not just knowledge in subjects you are passionate about, but also the qualities that employers really care about – qualities that are transferable to a diverse range of careers.

We have long-established, excellent relationships with employers within the archaeology, heritage and related sectors. Archaeology and Ancient History graduates from the University of Reading are represented among the staff of major employers such as Oxford Archaeology, Wessex Archaeology, Museum of London Archaeology, Natural History Museum, Environment Agency, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, GCHQ, University of Oxford and Sotherby’s. Some of our graduates have progressed into roles in the civil service and in teaching at both primary and secondary levels. Each year a number of graduates pursue further, higher study following graduation.