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BA ARCHAEOLOGY AND CLASSICAL STUDIES WITH PROFESSIONAL PLACEMENT

  • UCAS code
    QV88
  • Typical offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2022/23
    See 2021/22 entry
  • Course duration
     4 years
  • Year of entry
    2022/23
    See 2021/22 entry
  • Course duration
     4 years
View all

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Find out how we're adapting during COVID-19.

Our BA Archaeology and Classical Studies with Professional Experience course offers an in-depth study of the Ancient World and its literature.

Delivered jointly by the Department of Archaeology and the Department of Classics, this course provides a complementary balance of archaeology and classical studies.

The Classical Studies element of the course provides a broad exposure to the literature, history, and culture of the Greek and Roman worlds, which sit at the heart of modern Western civilisation. Your literary modules, studied in translation, include poetry, tragic and comic drama, and cover broad themes such as love, loss, duty, war and peace. There is also the opportunity to discover how the ancient world has influenced modern literature and culture, and to study other aspects of the ancient past such as its art – including through first-hand access to our own unique collection of Greek and Egyptian antiquities. In 2020. the Department of Classics achieved a 88% satisfaction score in the National Student Survey, and 100% of our research impact has been recognised as world leading or internationally excellent in the Research Excellence Framework 2014.

The Department of Archaeology is ranked in the top 10 UK universities for Archaeology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2019). Our expertise 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. You will learn about burial archaeology, material culture, bioarchaeology (including human remains), forensics, past environments (including geoarchaeology), museums and gender archaeology. You'll also benefit from our dedicated Archaeology building and specialist equipment, and learn in purpose-built laboratories.

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, 2010-2020.

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.

Placement

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. You can also combine the two options by spending one semester studying abroad and then undertaking a half-year professional placement abroad or back in the UK.

We provide opportunities for you to undertake placements in a variety of contexts. Placements are an excellent way to enhance your work-related skills and develop a network of contacts, as well as strengthen your employability prospects.

Past students have undertaken work placements in a charity, a barristers' chambers and within a division of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Opportunities are also 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. 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 Archaeology and Classical Studies degree.

Previous placement 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

Both the Archaeology and Classics Departments have 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).

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

Overview

Our BA Archaeology and Classical Studies with Professional Experience course offers an in-depth study of the Ancient World and its literature.

Delivered jointly by the Department of Archaeology and the Department of Classics, this course provides a complementary balance of archaeology and classical studies.

The Classical Studies element of the course provides a broad exposure to the literature, history, and culture of the Greek and Roman worlds, which sit at the heart of modern Western civilisation. Your literary modules, studied in translation, include poetry, tragic and comic drama, and cover broad themes such as love, loss, duty, war and peace. There is also the opportunity to discover how the ancient world has influenced modern literature and culture, and to study other aspects of the ancient past such as its art – including through first-hand access to our own unique collection of Greek and Egyptian antiquities. In 2020. the Department of Classics achieved a 88% satisfaction score in the National Student Survey, and 100% of our research impact has been recognised as world leading or internationally excellent in the Research Excellence Framework 2014.

The Department of Archaeology is ranked in the top 10 UK universities for Archaeology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2019). Our expertise 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. You will learn about burial archaeology, material culture, bioarchaeology (including human remains), forensics, past environments (including geoarchaeology), museums and gender archaeology. You'll also benefit from our dedicated Archaeology building and specialist equipment, and learn in purpose-built laboratories.

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, 2010-2020.

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.

Placement

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. You can also combine the two options by spending one semester studying abroad and then undertaking a half-year professional placement abroad or back in the UK.

We provide opportunities for you to undertake placements in a variety of contexts. Placements are an excellent way to enhance your work-related skills and develop a network of contacts, as well as strengthen your employability prospects.

Past students have undertaken work placements in a charity, a barristers' chambers and within a division of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Opportunities are also 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. 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 Archaeology and Classical Studies degree.

Previous placement 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

Both the Archaeology and Classics Departments have 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).

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

Entry requirements A Level BBB | IB 30 points overall

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.

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:

  • Texts, readers, and writers
  • Ancient song
  • Archaeology today: methods and practice
  • Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome

Optional modules include:

  • Forensic anthropology and the archaeology of death
  • Revolutions in human behaviour: 4 million years BC to the present
  • Contemporary world cultures: an introduction to social anthropology
  • Greek History: war, society, and change in the Archaic Age
  • Roman History: the rise and fall of the Republic
  • Economy, Politics and Culture in the Roman World
  • Introduction to Quaternary Science
  • Museum History, Policy and Ethics
  • Presenting the Past

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

For more information about this course, visit the Department of Archaeology's website.

Optional modules include:

  • Professional Practice
  • Ice and Fire: The European Palaeolithic
  • Medieval Europe: power, religion and death
  • Rome's Mediterranean Empire
  • Archaeology Fieldschool Joint Honours
  • Artefacts in Archaeology
  • Museum Learning and Engagement
  • Curatorship and Collections Management
  • Archaeologies: Past, Present and Future
  • Forensic Archaeology and Crime Scene Analysis
  • Archaeological Science
  • Summer Placement
  • Summer Micro-Placement
  • Late Quaternary Environmental Change and Human Activities
  • Bioarchaeology

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

For more information about this course, visit the Department of Archaeology's website.

Professional placement year.

Optional modules include:

  • Dissertation
  • Preparation for Dissertation in Classics
  • Dissertation in Classics
  • Independent Third Year Project
  • The Archaeology of Crusading
  • The Neanderthals
  • Emergence of Civilisation in Mesopotamia
  • Archaeology of the City of Rome
  • Human Activities in Settlements and Landscapes
  • Biological Anthropology
  • Coastal and Maritime Archaeology
  • Vikings in the West
  • Summer Placement
  • Tropical Rainforests, Climate and Lost Civilisations
  • Hidden Heritage: Investigating and interpreting historic buildings and landscapes
  • Ancient Greek 1
  • Latin 1 (C)
  • Archaeology and Topography of Ancient Greece

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

For more information about this course, visit the Department of Archaeology's website.

 

Fees

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

New international students: £19,500 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.

Careers

This joint degree can lead to a variety of careers. The course is an ideal foundation to begin your career in commercial archaeology, 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. Our curriculum is designed to give 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 Classical Studies 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, the 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.

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

Take the next step


How to apply

Come to an Open Day

Get a prospectus

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Related Courses

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    Full Time: 3 Years
  • BSc Archaeological Science F420
    Full Time: 3 Years
  • BA Ancient History and Archaeology VV41
    Full Time: 3 Years
  • BA Archaeology and History VV14
    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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CHOOSE A SUBJECT
2021/22
2022/23
Undergraduates
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Undergraduates
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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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