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2023/24
2024/25

BA Archaeology with Professional Placement

  • UCAS code
    V401
  • A level offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2024/25
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years
  • Year of entry
    2024/25
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years

Explore the material remains of past societies – from the first hominins millions of years ago to the modern day – and develop skills in the workplace with our accredited BA Archaeology with Professional Placement degree.

Choose the University of Reading

  • Top 100 in the world for Archaeology (QS World Rankings by Subject 2023)
  • Top 3 in the UK for teaching quality in Archaeology (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024)
  • 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)
  • 100% of students in the Department of Archaeology said our teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things (National Student Survey, 2023)
  • Overall, 97% of graduates from Archaeology are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation (based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2023, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21; includes all Archaeology responders).

Explore the archaeological past through diverse periods, topics and techniques

Learn how to investigate, interpret and present our human past through the study of artefacts, sites, landscapes and cultures. 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 issues that are critical to our shared global future, such as:

  • diets and health
  • climate and environmental change
  • inequality
  • migration and identity.

By studying human development through the ages, you’ll understand how the critical issues of today have roots in the past and how previous cultures tackled comparable problems.

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

  • the investigation of artefacts recovered through excavations and standing monuments
  • the rise of organised religion through to the Crusades
  • handling human remains to learn about burial archaeology
  • how climate and environmental change have impacted lives past and present
  • how stories about the past are conveyed through museums and the media
  • how ideas of gender are reflected and imposed through the material world.

Professional Placement

A professional placement allows you to apply – and increase – your academic knowledge while enhancing your employability. We encourage all our students to consider any placements that can equip them with skills to support them in their future careers.

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'll undertake your placement during the third year of your degree, returning to complete your final year of study in your fourth year.

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
  • museums and archives.

Alternatively, you may choose to complete a placement in a non-related industry to explore different career options and develop your skills.

Recent placement employers have included:

  • Oxford Archaeology
  • Thames Valley Archaeological Services
  • Archaeological Research Services
  • Ure Museum
  • Cole Museum of Zoology
  • The Museum of English Rural Life
  • QUEST, the University of Reading's scientific consultancy company
  • Durham Blue Coat C.E. aided Junior School
  • Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization
  • Signals (art and education charity).

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

As a placement student, you are responsible for finding your own placement. We have a dedicated placements team and member of staff in Archaeology who will provide you with advice and support throughout the process.

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

Accreditation

Our BA Archaeology with Professional Placement degree is accredited by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). The course was among the first to be recognised for providing key skills relevant to careers in the historic environment.

At Reading, you'll be offered student membership of CIfA, giving you access to their e-learning modules, specialist professional networks, and details of jobs in the profession. We also have close links with a number of local and national archaeological units and museums.

 

CIfA accreditation logo



A supportive, collaborative learning environment

Join the University of Reading’s Department of Archaeology, a community of passionate and inquisitive staff, students and alumni.

We're an international, research-intensive department with expertise that spans the sciences, humanities and social sciences. You’ll learn about global issues, enhanced by the latest developments and thinking within social and scientific archaeology.

You'll also have the chance to join RUined, a student-run society for those passionate about archaeology. RUined is a great way to meet people across Reading, build your network, and participate in events like club nights, quizzes, alcohol-free socials, and the annual summer and winter formals.

Field School and field trips

You will have the opportunity to put your learning into practice through your time with the Archaeology Field School. There, you will gain hands-on experience in all aspects of an archaeological excavation, including:

  • excavation
  • surveying
  • geophysics
  • mapping
  • planning
  • finds processing
  • studying ancient plant and animal remains.

Beyond the Field School, many of our modules include field trips to sites and museums around England. You’ll be encouraged to get involved with research excavations in the UK and Europe, spanning prehistoric monuments, Roman cities, and medieval castles.

Hands-on learning

Archaeology is not just about digging – it's an academic subject that will teach you valuable theoretical and practical skills. You’ll also have the opportunity to use specialist equipment and GIS (geographical information systems), work in laboratories, and access the University’s three on-campus museums.

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:

  • bioarchaeology
  • humanities-based archaeology
  • archaeological science.

Skills for life

Throughout your degree, you’ll gain a broad range of skills and experiences that are highly regarded by employers, including:

  • the ability to analyse and understand complex information
  • the ability to research and present findings in a coherent manner
  • empathy with others from diverse cultures, backgrounds and beliefs.

All our degree programmes include professional development training and further opportunities, supported by the University's dedicated Careers Service.

Study Abroad

Combine your studies with opportunities to study abroad, or take a year abroad with our four-year BA Archaeology with Study Year Abroad course.

Alternatively, you can study this course over three years by choosing our BA Archaeology degree.

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

New international students: £27,650

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.

Placement year fees

If you spend a full year on placement, 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 placements@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.

Archaeology is more than studying the past: it's a discipline that actively prepares 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.

  • Read how Rizwan Ahmad used the hands-on experiences he gained during his BA Archaeology course to pursue a career in archaeology and heritage.

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 and Resources, said: "For all the infrastructure projects the government is pushing forward... the country is anywhere from 500 to 1,000 archaeologists short."

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
  • Portable Antiquities Scheme.

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

  • NHS
  • Department for Culture, Digital, Media and Sport
  • The Metropolitan Police
  • The Daily Telegraph
  • Mott MacDonald (engineering consultancy)
  • Hargreaves Lansdown (financial consultancy)
  • Humanity First (charity).