Skip to main content

University of Reading Cookie Policy

We use cookies on reading.ac.uk to improve your experience. Find out more about our cookie policy. By continuing to use our site you accept these terms, and are happy for us to use cookies to improve your browsing experience.

Continue using the University of Reading website

  • Schools and departments
  • Henley Business School
  • University of Reading Malaysia
  • Applicants
  • Student
  • Staff
  • Alumni
Show/Hide navigation
University of Reading University of Reading
Mobile search categories
  • Study and life
  • Research
  • About us
  • View courses
  • Home
  • Study and life
    • Study
    • Student life
    • Accommodation
    • Open Days and visiting
    • International students
  • Research
    • Themes
    • Impact
    • Innovation and partnerships
    • Research environment
    • Get involved
  • About us
    • Our global community
    • Business
    • Local community
    • Visit us
    • Strategy
    • Governance
    • Contact us
  • Applicants
  • Student
  • Staff
  • Alumni
  • Schools and departments
  • Henley Business School
  • University of Reading Malaysia
  • View courses
mask
CHOOSE A SUBJECT
2022/23
2023/24
Undergraduates
Postgraduates
Undergraduates
Postgraduates

Subjects H-P

  • Healthcare
  • Pharmacy
  • Physician Associate

Subjects A-B

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

Subjects C-E

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

Subjects F-G

  • Film & Television
  • Finance
  • Food
  • 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 & Performance

Subjects U-Z

  • Wildlife Conservation
  • Zoology

Subjects A-C

  • Accounting
  • 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
  • Creative Writing

Subjects D-G

  • Data Science
  • Economics
  • Education
  • Energy and Environmental Engineering
  • Engineering
  • English Language and Applied Linguistics
  • English Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
  • 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
  • Marketing
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • 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
  • Teacher training
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement

  • UCAS code
    PV15
  • Typical offer
    BBB
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years
  • Year of entry
    2023/24
  • Course duration
    Full Time:  4 Years

Combine the study of museology with the excitement of archaeological discovery – and put skills into practice with an integrated placement year – with our BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement degree.

Take your first steps towards a rewarding career in heritage – learning the core skills of curatorship, such as researching, analysing, cataloguing, interpreting and displaying museum objects, historic buildings and landscapes – at the University of Reading. This four-year course includes an integrated placement year between your second and final years of study.

Your studies will provide you with opportunities to gain practical, hands-on experience at our three on-site museums – including the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology – and special collections. Alongside this, you'll explore our human past through material remains, spanning as far back as the first hominins millions of years ago.

Additionally, you will benefit from the hands-on expertise of our Museum Studies’ staff. Our lecturers are all practising professionals, including curators, conservators and archivists, and use a combination of problem-solving and enquiry-based learning techniques in their teaching. You will be given the opportunity to conduct your own research throughout the course, and in your final year you will design, create and evaluate your own exhibition.

You’ll join a friendly, inclusive community, where staff are passionate about supporting you to succeed. Our Department of Archaeology has an outstanding track record for student satisfaction, with scores consistently between 90-100% for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2010-2022, with Archaeology achieving the highest score for overall student satisfaction in the UK in 2022. 

Professional placement

This four-year course features a year-long professional placement between your second and final years of study. It’s an opportunity to enhance your work-related skills, develop a network of contacts, and strengthen your employability prospects.

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
  • 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.

We have a dedicated member of staff in charge of placements, who can provide you with advice and support.

What you will study

Your studies will span a variety of topics and modules, including:

  • investigating artefacts recovered both through excavation and standing monuments
  • handling human remains to learn about burial archaeology
  • examining how ideas of gender are reflected and imposed through the material world
  • discovering how environmental change has impacted on lives past and present
  • critically evaluating the role of museums as a place of learning and engagement
  • communicating to an audience through the use of artefacts
  • examining the theories behind museums and their role in society.

Additionally, you'll be encouraged to research the environment that artefacts are displayed in, how they are catalogued, and the meanings that they hold for different audiences. You will learn how to design, create and evaluate your own exhibitions, and gain practical experience in activities such as digitising collections, cataloguing and archiving.

Fieldwork experience

During your studies, you will have the opportunity to participate in our Archaeology Field School.

This is an opportunity to gain direct, hands-on experience in all aspects of an archaeological excavation, contribute to new archaeological knowledge through discovery, and put a variety of skills into practice, such as:

  • excavation
  • surveying
  • GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping
  • planning
  • finds processing.

You will also be encouraged you to get involved with archaeological excavations in the UK and Europe, such as prehistoric monuments, Roman cities and medieval castles.

Study abroad

Broaden your horizons and experience study and life in a different country by spending one term abroad at one of our partner universities in Europe and the US. These may include:

  • Aarhus University in Denmark
  • the University of Florida
  • the University of Malta
  • the University of Torun in Poland.

Alternatively, you could choose the four-year version of this degree featuring a full year of study abroad during your third year.

Overview

Combine the study of museology with the excitement of archaeological discovery – and put skills into practice with an integrated placement year – with our BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement degree.

Take your first steps towards a rewarding career in heritage – learning the core skills of curatorship, such as researching, analysing, cataloguing, interpreting and displaying museum objects, historic buildings and landscapes – at the University of Reading. This four-year course includes an integrated placement year between your second and final years of study.

Your studies will provide you with opportunities to gain practical, hands-on experience at our three on-site museums – including the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology – and special collections. Alongside this, you'll explore our human past through material remains, spanning as far back as the first hominins millions of years ago.

Additionally, you will benefit from the hands-on expertise of our Museum Studies’ staff. Our lecturers are all practising professionals, including curators, conservators and archivists, and use a combination of problem-solving and enquiry-based learning techniques in their teaching. You will be given the opportunity to conduct your own research throughout the course, and in your final year you will design, create and evaluate your own exhibition.

You’ll join a friendly, inclusive community, where staff are passionate about supporting you to succeed. Our Department of Archaeology has an outstanding track record for student satisfaction, with scores consistently between 90-100% for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey 2010-2022, with Archaeology achieving the highest score for overall student satisfaction in the UK in 2022. 

Professional placement

This four-year course features a year-long professional placement between your second and final years of study. It’s an opportunity to enhance your work-related skills, develop a network of contacts, and strengthen your employability prospects.

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
  • 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.

We have a dedicated member of staff in charge of placements, who can provide you with advice and support.

Learning

What you will study

Your studies will span a variety of topics and modules, including:

  • investigating artefacts recovered both through excavation and standing monuments
  • handling human remains to learn about burial archaeology
  • examining how ideas of gender are reflected and imposed through the material world
  • discovering how environmental change has impacted on lives past and present
  • critically evaluating the role of museums as a place of learning and engagement
  • communicating to an audience through the use of artefacts
  • examining the theories behind museums and their role in society.

Additionally, you'll be encouraged to research the environment that artefacts are displayed in, how they are catalogued, and the meanings that they hold for different audiences. You will learn how to design, create and evaluate your own exhibitions, and gain practical experience in activities such as digitising collections, cataloguing and archiving.

Fieldwork experience

During your studies, you will have the opportunity to participate in our Archaeology Field School.

This is an opportunity to gain direct, hands-on experience in all aspects of an archaeological excavation, contribute to new archaeological knowledge through discovery, and put a variety of skills into practice, such as:

  • excavation
  • surveying
  • GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping
  • planning
  • finds processing.

You will also be encouraged you to get involved with archaeological excavations in the UK and Europe, such as prehistoric monuments, Roman cities and medieval castles.

Study abroad

Broaden your horizons and experience study and life in a different country by spending one term abroad at one of our partner universities in Europe and the US. These may include:

  • Aarhus University in Denmark
  • the University of Florida
  • the University of Malta
  • the University of Torun in Poland.

Alternatively, you could choose the four-year version of this degree featuring a full year of study abroad during your third year.

Entry requirements A Level BBB

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

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

Structure

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

Compulsory modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Archaeology today: methods and practice

Code:

AR1MET

Convenor:

MS Amanda Clarke

Summary:

The module provides a comprehensive introduction to the main methods and practices currently employed in modern archaeology, both in archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation analysis. It is taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars, practicals and a residential field class. It is assessed entirely by coursework.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Oral 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Museum History, Policy and Ethics

Code:

MC1HPE

Convenor:

DR Rhi Smith

Summary:

This module explores and critically analyses the historical, political and ethical factors which influence contemporary museum practice. It investigates topics such as the origins of museums, collecting histories, social justice, repatriation, hidden voices, decolonisation, inclusivity, and the role of different audiences in curation. Case studies and museological theory are used to debate the role of museums in modern society. Students take part in lectures, seminars and museum visits and work is assessed through one coursework essay and a groupwork online resource.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Presenting the Past

Code:

MC1PP

Convenor:

DR Rhi Smith

Summary:

Museum display environments create representations of the past through a complex process of design, curatorship, and interpretation. This module uses museological theory and practice to interrogate the way that heritage organisations present the past to the public.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
AR1MET Archaeology today: methods and practice MS Amanda Clarke
MC1HPE Museum History, Policy and Ethics DR Rhi Smith
MC1PP Presenting the Past DR Rhi Smith

Optional modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt & Rome

Code:

AR1EMP

Convenor:

PROF Roger Matthews

Summary:

This module introduces the archaeology and historical context of the world’s early empires, dating from 2500 BC to AD 395. We focus on the great empires of ancient Mesopotamia (Akkad, Babylonia and Assyria), Egypt, the Persian Achaemenid Empire and the Roman Empire. We will review other imperial entities of the world, including examples from China and the Far East, and the Americas. We will examine special themes relevant to the topic of empires, including ideology, imperial cult, trade, urbanisation, warfare, agriculture and the everyday lives of imperial subjects. You will study the rise and fall of some of the greatest, and the most fearsome, socio-political entities to have existed on our planet.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Practical 10%, Report 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Forensic Anthropology and the Archaeology of Death

Code:

AR1FOR

Convenor:

DR Ceri Falys

Summary:

This module investigates the archaeological methods employed in the scientific study of the dead, both from modern crime scenes and within older archaeological contexts. You will have the opportunity to analyse skeletal remains, and carry out fieldwork in the form of a cemetery survey, learning how to analyse and interpret these results. Through a series of case studies, you will explore the role of forensic archaeologists and anthropologists (working within the context of the ethics, law and politics) behind the examination of human remains.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Report 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present

Code:

AR1REV

Convenor:

PROF Steve Mithen

Summary:

This module investigates the development of human society from a long-term and global perspective. It traces the human journey from our earliest ancestors of c. 4 million years ago to the present day. The module considers the key revolutions and transitions that have affected human thought, behaviour and society, focussing on the evidence from material culture. Key themes include: human evolution, the development of complex societies, the inventions of metallurgy and writing, the industrial and agricultural revolutions, and globalisation. The module is taught by  a combination of online lectures, face-to-face seminars and lectures, practical classes and a field trip.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Contemporary world cultures: an introduction to social anthropology

Code:

AR1SOC

Convenor:

DR Alanna Cant

Summary:

This module provides a general introduction to social anthropology, the study of human societies and cultures. It will introduce you to major themes in the discipline of anthropology through focused study on topics that may include: kinship and marriage, gender and sexuality, the roles of religion, ritual and witchcraft in modern life, the concepts of ethnicity and race, and contemporary hunting and gathering societies. The module will also consider how anthropology can help us understand key issues in today’s world, such as ethnicity, race and decolonisation, and the role that work and consumption play in forming identities. Teaching is focused on real-world case studies from different cultures and regions around the globe, including the research expertise of the lecturer(s). 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Set exercise 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Towards Sustainability: Positive action for a better world

Code:

AP1A34

Convenor:

PROF Julian Park

Summary:

This is a 10 credit University-Wide module offered at Part 1 the aim of which is to better understand the sustainability challenges facing the world and to consider the positive actions that can be taken either collectively or at the individual level that aids the sustainability agenda. The module will consist of lectures, case studies, discussions and speakers from external organisations as well as  a group project work. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Oral 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to Management

Code:

AP1SB1

Convenor:

PROF Julian Park

Summary:

This module provides a contemporary and comprehensive introduction to management science and its relevance to businesses. Interactive in-class activities and the use of online apps will help you learn techniques for inspiring teamwork in an organisation context, discover the importance of strategic management design for achieving an organisation's goals, and understand the roles of the manager and the responsibilities this carries. You will also have a range of opportunities to gain hands-on practising decision making through case studies. Furthermore, develop your leadership skills to motivate and guide a team towards the achievement of an organisation’s objectives.  

Assessment Method:

Class test 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Ancient Greek 1

Code:

CL1G1

Convenor:

PROF Amy Smith

Summary:

This module aims to teach students some elements of the Ancient Greek language and give them skills to read Ancient Greek at an elementary level.

Assessment Method:

Class test 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Greek History: war, society, and change in the Archaic Age

Code:

CL1GH

Convenor:

PROF Amy Smith

Summary:

This module will introduce students to a period of Greek history too often neglected in first-year study, one which established the foundations of the Classical World and saw the emergence of political and social forms still influential today. Starting in the eighth century BC and ending with the Persian invasions of Greece in the early fifth, the module tracks the upheavals, innovations and conflicts of the age, across Greece and beyond.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Class test 60%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Latin 1 (C)

Code:

CL1L1

Convenor:

MRS Jackie Baines

Summary:

This module aims to teach students some elements of the Latin language and give them skills to read Latin at an elementary level.

Assessment Method:

Class test 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Roman History: the rise and fall of the Republic

Code:

CL1RH

Convenor:

DR Andreas Gavrielatos

Summary:

This module investigates the mid- and late Republican history of Rome (2nd century BC to late first century BC), a period marked by profound socio-political changes which ultimately led to the crisis of the Republican institutions. It introduces students to the main types of evidence for ancient history and to modern methodological approaches.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Class test 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Ancient Song

Code:

CL1SO

Convenor:

PROF Ian Rutherford

Summary:

This module introduces students to the lyric poetry of ancient Greece and Rome, studying authors from both civilisations and considering a range of thematic approaches to the surviving corpus of poetry. It is intended to be suitable for beginners and for those who have studied some ancient literature before; there is no language requirement, but there will be an opportunity for students who do have relevant skills to employ them in their coursework and exams.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Texts, Readers, and Writers

Code:

CL1TR

Convenor:

PROF Eleanor Dickey

Summary:

This module explores the history of texts, reading, and writing in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds. We shall look at literature, papyri, inscriptions, letters, Linear B, etc. Attention will also be given to the invention of the alphabet and to ancient writing materials and technologies. No knowledge of Latin, ancient Greek, or the ancient world more generally is required.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 50%, Set exercise 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

The Economics of Climate Change

Code:

EC110

Convenor:

DR Stefania Lovo

Summary:

The module will offer an economic perspective on the causes and consequences of climate change. It will provide an introduction to key theoretical concepts, such as externalities and public goods, and to the policy tools available to devise adequate responses to climate change, such as command and control measures, taxation and subsidies. The module will also introduce national and international policy approaches in dealing with climate change and provide an overview of their implications for economic development.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Class test 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Comedy on Stage and Screen

Code:

FT1CSS

Convenor:

DR Simone Knox

Summary:

This module gives you the opportunity to study comedy on stage and screen, encompassing film, television, theatre and stand-up comedy. You will engage with the relevant critical vocabulary and contextual knowledge to explore how humour is created, consumed and debated, across a range of genres and practices. Case studies may include classic and contemporary film comedies (e.g. screwball comedy, black comedy); musical comedies (e.g. The Book of Mormon); stand-up comedy (e.g. Ali Wong, Hannah Gadsby); sitcoms (e.g. Friends); or the work of specific creative practitioners (e.g. Joe Orton). 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Set exercise 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Journeys through History 1:Power and People

Code:

HS1JH1

Convenor:

DR Daniel Renshaw

Summary:

This module offers an introduction to the political and social history of Europe and the world in the last millennium. The module is compulsory for all Part 1 History students on both single subject and joint honours programmes.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Journeys through History 2: Culture and Concepts'

Code:

HS1JH2

Convenor:

PROF Anne Lawrence

Summary:

This module offers an introduction to the cultural history of Europe and the world in the last millennium, and to important concepts used by historians. The module is compulsory for all Part 1 History students on both single subject and joint honours programmes.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Set exercise 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to Linguistics

Code:

ML1IL

Convenor:

MR Federico Faloppa

Summary:

This module aims to familiarise students with principles in general linguistics, and to give students an overall picture of what a language is, how it works, and what its main structures are, with a particular focus on French, German, Italian and Spanish. It will also provide useful meta-linguistic competence which can be applied to the study of any other language.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Oral 20%, Set exercise 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Global Justice

Code:

PP1GJ

Convenor:

DR Shalini Sinha

Summary:

Global traditions of philosophy  from the Buddha and Confucius to Simone Weil, Frantz Fanon, Martin Luther King Jr., and African and Native American thinkers advocate ideas of justice and freedom that extend far beyond contemporary conceptions. This course shows how these thinkers question our  ideas of justice, and  transform how we approach injustice and freedom in the  context of race and colonialism, nature and  indigenous communities, identity  and sexuality, family and polity, through radically different conceptions of freedom and violence,  love, equality and harmony.

Some of the claims we will examine include: Justice is freedom from suffering!  Revolutionary violence is cathartic and emancipatory! Political justice  requires mental training! Nature is alive and has rights! Gender and sexual freedom are gained by  dissolving bodily boundaries!  Truth lies in pleasure! Justice is  love! Social justice comes with harmonising differences! 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Class test 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

What the font? Making and using typefaces

Code:

TY1WTF

Convenor:

DR Rob Banham

Summary:

You are surrounded by fonts. Social media, text messages, email, branding, advertising, websites, books, magazines … Human (and machine) communication relies extensively on fonts, but what do you really know about them? How and why are new fonts created? And is it ever OK to use comic sans?! This module will introduce you to the world of typeface design, exploring the history, theory, and practice of making and using fonts and giving you the opportunity to design a typeface of your own. No background in design is required.

Assessment Method:

Set exercise 50%, Project 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
AR1EMP Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt & Rome PROF Roger Matthews
AR1FOR Forensic Anthropology and the Archaeology of Death DR Ceri Falys
AR1REV Revolutions in Human Behaviour: 4 Million Years BC to the Present PROF Steve Mithen
AR1SOC Contemporary world cultures: an introduction to social anthropology DR Alanna Cant
AP1A34 Towards Sustainability: Positive action for a better world PROF Julian Park
AP1SB1 Introduction to Management PROF Julian Park
CL1G1 Ancient Greek 1 PROF Amy Smith
CL1GH Greek History: war, society, and change in the Archaic Age PROF Amy Smith
CL1L1 Latin 1 (C) MRS Jackie Baines
CL1RH Roman History: the rise and fall of the Republic DR Andreas Gavrielatos
CL1SO Ancient Song PROF Ian Rutherford
CL1TR Texts, Readers, and Writers PROF Eleanor Dickey
EC110 The Economics of Climate Change DR Stefania Lovo
FT1CSS Comedy on Stage and Screen DR Simone Knox
HS1JH1 Journeys through History 1:Power and People DR Daniel Renshaw
HS1JH2 Journeys through History 2: Culture and Concepts' PROF Anne Lawrence
ML1IL Introduction to Linguistics MR Federico Faloppa
PP1GJ Global Justice DR Shalini Sinha
TY1WTF What the font? Making and using typefaces DR Rob Banham

These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Compulsory modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Ancient objects: materials and meanings

Code:

AR2FAO

Convenor:

DR Rob Hosfield

Summary:

The module is designed to give you a deeper understanding of how artefacts are recorded, analysed and interpreted as a cornerstone of archaeological practise.  The module will expose you to a wide range of artefactual materials covering at least two different chronological periods (e.g. prehistoric, Roman and/or medieval) grounded in hands-on teaching and assessment techniques.  There are also options covering methodological aspects (e.g. the illustration of artefacts and the application of cutting-edge scientific techniques to record and interpret ancient objects). In addition to developing your expertise in the handling, recording and analysis of artefacts, the module will challenge you to think about how the study of artefacts can contribute to an understanding of fundamental archaeological themes such as social identity, cultural interaction, technology and trading systems.  

Assessment Method:

Report 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Archaeology and heritage: past, present and future

Code:

AR2TAH

Convenor:

PROF Duncan Garrow

Summary:

This module focuses on how and why archaeologists have excavated and interpreted the material remains of past societies over time (from some of the earliest interpretations of the past in the ancient Near East and Classical Greece and Rome to the modern day). It also looks at the evolution of ideas through time, investigating how wider society has changed archaeology, and how heritage has the capacity to transform the world in different ways. The module is global in outlook and international in scope. As well as outlining the history of archaeology, the module also explores many of the key theoretical approaches that archaeologists are currently using to interpret the past, including anthropology. The module also looks at a series of case studies, focusing on work currently being carried out in the Department which demonstrates how archaeology and heritage can impact upon wider society in different ways. One of the central aims of the module is also to consider where the discipline’s ideas might go in future. The kinds of issue the module will cover include: the development of the discipline from 18th century Antiquarian treasure-hunting to 21st century post-modern ideas; theories of evolution; the relationship between archaeology and anthropology; sex, gender and identity; ethnicity; materiality; the power of objects; the ethical implications of doing archaeology; and heritage management.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Oral 15%, Set exercise 15%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Break into the Museum: Work Placement

Code:

MC2BM

Convenor:

DR Rhi Smith

Summary:

This module consists of an assessed work placement of at least 70-hours in a museum. A series of workshops and tasks will prepare students to get the most from their placement. Students will be assessed on two written tasks and a presentation reflecting critically on knowledge and skills acquired during the placement and on the museum or collection where they have been based. The placement provider will also write a report on their performance during the placement.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 50%, Oral 10%, Report 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Curatorship and Collections Management

Code:

MC2CCM

Convenor:

DR Rhi Smith

Summary:

A practical introduction to researching, cataloguing, interpreting and displaying museum objects. The module is based on work with objects from the University of Reading's collections. Students will choose one object from the stores, and are assessed on three assignments based on researching, labelling and displaying the object.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Museum Learning and Engagement

Code:

MC2LE

Convenor:

DR Rhi Smith

Summary:

This module critically examines the learning role of museums in society. Students are introduced to learning theory, programme and event management, while also learning about resource design, evaluation, and visitor research. During the course students will hear from museum-based learning and engagement professionals and observe and evaluate learning resources and events. Interactive lectures, seminars and museum visits encourage students to contextualise and apply learning. Work is assessed through design and planned evaluation of a learning resource, evaluation of an educational event, and an analysis of a museum's learning programme.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
AR2FAO Ancient objects: materials and meanings DR Rob Hosfield
AR2TAH Archaeology and heritage: past, present and future PROF Duncan Garrow
MC2BM Break into the Museum: Work Placement DR Rhi Smith
MC2CCM Curatorship and Collections Management DR Rhi Smith
MC2LE Museum Learning and Engagement DR Rhi Smith

Optional modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Archaeology Fieldschool Joint Honours

Code:

AR2F13

Convenor:

MS Amanda Clarke

Summary:

This module offers a practical hands-on introduction to the field techniques and site recording methods used on both urban and rural excavations. Through the excavation and recording of the monuments and sites within a prehistoric, roman, medieval and post-medieval landscape, students will learn about major archaeological monuments within their urban and rural contexts. Students will spend 2 weeks on the excavation and during this time will be able to participate in most aspects of site work, including excavation, finds and sample processing, survey, and coring. There will be dedicated training sessions and the opportunity for students to focus on particular fieldwork and transferable skills. Students will be assessed by a combination of continuous assessment (including regular formative feedback on practical and transferable skills), an online short answer quiz on practising archaeology, and an on-site verbal and written test.

Assessment Method:

Practical 70%, Set exercise 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Forensic Archaeology and Crime Scene Analysis

Code:

AR2F17

Convenor:

PROF Mary Lewis

Summary:

Through lectures, activities, videos and reading students will be able to understand the theory behind certain forensic and archaeological practices, when and why they are used, and shown the process by which these are undertaken.

Assessment Method:

Report 70%, Class test 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Professional Practice

Code:

AR2F20

Convenor:

MS Amanda Clarke

Summary:

This module aims to encourage students to consider the possible career paths open to them based upon the skills and experience gained as part of their Archaeology degree, and their individual interests, aspirations, values and motivations.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 40%, Portfolio 60%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Medieval Europe: power, religion and death

Code:

AR2M8

Convenor:

DR Gabor Thomas

Summary:

This single-term module gives students an overview of how archaeology has changed our understanding of European society over the course of the ‘Long Middle Ages’ (5th-16th centuries AD). It comprises 10 weekly sessions involving a combination of teacher-led content with student-led discussions, is assessed by an essay and site interpretation panel and has a field trip to Winchester - one of the richest medieval urban landscapes in southern England.  It will also include a formative assessment in the form of group poster presentations designed to support students in developing essay topics.  

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Set exercise 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Prehistoric Europe: the first million years

Code:

AR2P14

Convenor:

DR Rob Hosfield

Summary:

This module covers Europe’s prehistory, from the earliest Palaeolithic through to the Middle Iron Age (c. 1,600,000–400 BC), from Turkey and the Balkans to Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia. We will address important research questions such as the contrasting behaviours and environmental tolerances of ‘modern’ humans (H. sapiens) and ‘archaic’ hominins (e.g. the Neanderthals and H. heidelbergensis) over the last 1 million years or more; the effects of climate and sea-level change on human lives; why farming initially spread across the continent; how and why burial rites changed through time; how the first use of metals came about; and the kinds of later prehistoric societies that developed before the Roman Empire. We will look at themes such as technology (lithic and organic) and dietary strategies, life histories and hominin cognitive abilities, settlement and burial archaeology, ritual practice, and comparative anthropology. The aim of the module is to provide an introduction to prehistoric archaeology across Europe, and to the types of archaeological evidence that are encountered when studying this period. We will also go on a behind the scenes field trip to a museum. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Project 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Rome's Mediterranean Empire

Code:

AR2R8

Convenor:

DR Andrew Souter

Summary:

This module will explore the phenomenon of Roman urbanism and broader aspects of the Empire through detailed analysis of archaeology, architecture and iconography at a range of geographically-diverse sites: case studies will include those on Rome, Pompeii, Paestum, Lepcis Magna, Merida and Athens, thereby providing students with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of leading cities of the Roman world while addressing broad themes such as cultural exchanges and stylistic developments. We will also examine the means by which urban landscapes were used to communicate Roman ideology and provincial munificence. Other aspects to explore include housing and evidence for everyday life in the urban environment. Essays and group discussion will prepare students to discuss issues of chronology, technique, and style in art and architecture; we will also address overarching issues through the reading and discussion of current and previous scholarly articles in these fields.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Bioarchaeology

Code:

AR2SBI

Convenor:

DR Aleks Pluskowski

Summary:

This module will introduce you to the key methods employed in the examination of human remains from archaeological sites and utilise skeletal collections held by the Department of Archaeology. You will also be taught to identify, side and in the case of animal bone, zone and quantify fragments commonly encountered during an archaeological excavation, and post-excavation analysis. The module will also introduce the principles of biomolecular (isotope and DNA) analysis of human and faunal skeletal remains.

Assessment Method:

Class test 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Geographical Information Systems

Code:

GV2GIS

Convenor:

DR Jess Neumann

Summary:

The module introduces students to the principles, techniques and applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Following an online introductory lecture the focus is 'hands-on', based on a series of practical sessions to introduce students to basic tasks including: working with different types of spatial data and their storage and management; setting coordinate systems and projections; geoprocessing, creating and editing data, spatial analysis, symbology, labelling and map design.

Assessment Method:

Practical 20%, Report 60%, Class test 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Ancient Epic

Code:

CL2AE

Convenor:

DR Christa Gray

Summary:

This module offers an introduction to Greek and Latin epic, centring around close study of the Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid, but including discussion of other early Greek hexameter poems such as Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and the Epic Cycle. It may also cover Hellenistic epic, for example Apollonius Rhodius, or other Roman epics like Ovid’s Metamorphoses.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Greek History: Persian Wars to Alexander

Code:

CL2CGH

Convenor:

DR Emma Aston

Summary:

Greek History 479-323 BC, from the end of the Persian Wars, through the Peloponnesian War and the fall of Sparta, to the rise of Macedon and the meteoric career of Alexander the Great.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Ancient Drama

Code:

CL2DR

Convenor:

PROF Barbara Goff

Summary:

This module examines the ancient genre of drama, with respect to its content, themes and style, and the context of performance culture which surrounded it.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Roman History: From Republic to Empire

Code:

CL2RO

Convenor:

PROF Annalisa Marzano

Summary:

This Roman history module covers the period from the second triumvirate in the last years of the Republic to the reigns of the emperors.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Wildlife Documentary: Ecology and Representation

Code:

FT2WD

Convenor:

DR Adam O'Brien

Summary:

This module gives you the opportunity to study wildlife documentaries and filmmaking addressing ecological issues. You will engage with the relevant critical vocabulary and contextual knowledge to explore how meaning is created and constructed. Case studies may include David Attenborough’s landmark BBC series, nature documentaries such as March of the Penguins and climate change films such as An Inconvenient Truth. There may be a Q&A with a guest speaker from the creative industries.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 60%, Oral 40%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Intercultural Competence and Communication

Code:

IL2GICC

Convenor:

MRS Daniela Standen

Summary:

In this module students develop skills and understanding needed for working in the multi-cultural global workplace. In the Autumn term it will consider intercultural competence and communication from a range of disciplinary perspectives, including psychology, education, inclusivity, business, language and discourse. In the Spring term students will identify a real-world issue, learning  to analyse and  critically evaluate the issue identified, applying concepts studied on the course.

The module will be delivered at the University of Reading Whiteknights campus

Assessment Method:

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Modern Britain Society, History and Politics

Code:

IL2GMB

Convenor:

MRS Daniela Standen

Summary:

This module aims to provide an introduction to key aspects of modern British society, politics and history, identifying past and present issues.

Topics explored include the historical and political landscape of Post war Britain, British identities, patterns of inequality, education, religion, and Britain’s relationship with Europe.

In the Summer term students will work independently to identify and research a specific topic from the range taught in Term 1, to develop critical understanding of the underlying concepts and principles and apply these to different contexts.

Assessment Method:

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Introduction to English Language Teaching

Code:

LS2LAT

Convenor:

MRS Suzanne Portch

Summary:

The course aims to provide an overview of key aspects of language teaching methodology and practice. 

Assessment Method:

Portfolio 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Language and New Media

Code:

LS2LNM

Convenor:

PROF Rodney Jones

Summary:

In this module, students will explore the ways digital media are changing the way people use language. Students will be introduced to a range of theories from sociolinguistics, media studies and discourse analysis and will learn to apply these theories to analysing authentic texts and interactions. Among the topics covered in the module are genres and registers of mediated communication, social networking and online identity, multimodal and multimedia communication, mobile communication and wearable computers, and online tracking and surveillance.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 25%, Oral 25%, Portfolio 50%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Science, perversion, and dream in global fantastic literature

Code:

ML2GF

Convenor:

DR Alice Christensen

Summary:

This module will explore a number of key literary texts that engage the Fantastic mode of literary representation. The module aims to promote critical awareness of the ways in which French, Hispanic, Italian and German literary traditions adapted and transformed the Fantastic narrative so that it spoke to a number of specific issues such as the advances in science and technology, the changing roles of women, the pressures of modernisation, the impact of psychoanalysis, and fears related to changes brought about by colonisation, the political structure of the Nation-state, and the economy. Texts will be read in the original language if the student is taking that language to degree level, and in English translation if not.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Society, Thought, and Art in Modern Europe

Code:

ML2STA

Convenor:

DR Veronica Heath

Summary:

This module aims to provide students with a systematic historical and cross-national understanding of the key ideas, institutions and symbols that have come to constitute and represent modernity, in its original cradle in Europe and the rest of the world. The module examines the birth of modern men and women in Europe in the late eighteenth century, in the fulcrum of the Enlightenment and Romanticism, and the broad intellectual, cultural, economic, political and social conditions which have been shaping and re-shaping them since. The module further shows a) the contributions of different European nations to a common European reaction to and re-evaluation of tradition and innovation and b) the diffusion of modernity (Westernisation) from Europe to Asia and Africa and its role in the creation of a global world. Finally, it shows how art has played a leading role in the transformations of modernity - not only recording it but also constituting one of its central components.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 80%, Class test 20%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Founder Dilemmas

Code:

MM2101

Convenor:

DR Norbert Morawetz

Summary:

This is a dynamic and experiential module aiming to give students a strong understanding of key dilemmas likely to be faced by first time entrepreneurs. The module develops student's entrepreneurial skill and confidence to put plans into action. Students gain understanding of the practice of entrepreneurship as informed by theory, role play and guest lectures. This will include exposure to the experience of successful entrepreneurs. Students are given a solid understanding of the realities of business start-up.

 

Assessment Method:

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

The Science of Climate Change

Code:

MT2CC

Convenor:

PROF Nigel Arnell

Summary:

This module provides an introduction to the science of climate change, aimed at students who do not necessarily have a scientific background.

Assessment Method:

Exam 70%, Assignment 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

American Government and Politics

Code:

PO2AMG

Convenor:

DR Graham O'Dwyer

Summary:

This module examines the historical, ideological and constitutional frameworks of American Government and Politics. It analyses the relationship between ideas and values (such as liberty and individualism) and the ways in which these condition the expression of the American political system; it looks at intermediate institutions that connect the public to the federal government (such as elections, the media, and interest groups); it explores the central institutions in Washington (such as the Presidency, Congress, and the Supreme Court), and assesses important policy areas (such as gun control).

Assessment Method:

Assignment 70%, Report 30%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Global Politics and History

Code:

PO2GPH

Convenor:

DR Kerry Goettlich

Summary:

From the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to Brexit, and from the rise of China to the ‘Clash of Civilizations’, contemporary debates in world politics, and often the practice of world politics itself, depend on particular understandings of history. Indeed, it is impossible to study politics without relying on knowledge about the past. But how accurate or convincing are the historical narratives and assumptions that underlie contemporary debates? Is it ‘natural’ for politics to be organised into nation-states? Is empire a thing of the past? Where did democracy come from? When did globalisation start? Was decolonization a success or failure? Students will come away from this module with both the historical knowledge and the analytical skills to be able to answer such questions.

Assessment Method:

Exam 40%, Assignment 60%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Modern International Relations

Code:

PO2MIR

Convenor:

DR Joseph O' Mahoney

Summary:

This module provides an advanced analysis of some theoretical approaches to international politics, including models of interstate bargaining, international order, and collective action.  Students will also learn about some of the most important  global issues, including the causes of war, globalisation, US hegemony, international cooperation to combat climate chaos, nuclear weapons, cyberwar, and terrorism. 

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 45%, Set exercise 5%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Politics of the Welfare State

Code:

PO2PWS

Convenor:

DR Christoph Arndt

Summary:

The course is an introduction to the politics of welfare states in the developed economies of OECD countries with a particular focus on Western Europe. It focuses on the interaction between political and economic factors in explaining the emergence and evolution of welfare states and their various forms across countries. Students learn the major theoretical approaches in the study of the welfare state and apply them to contemporary debates about the welfare state as well as the politics of welfare state reform.

Assessment Method:

Exam 50%, Assignment 40%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Political Thinking

Code:

PO2THI

Convenor:

DR Alice Baderin

Summary:

Module in applied political theory. The course investigates the ethical issues that lie behind some important contemporary policy debates. 

Assessment Method:

Assignment 100%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Ethical Argument 1: Philosophy and How to Live

Code:

PP2EA1

Convenor:

DR Luke Elson

Summary:

This module introduces students to longstanding methods, issues and arguments in moral philosophy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Global Philosophy 1

Code:

PP2GP1

Convenor:

DR Shalini Sinha

Summary:

This module introduces some key thinkers and issues in global philosophy, the philosophy of gender and race, the ethics of resistance and the epistemology of terrorism. Some of the claims we will examine include: Gender is an illusion, male and female ‘sex’ attributes are social constructions!  Race categories are racist, they should be abolished! Persons are ‘processes’; self and identity are conceptual fictions!  Self-immolation is an ethical form of political protest! Gandhi and Islamist suicide bombing share an ethics of sacrificial dying! Debt is founded on violence! We should undertake dying with full awareness, by meditative fasting!

We will engage in philosophical conversations with (i) contemporary feminist and race theorists such as Judith Butler, Sally Haslanger and Naomi Zack on performativist,  constructionist and essentialist approaches to gender and race; (ii) Buddhist philosophers on the metaphysics of self and identity; (iii) Buddhist, Gandhian and Islamic ethics of sacrificial dying and political resistance; (iv) interdisciplinary perspectives on the nature and origins of debt and money; (v) Jaina conceptions of meditative dying, suicide and euthanasia; (vi) the epistemology of terrorism and Islamic approaches to non-violence.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein 1

Code:

PP2HKW1

Convenor:

DR Severin Schroeder

Summary:

This module introduces students to the ideas of three great philosophers: David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, focussing especially on their respective conceptions of philosophy.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism 1

Code:

PP2IDR1

Convenor:

DR Jumbly Grindrod

Summary:

This module introduces students to a core area of philosophy – epistemology (the theory of knowledge), makes them familiar with key stances on the extent and nature of human knowledge (modal theories, reliabilist theories, virtue theories etc.), and requires them to evaluate such stances and find their place on the epistemological map. They will also be introduced to the social aspect of epistemology, by considering what role knowledge plays within a society, how we gain knowledge from others, and how we may be harmed specifically as knowers.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Meaning and the Mind 1

Code:

PP2MM1

Convenor:

DR Jumbly Grindrod

Summary:

This module introduces students to core philosophical issues about meaning and the mind, and to central connections between these issues. How could there be minds in a physical world? Are states of consciousness physical states? How do our thoughts and words come to represent the world around us? These questions are intimately related. The capacity to represent the world is a central, problematic feature of the mind. Moreover, to assess what minds are, we must pay careful attention to what our words for mental states mean, and to how they come to mean what they do. We will investigate these questions by reading and discussing recent work in the philosophy of mind and language, by authors such as David Chalmers, Hilary Putnam and John Searle, as well as classic texts by authors such as Gottlob Frege and Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia.

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

X

Module details


Title:

Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 1

Code:

PP2OID1

Convenor:

DR Charlotte Newey

Summary:

In this wide-ranging module, with an emphasis on contemporary political philosophy, we will explore some of the most important concerns for society. We will ask questions such as: Do existing accounts of justice need to be amended to acknowledge, explicitly, the concerns arising from race, gender, and disability? How should political philosophy respond to intersecting oppressions? What aspects of modern life threaten democracy? What is the best method by which to develop theories of justice? Is justice a local or global concern? How should we balance loyalty to our own state with concerns for global justice?

Assessment Method:

Assignment 90%, Oral 10%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
AR2F13 Archaeology Fieldschool Joint Honours MS Amanda Clarke
AR2F17 Forensic Archaeology and Crime Scene Analysis PROF Mary Lewis
AR2F20 Professional Practice MS Amanda Clarke
AR2M8 Medieval Europe: power, religion and death DR Gabor Thomas
AR2P14 Prehistoric Europe: the first million years DR Rob Hosfield
AR2R8 Rome's Mediterranean Empire DR Andrew Souter
AR2SBI Bioarchaeology DR Aleks Pluskowski
GV2GIS Geographical Information Systems DR Jess Neumann
CL2AE Ancient Epic DR Christa Gray
CL2CGH Greek History: Persian Wars to Alexander DR Emma Aston
CL2DR Ancient Drama PROF Barbara Goff
CL2RO Roman History: From Republic to Empire PROF Annalisa Marzano
FT2WD Wildlife Documentary: Ecology and Representation DR Adam O'Brien
IL2GICC Intercultural Competence and Communication MRS Daniela Standen
IL2GMB Modern Britain Society, History and Politics MRS Daniela Standen
LS2LAT Introduction to English Language Teaching MRS Suzanne Portch
LS2LNM Language and New Media PROF Rodney Jones
ML2GF Science, perversion, and dream in global fantastic literature DR Alice Christensen
ML2STA Society, Thought, and Art in Modern Europe DR Veronica Heath
MM2101 Founder Dilemmas DR Norbert Morawetz
MT2CC The Science of Climate Change PROF Nigel Arnell
PO2AMG American Government and Politics DR Graham O'Dwyer
PO2GPH Global Politics and History DR Kerry Goettlich
PO2MIR Modern International Relations DR Joseph O' Mahoney
PO2PWS Politics of the Welfare State DR Christoph Arndt
PO2THI Political Thinking DR Alice Baderin
PP2EA1 Ethical Argument 1: Philosophy and How to Live DR Luke Elson
PP2GP1 Global Philosophy 1 DR Shalini Sinha
PP2HKW1 Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein 1 DR Severin Schroeder
PP2IDR1 Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism 1 DR Jumbly Grindrod
PP2MM1 Meaning and the Mind 1 DR Jumbly Grindrod
PP2OID1 Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 1 DR Charlotte Newey

These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Compulsory modules include:

X

Module details


Title:

Professional Placement Year

Code:

GV2PPY

Convenor:

DR Aleks Pluskowski

Summary:

This module aims to provide students with the opportunity to explore a placement year within a professional environment of their choice.  The placement year will give students the opportunity to build on and develop their transferable skills and personal and professional portfolio which is essential to securing graduate employment. Students enrolled on the professional placement year will be provided with specialist training and dedicated support to assist them in securing their own placement through a competitive process

Assessment Method:

Oral 10%, Report 90%

Disclaimer:

The modules described on this page are what we currently offer. Modules may change for your year of study as we regularly review our offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Code Module Convenor
GV2PPY Professional Placement Year DR Aleks Pluskowski

These are the modules that we currently offer. They may change for your year of study as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods.

Core modules include:

  • Display design, planning and creation: project module

Optional modules include:

  • Dissertation
  • Post-Excavation: assessment, analysis & publication in the profession
  • The Anthropology of Heritage and Cultural Property
  • Emergence of Civilisation in Mesopotamia
  • Archaeology of the City of Rome
  • Biological anthropology
  • Anatolia and the Aegean in the Late Bronze Age. The Context for the Trojan War
  • Pioneers of Classical Archaeology
  • City of Rome
  • Technology in the Ancient World
  • Urban Life: The Archaeology and Anthropology of Roman Cities
  • Genes, Lifestyle and Nutrition
  • Climate Change
  • Ecosystems Modelling
  • Tropical Rainforests, Climate & Lost Civilisations
  • Discovering Archives and Collections
  • Intercultural Communications
  • Criminology
  • Identity and Conflict in Modern Europe
  • Language and Power
  • Entrepreneurial Project
  • Feminism and Political Theory
  • International Political Economy
  • US Foreign and Defence Policy since 1950

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Fees

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

New international students: £20,300

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, 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.

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

As a BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement graduate, you’ll develop strong, transferable skills, and gain first-hand experience in handling objects, delivering presentations and investigating other cultures in depth. Your practical experience of archaeological techniques will also equip you with analysis, problem-solving, team-working and fieldwork skills.

This broad expertise, spanning the humanities and sciences, will give you a head-start when entering the professional world – whether you're interested in a career in the archaeology and heritage sectors or decide to apply your abilities elsewhere. The job opportunities stemming from this degree include:

  • heritage management
  • commercial archaeology
  • research
  • teaching and education
  • charities and voluntary sector
  • marketing, advertising, PR and media
  • publishing
  • insurance
  • law.

The University of Reading has long-established, excellent relationships with employers within the heritage, archaeology and related sectors. Previous employers have included the:

  • Australian government
  • National Trust
  • Science Museum.

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

Take the next step


How to apply for 2023 entry

Come to an Open Day

Get a prospectus

Ask us a question

Chat to our students

Related Subjects


  • Archaeology
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Museum Studies

Ready for more?

How to apply
Visit an Open Day
Get a prospectus
View courses
  • Charitable Status
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookies
  • Terms of use
  • Sitemap

© University of Reading