Attend a virtual subject taster session and discover what it would be like to study your chosen subject at degree level. 

On these free-of-charge virtual events, you will sample lectures and practical sessions, work alongside other students interested in your subject, meet our enthusiastic staff, and get a real feel for life at the University of Reading.

To request your place on a subject taster, please complete the application at the bottom of each event description.

We try to accommodate as many students as possible in our virtual outreach provision and in most cases will be able to offer places to all that are interested. However, in the case of over-subscription on events, priority will be given to students on a first come, first served basis.

The Pathways to Property Online Summer School takes place from 20 – 22 July 2020 for Year 12 students from state schools/colleges who want to learn more about a career in property. Taking place online over 3 days, this fully funded Summer School gives you the opportunity to explore the world of property and the careers within it.

With a mix of taster lectures, a group project and careers advice from some of the key employers in the industry, you will get to explore key themes in property such as sustainability, regeneration and globalisation. And with such a huge variety of roles, from a building surveyor or town planner to a sustainability consultant or financial analyst, there is a role to suit any skillset or personality. 

Applications for the Summer School are now open.

As part of our commitment to widening participation, places for the Summer School shall be awarded to students who best meet our widening participation criteria.

Design FUNdamentals

27 and 28 July 2020

The event has now reached its maximum capacity, but we are running a waiting list that you can join. 

Design FUNdamentals offers an exciting two-day online studio programme where students will have the opportunity to learn about the principles of design. We tailor an introductory summer session specifically aimed at students interested in pursuing a degree in architecture. The studio will focus on the development of critical drawing and model making skills in a virtual environment. The sessions will be conducted in a webinar format, where instructors will run live demonstrations and allow for students to independently produce their work within a given format.

Join our waiting list.

The Reading Scholars Programme gives Year 12 students a real taste of life as a university undergraduate, providing practical support as participants begin their higher education application process. Featuring input from leading academics and current undergraduate e-mentors, the programme aims to challenge participants academically and enhance their current studies.

The programme is currently offered in the following subject areas: 

• Architecture
• Art and Design
• Biology
• Business
• Chemistry
• Food Science and Pharmacy (CFSP)
• Education, English Literature
• Film, Theatre and Television (FTT)
• History, Classics and Archaeology (HAC)
• Languages and culture
• Mathematics
• Psychology
• Physical Geography and Environmental Science (PGES). 

Applications for the Reading Scholars programme 2021 will open in October 2020. View last year’s programme brochure.   

As part of our commitment to widening participation, the programme is for students who meet our widening participation criteria.

15 July - 14:00-16:00

Interested in becoming a healthcare professional or research scientist and unsure what your options are? From being a Pharmacist, a Pharmacologist or a Physician Associate this session will help you decide. Come and join us at our Virtual Summer School on 15 July from 14:00-16:00 and use this invaluable opportunity to find out more about what each degree would entail and if your future career will place you at the heart of drug discovery or patient centred care. We hope that this session will help inform your choice and we look forward to working with you shortly. 

Sign up for the Virtual Pharmacy Open Day

22 July - 14:00-16:00 

Our Geography department are keen to offer prospective students (current year 12's) an insight into what studying geography at university is like. Come and join us at our Virtual Summer Taster on the 22nd July from 14:00-16:00 and use this brilliant opportunity to find out more about what you need to know to before applying, experience a virtual field class and engage with the academics who could be teaching you in the future. 

Sign up for our Geography Virtual Taster Day.

27-29 July 2020 or 10-12 August 2020 

Come and join us at this year’s Food and Nutritional Sciences Virtual Summer School, on either 27-29 July or the 10-12 August. Please do indicate via the sign up form below which of the dates would be preferable. Naturally, this is a repeat of the same material so please do not sign up for both. 

You will be baking bread rolls and making your own butter within your kitchen, whilst hearing from our lecturers on topics such as “Sourdough Science” and “Unpicking the ingredients on a loaf of bread”. You will be transformed into food tasters, assessing your bread rolls according to their colour, texture and flavour – just like we would in the food industry. There will be ample opportunity to ask our students and admissions tutor, Jose, questions about the course or student life. You will also hear from our graduates, working for companies such as Lidl, HelloFresh, PepsiCo and Ella’s Kitchen, and a bakery technologist from Bakels. A contribution to your ingredient costs will be provided.

It would be great to see you on either of these two virtual summer schools and we hope to welcome you shortly.

27 July - 14:00-16:00

In this session we aim to give you an idea of what it would be like to study Archaeology with us at Reading through a series of short interactive presentations. We will begin with a brief discussion of ‘What is Archaeology?’ where we welcome your input and thoughts. We will then follow this up with a description of some of the modules and courses we offer at Reading, introducing you to the wide range of topics we study and the skills you will gain. Dr. Aleks Pluskowski, our Admissions Tutor, will be on hand to answer any questions you might have about the Archaeology courses at Reading.

In the second half of the session, we will focus in on the Roman world, with an introduction to the key aspects of Roman civilisations, led by Dr. Andrew Souter. Finally, we will hear from Amanda Clarke, who is the Director of the Archaeology Field School at Reading. Amanda’s background is in field archaeology, and she will lead you through a virtual exploration of the Roman town of Silchester. This will give you an idea of what it is like to be a student at the Archaeology Field School. 

We aim for these sessions to be both informal and interactive, with plenty of opportunities for you to ask questions and input your own ideas.

Sign up for the Archaeology Virtual Taster Day.
 

Join one of our one-hour subject webinar series with a focus on particular subject areas that you can study at university and the University of Reading.  You will hear from academics and/or students talking about what it is like to study their subject at degree level and be able to ask them questions afterwards. Talks typically last between 20-40 minutes with the opportunity for 20 minutes Q&A at the end.  Follow the links below to book onto the following sessions:

• Wednesday 15 July, 10:30-11:30: Subject spotlight on English Language and Linguistics
• Wednesday 8 July, 10:30-11:30: Subject spotlight on English Literature
• Wednesday 22 July, 10:30-11:30: Subject spotlight on studying Finance at University
• Friday 24 July, 11:00-12:00: Top tips for making successful applications to the Flying Start Programme with PwC

We also have a broad range of webinars covering broader HE topics such as choosing a university, student finance, student life and writing personal statement available to attend on a weekly basis.

Together with universities and cultural institutions from around the world, the University of Reading has developed a wide range of free online courses. 

Providing you are 13 years or older you can explore a diverse and exciting range of topics in your own time and on any device. Courses include Begin Robotics, Our Changing Climate, and A Beginner's Guide to Writing in English for University Study. Find out more about our free online courses

In unforeseen circumstances, we may have to cancel or amend the events. Participants will be notified of any changes as far in advance as possible.

Want to be the first to know about events and activities in your subject area of interest? 

Please email us at outreach@reading.ac.uk

For teachers and advisors

Keep up to date with what is happening at the University and join our events mailing list. Please visit our teachers and advisors website.