BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad
-
UCAS code
VV43 -
A level offer
BBB -
Year of entry
2026/27 -
Course duration
Full Time: 4 Years
-
Year of entry
2026/27 -
Course duration
Full Time: 4 Years
Immerse yourself in the ancient Greco-Roman world, and discover how their cultures continue to influence the world today, with our BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad degree.
Choose the University of Reading
- Top 50 in the world for Archaeology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2025, Archaeology. The University of Reading is ranked 49th in the world)
- 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)
- 95% of our research in Classics is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Classics)
- 7th for teaching quality in Archaeology and Forensic Science (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026)
- 100% of students in the Department of Archaeology saying that teaching staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2025, Department of Archaeology)
- 97% of students in the Department of Classics said teaching staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2025, 97.4% of responders from the Department of Classics).
As a joint honours student, your programme is shared with the Department of Classics, where instructors are at the forefront of their disciplines. Their research feeds directly into your studies, exposing you to the latest developments in the field.
Explore the past through archaeological and historical techniques
At Reading, our BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad combines the study of ancient history – and its political, military, social and cultural contexts – with invaluable archaeological training.
You'll immerse yourself in the rich cultures of Greece and Rome from around 2000BC to 600AD, and discover how these ancient civilisations have influenced later periods and the world we know today. Your archaeological studies will take you even further back in time, broadening your geographical focus and enabling you to experience the excitement of genuine discovery.
We'll support you to develop skills that span the humanities and sciences. Your learning can include:
- the investigation of artefacts, monuments and museum collections
- the development of empires in Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome
- ancient Greek and Roman history, culture and society
- the role of religion in social change through different time periods
- examining how ideas of gender are reflected and imposed through the historical and material world.
Study Abroad
A key component of this course is a year abroad that enables you to further your studies at one of our partner universities overseas.
We have a number of partner universities in Europe as well as opportunities farther afield. For details of our current exchanges, please visit our Study Abroad Find A University website and select ‘Archaeology’.
All classes are conducted in English and bursaries are available to help with travel and accommodation costs. Visit our Study Abroad website for more information, and to view the full list of current partner institutions.
Further information about studying abroad is available on our Terms and Conditions page.
A supportive, collaborative learning environment
You'll join the University of Reading's Department of Archaeology and Department of Classics – both communities of passionate and inquisitive staff, students and alumni.
- Read about Marcie's experience as a joint honours student in Archaeology.
We are international, research-intensive departments with expertise that spans the sciences, humanities and social sciences. You’ll learn about global issues, enhanced by the latest developments and thinking within archaeology and ancient history.
- Professor Hella Eckardt demonstrates Britain’s long history of diversity
- Professor Aleks Pluskowski uses environmental archaeology to provide a different perspective on the impact of religious change
- Professor Emma Aston brings her love for ancient Greece to the classroom, making her teaching exciting and accessible
You'll also have the chance to join RUined, a student-run society for those with a passion for 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
Put your learning into practice through our Archaeology Field School, which is optional on this degree. Our excavations at Cookham Abbey – an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon monastery recently featured on Channel 4's Sandi Toksvig's Hidden Wonders – offer hands-on experience in all aspects of an archaeological excavation, including:
- excavation
- surveying
- mapping
- planning
- finds processing.
We have an Enabled Fieldwork Group, which is a collaborative project between students and staff to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to fully participate in our field trips and field schools.
Beyond the Field School, many of our modules include field trips to sites and museums around England. You will be encouraged to get involved with research excavations in the UK and abroad, 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 opportunities to use specialist equipment and GIS (geographical information systems), work in laboratories, and access the University's three on-campus museums.
Flexible study options
At Reading, you can explore different periods of ancient history through both literary and material sources.
Your studies will address important questions relevant to our global future, including human diets and health, environmental change, politics and power, inequality, migration and identity.
By studying human societies through time, you’ll understand how the critical issues of today have roots in the past, and you’ll gain insights from how previous cultures tackled comparable problems.
You can enhance your knowledge and understanding of the ancient world through varied learning opportunities, such as:
- optional Latin and Greek language modules
- hands-on experience with artefacts from the University’s Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology, which features one of the largest collections of Greek and Egyptian antiquities in Britain.
Skills for life
Throughout your degree, you’ll gain a broad range of skills and experiences that are highly regarded by employers, including:
- skills 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.
Professional placements
Placements are a great way to enhance your employability and develop your network. You can find placements across the archaeological, heritage, planning and museum sectors, or beyond the field of archaeology to explore your interests and expand your career options.
You can choose to take this course over four years to include a year-long professional placement with our BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Professional Placement degree.
Employability modules are built into your degree to help you secure a successful career. You can also build your portfolio of experience with short-term or summer placements in between academic years.
Our students can also benefit from distinctive Reading experiences, including artefact-focused teaching sessions and internship opportunities at the British Museum's new Archaeological Research Collection facility (BM_ARC), located at the Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield, Reading.
Learn more about our partnership with the British Museum Archaeological Research Centre.
Our Ure Museum on Whiteknights campus also offers work experience opportunities for students aspiring to careers in the museum or heritage sector, or you can apply for a paid summer placement in the Reading Internship Scheme, working with an academic on their research (subject to availability).
Alternatively, you can study this course over three years by choosing our BA Ancient History and Archaeology degree.
Overview
Immerse yourself in the ancient Greco-Roman world, and discover how their cultures continue to influence the world today, with our BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad degree.
Choose the University of Reading
- Top 50 in the world for Archaeology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2025, Archaeology. The University of Reading is ranked 49th in the world)
- 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)
- 95% of our research in Classics is of international standing (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Classics)
- 7th for teaching quality in Archaeology and Forensic Science (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026)
- 100% of students in the Department of Archaeology saying that teaching staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2025, Department of Archaeology)
- 97% of students in the Department of Classics said teaching staff are good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2025, 97.4% of responders from the Department of Classics).
As a joint honours student, your programme is shared with the Department of Classics, where instructors are at the forefront of their disciplines. Their research feeds directly into your studies, exposing you to the latest developments in the field.
Explore the past through archaeological and historical techniques
At Reading, our BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad combines the study of ancient history – and its political, military, social and cultural contexts – with invaluable archaeological training.
You'll immerse yourself in the rich cultures of Greece and Rome from around 2000BC to 600AD, and discover how these ancient civilisations have influenced later periods and the world we know today. Your archaeological studies will take you even further back in time, broadening your geographical focus and enabling you to experience the excitement of genuine discovery.
We'll support you to develop skills that span the humanities and sciences. Your learning can include:
- the investigation of artefacts, monuments and museum collections
- the development of empires in Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome
- ancient Greek and Roman history, culture and society
- the role of religion in social change through different time periods
- examining how ideas of gender are reflected and imposed through the historical and material world.
Study Abroad
A key component of this course is a year abroad that enables you to further your studies at one of our partner universities overseas.
We have a number of partner universities in Europe as well as opportunities farther afield. For details of our current exchanges, please visit our Study Abroad Find A University website and select ‘Archaeology’.
All classes are conducted in English and bursaries are available to help with travel and accommodation costs. Visit our Study Abroad website for more information, and to view the full list of current partner institutions.
Further information about studying abroad is available on our Terms and Conditions page.
Learning
A supportive, collaborative learning environment
You'll join the University of Reading's Department of Archaeology and Department of Classics – both communities of passionate and inquisitive staff, students and alumni.
- Read about Marcie's experience as a joint honours student in Archaeology.
We are international, research-intensive departments with expertise that spans the sciences, humanities and social sciences. You’ll learn about global issues, enhanced by the latest developments and thinking within archaeology and ancient history.
- Professor Hella Eckardt demonstrates Britain’s long history of diversity
- Professor Aleks Pluskowski uses environmental archaeology to provide a different perspective on the impact of religious change
- Professor Emma Aston brings her love for ancient Greece to the classroom, making her teaching exciting and accessible
You'll also have the chance to join RUined, a student-run society for those with a passion for 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
Put your learning into practice through our Archaeology Field School, which is optional on this degree. Our excavations at Cookham Abbey – an 8th-century Anglo-Saxon monastery recently featured on Channel 4's Sandi Toksvig's Hidden Wonders – offer hands-on experience in all aspects of an archaeological excavation, including:
- excavation
- surveying
- mapping
- planning
- finds processing.
We have an Enabled Fieldwork Group, which is a collaborative project between students and staff to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to fully participate in our field trips and field schools.
Beyond the Field School, many of our modules include field trips to sites and museums around England. You will be encouraged to get involved with research excavations in the UK and abroad, 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 opportunities to use specialist equipment and GIS (geographical information systems), work in laboratories, and access the University's three on-campus museums.
Flexible study options
At Reading, you can explore different periods of ancient history through both literary and material sources.
Your studies will address important questions relevant to our global future, including human diets and health, environmental change, politics and power, inequality, migration and identity.
By studying human societies through time, you’ll understand how the critical issues of today have roots in the past, and you’ll gain insights from how previous cultures tackled comparable problems.
You can enhance your knowledge and understanding of the ancient world through varied learning opportunities, such as:
- optional Latin and Greek language modules
- hands-on experience with artefacts from the University’s Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology, which features one of the largest collections of Greek and Egyptian antiquities in Britain.
Skills for life
Throughout your degree, you’ll gain a broad range of skills and experiences that are highly regarded by employers, including:
- skills 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.
Professional placements
Placements are a great way to enhance your employability and develop your network. You can find placements across the archaeological, heritage, planning and museum sectors, or beyond the field of archaeology to explore your interests and expand your career options.
You can choose to take this course over four years to include a year-long professional placement with our BA Ancient History and Archaeology with Professional Placement degree.
Employability modules are built into your degree to help you secure a successful career. You can also build your portfolio of experience with short-term or summer placements in between academic years.
Our students can also benefit from distinctive Reading experiences, including artefact-focused teaching sessions and internship opportunities at the British Museum's new Archaeological Research Collection facility (BM_ARC), located at the Thames Valley Science Park in Shinfield, Reading.
Learn more about our partnership with the British Museum Archaeological Research Centre.
Our Ure Museum on Whiteknights campus also offers work experience opportunities for students aspiring to careers in the museum or heritage sector, or you can apply for a paid summer placement in the Reading Internship Scheme, working with an academic on their research (subject to availability).
Alternatively, you can study this course over three years by choosing our BA Ancient History and Archaeology degree.
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.
Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.
Typical offer
BBB
International Baccalaureate
30 points overall
Extended Project Qualification
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.
BTEC Extended Diploma
DDM
English language requirements
IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5
For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.
Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students
For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.
International Foundation Pathway
If you are an international or EU student and do not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you can join the University of Reading’s International Foundation Programme (IFP).
International Foundation Programme – September entry
Successful completion of the International Foundation Programme, along with any other relevant degree entry requirements, guarantees you the opportunity of a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.
Learn more about our International Foundation Pathways
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.
Structure
Compulsory modules include:
| Code | Module | Convenor |
|---|---|---|
| AR1EMP | Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt & Rome | PROF Roger Matthews |
| AR1MET | Archaeology today: methods and practice | PROF Mary Lewis |
| CL1GH | Greek History: war, society, and change in the Archaic Age | PROF Emma Aston |
| CL1RH | Roman History: the rise and fall of the Republic | DR Andrew Fox |
Optional modules include:
| Code | Module | Convenor |
|---|---|---|
| AR1FOR | Forensic Anthropology and the Archaeology of Death | DR Gundula Müldner |
| 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 |
| CL1G1 | Ancient Greek 1 | PROF Amy Smith |
| CL1L1 | Latin 1 (C) | MRS Jackie Baines |
| CL1SO | Ancient Song | DR Doukissa Kamini |
| CL1TR | Texts, Readers, and Writers | DR Andreas Gavrielatos |
| GV1QS | Introduction to Quaternary Science | PROF Nicholas Branch |
| AP1SB1 | Introduction to Management | PROF Julian Park |
| EC110 | The Economics of Climate Change | DR Stefania Lovo |
| FT1CSS | Comedy on Stage and Screen | DR Tonia Kazakopoulou |
| HS1JH1 | Journeys through History 1:Power and People | DR Daniel Renshaw |
| HS1JH2 | Journeys through History 2: Culture and Concepts' | PROF Anne Lawrence |
| MC1HPE | Museum History, Policy and Ethics | DR Rhi Smith |
| MC1PP | Presenting the Past | DR Rhi Smith |
| ML1IL | Introduction to Linguistics | PROF Federico Faloppa |
| PO1FRE | Freedom | DR Andrew Reid |
| PP1GJ | Global Justice | DR Michela Bariselli |
| PP1RP | Radical Philosophy | PROF Maximilian De Gaynesford |
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.
Optional modules include:
| 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 |
| AR2FAO | Ancient objects: materials and meanings | DR Rob Hosfield |
| AR2M8 | Medieval Europe: power, religion and death | DR Gabor Thomas |
| AR2P14 | Prehistoric Europe: the first million years | PROF Duncan Garrow |
| AR2R8 | Rome's Mediterranean Empire | PROF Hella Eckardt |
| AR2SBI | Bioarchaeology | DR Aleks Pluskowski |
| AR2SCF2 | Changing the Face of the Earth: Past, Present and Future Sustainability | DR Wendy Matthews |
| AR2TAH | Archaeology and heritage: past, present and future | DR Amy Richardson |
| CL2AE | Ancient Epic | DR Doukissa Kamini |
| CL2AEL | Ancient Egyptian Language and Hieroglyphs | PROF Rachel Mairs |
| CL2APL | Academic Work Placement | PROF Emma Aston |
| CL2CGH | Greek History: Persian Wars to Alexander | PROF Emma Aston |
| CL2CLE | Cleopatras | PROF Rachel Mairs |
| CL2DR | Ancient Drama | PROF David Carter |
| CL2EGR | Egypt and the Greco-Roman World | DR Hana Navratilova |
| CL2EM | Early Macedon | DR Emma Aston |
| CL2G2 | Ancient Greek 2 (I) | PROF Timothy Duff |
| CL2G3 | Ancient Greek 3 (I) | DR Dimitra Tzanidaki-Kreps |
| CL2GRE | Greek Religions | PROF Ian Rutherford |
| CL2GSC | Greek Sculpture | PROF Amy Smith |
| CL2ILA | Introduction to Late Antiquity | DR Christa Gray |
| CL2L2 | Latin 2 (I) | MRS Jackie Baines |
| CL2L3 | Latin 3 (I) | DR Andreas Gavrielatos |
| CL2PL | Work placement for Classicists and Ancient Historians | PROF Eleanor Dickey |
| CL2PR | Prospects for Classicists and Ancient Historians | DR Hana Navratilova |
| CL2RME | Rome's Mediterranean Empire; A World of Cities | DR Philippa Walton |
| CL2RO | Roman History: From Republic to Empire | DR Tim Penn |
| CL2SG | Sexuality and Gender in the Ancient World | PROF Barbara Goff |
| CL2SI | My Mother's Sin and other Stories | DR Dimitra Tzanidaki-Kreps |
| GV2GIS | Geographical Information Systems | DR Rob Fry |
| GV2MPL | Summer Micro-Placement | PROF Nicholas Branch |
| GV2PLA | Summer Placement | PROF Nicholas Branch |
| GV2QCEC | Quaternary Climate and Environmental Change | PROF Nicholas Branch |
| LS2LAT | Introduction to English Language Teaching | DR Erhan Aslan |
| LS2LNM | Language and New Media | PROF Rodney Jones |
| MC2CCM | Curatorship and Collections Management | DR Rhi Smith |
| MC2LE | Museum Learning and Engagement | DR Rhi Smith |
| ML2GF | Science, perversion, and dream in global fantastic literature | DR Alice Christensen |
| ML2STA | Society, Thought, and Art in Modern Europe | DR Athena Leoussi |
| MM270 | Practice of Entrepreneurship | DR Chris Golding |
| MT2CC | The Science of Climate Change | PROF Nigel Arnell |
| PO2MIR | Modern International Relations | DR Joseph O' Mahoney |
| PO2PWS | Politics of the Welfare State | DR Christoph Arndt |
| PO2THI | Political Thinking | DR Maxime Lepoutre |
| PP2EA1 | Ethical Argument 1: Philosophy and How to Live | DR Luke Elson |
| PP2GP1 | Global Philosophy 1 | MISS Michela Bariselli |
| PP2HKW1 | Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein 1 | DR Sev.J. Schroeder |
| PP2IDR1 | Ignorance, Doubt, and Relativism 1 | DR Walter Veit |
| PP2MM1 | Meaning and the Mind 1 | DR Walter Veit |
| PP2OID1 | Oppression, Inequality, and the Enemies of Democracy 1 | DR George Mason |
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:
| Code | Module | Convenor |
|---|---|---|
| GV2PPY | Professional Placement Year | PROF Nicholas Branch |
Optional modules include:
| Code | Module | Convenor |
|---|---|---|
| CL3G4 | Ancient Greek 4 (H) | PROF Timothy Duff |
| CL3G5 | Ancient Greek 5 (H) | PROF Timothy Duff |
| CL3L4 | Latin 4 (H) | PROF Emma Aston |
| CL3L5 | Latin 5 (H) | PROF Emma Aston |
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
Dissertation in Archaeology
Plan, organise and carry out an independent archaeological research project. You’ll undertake primary research as you critically assess previous approaches to a research question and identify or design methods relevant to its solution.
OR
Dissertation in Classics
Investigate a topic within classics to form the basis of an extended piece of original research or an original artistic production. To prepare for the dissertation you’ll participate in workshops and submit an assessed proposal.
OR
Independent Project in Classics
Conduct research, explication and documentation of a topic presented in a format different from the traditional dissertation. You’ll prepare for the project by participating in workshops and submitting an assessed proposal.
Optional modules
The Anthropology of Heritage and Cultural Property
Explore how heritage is an important global industry for tourism and heritage site conservation. You’ll discover the historical development of concepts, politics, and legal claims on heritage and cultural property in the contemporary world.
The Archaeology and Anthropology of Food
Explore how food contributes to our understanding of all human populations as a biological necessity and social commodity. Themes such as feasting, cannibalism, gender, migration, and colonialism will be considered.
Biological Anthropology
Discover key methods used by human bone specialists, starting with the identification of human remains. You’ll learn how to examine bones for disease and injury, along with methods for assigning biological sex, age-at-death, and stature to a skeleton.
Post-excavation: Assessment, Analysis and Publication in the Profession
Prepare for employment in professional archaeology by learning post-excavation techniques and legal and planning policy frameworks. You’ll analyse records of an excavation and create a dated stratigraphic sequence for a post-excavation site report.
Emergence of Civilisation in Mesopotamia
Deepen your knowledge of Mesopotamia from the 4th to the 2nd millennium BC. You’ll explore the origins of writing and socio-politics, the nature of power, city-states and empire, and human-environment inter-relationships, resources, trade, and exchange.
The First Europeans: Archaeology of the Lower Palaeolithic
Explore the earliest archaeological evidence in Europe covering hominin evolution, their technologies, diets, and survival strategies. You’ll also consider the dramatically changing climates, habitats, and landscapes of the Lower Palaeolithic world.
Objects and Identities in the Roman Empire
Explore the relationships between the consumption of objects and the expression of individual and group identities in the Roman world. You’ll focus on issues such as ethnicity, regionality, and the use of objects to represent feminine and masculine.
'Race' in the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds
Challenging the notion that ‘race’ and racism are modern concepts, you’ll explore racial and ethnic otherness in Greek and Latin texts along with how classical texts continue to shape our thinking on these issues.
Beyond Barbarians and Bishops: Late Antiquity, 300-800 CE
Explore the transformational era of Late Antiquity (c. 300–800 CE), a period marked by profound cultural, religious, and political change in some regions - and continuity in others. By examining a period spanning the fall of the Roman Empire to the early medieval world, you will analyse the dynamics that shaped Europe, the Mediterranean, and beyond.
Ancient Ethiopia: The Aksumite Kingdom
Learn about one of the most fascinating and significant ancient African civilisations, the Aksumite kingdom of the Ethiopia and Eritrea in the period c. 1-500 AD. Students will learn how the Aksumite Kingdom interacted with neighbouring states in ancient Sudan and South Arabia, and, further afield, with the Greek, Roman and Egyptian world.
History, Culture and Society in the time of Nero
Investigate whether Nero's legacy as a cruel leader reflects his true self or is a biased image based on exaggerated portrayals by his contemporaries. Understand how contemporary Romans experienced his rule and affected his later memory.
Xenophon's Anabasis
Explore an intriguing and rarely taught text: Xenophon’s Anabasis. This module combines consideration of the text’s literary features with exploration of its major historical significance: the Anabasis shows us many aspects of Classical Greek life which are normally left out of view. You'll use the text to explore themes of travel, connectivity, identity and unconventional modes of warfare.
Leadership Skills and Values from Antiquity
The ancient world features a broad range of leaders and types of leadership: kings and queens, politicians and rebels, democratic and totalitarian, military and professionals. They provide a fruitful case study for the timeless skills and values a leader needs as well as the means and ways for developing them. This module will build on modern theories of leadership by deducing information and advice from ancient literature.
From Classroom to Courtroom: Mastering the Art of Persuasion
Consider the relationship between theory of rhetoric and the practice of oratory in antiquity by examining the construction of ancient speeches and the skills required for composing and delivering them.
Summer Placement
Take the opportunity to complete a research or professional placement during the summer vacation preceding Part 3 of your degree. You can work alongside a member of staff on a current project based in the UK or internationally, or with a professional organisation, consultancy or government organisation.
These are the modules we typically offer at this level of study. If you have any questions about specific modules, please email the Archaeology Admissions Tutor at archaeology@reading.ac.uk.
These are the modules that we currently offer for 2025/26 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they’re informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.
You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.
Fees
New UK/Republic of Ireland students: The home tuition fee for 2026 entry is £9,790. The home tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study.
New international students: £25,850 for 2026/27. The international tuition fee is subject to annual increases in subsequent years of study as set out in your student contract. For more details, please visit our Fees for International Students page.
Tuition fees
To find out more about how the University of Reading sets its tuition fees, see our fees and funding pages.
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.
Become a Global Sustainability Leaders Scholar
This exciting new undergraduate scholarship scheme is focused on creating a community of global sustainability leaders of the future. We are offering up to 400 scholarships per year, for high-achieving students from the UK and overseas.
Each scholar will receive £6,000 a year for maintenance and living costs, for up to four years of full-time study on their course (subject to terms and conditions).
Find out more about the Global Sustainability Leaders Scholarship scheme.
Careers
Archaeology and Ancient History are more than studying material culture and the past: they’re disciplines that actively prepare 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.
There is currently a rising demand for archaeologists to investigate the sites being revealed by major infrastructure projects and smaller developments such as new housing estates. There is a rising demand for archaeologists in the UK.
- Read how Rebecca landed roles at the British Museum and Bipolar UK thanks to the transferable skills she acquired during her time at Reading.
Many graduates from the Department of Archaeology have used their expertise across the humanities and sciences to enter careers such as teaching, policing, industry and commerce. Overall, 90% of graduates from Archaeology are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation (three-year average based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2023-2025, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21-2022/23; includes first degree Archaeology responders).
Past archaeology graduates have gone on to work for employers such as:
- Thames Valley Archaeological Services
- The Museum of London Archaeology
- Wessex Archaeology
- Mott MacDonald
- Ashmolean Museum
- ORCA.
(Based on HESA data © HESA 2021 - 2025, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018/19 - 2022/23; includes first degree responders from the Department of Archaeology).
Build the skills to succeed in your career – and contribute to a sustainable future
At the University of Reading, we help you turn your environmental and sustainability values into opportunities that make a difference to your career and the wider world.
Employers are already reshaping their businesses to respond to climate change, and they increasingly value graduates with expertise in environmental stewardship – one of the fastest-growing skill areas (World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025).
During your time at Reading, you’ll have access to a wide range of opportunities and support. This will help you graduate with the knowledge and confidence to tackle environmental and sustainability challenges in your career.
In 2025, the University of Reading won the AGCAS Green Careers Award. Judges highlighted the impact of our Careers service and the positive outcomes our students achieve.
Explore climate and sustainability initiatives you can get involved with as a student at Reading.

