BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement
About this course
BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement is an undergraduate degree combining archaeological investigation with contemporary museum practice and heritage management. Core topics include Research Methods, Fieldwork, Ethics & Professional Practice. Students undertake a compulsory professional placement year in their third year to gain practical industry experience before returning to complete their final studies. The first year covers foundational methods through Revolutions and Transitions: The Human Journey from 6 Million Years Ago to the Present Day, Archaeology Today: Methods and Practice, Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome, and Presenting the Past: An Introduction to Museum Studies. The second year focuses on heritage interpretation and collections management through Archaeology and Heritage: Past, Present and Future, Museum Learning and Engagement, and Curatorship and Collections Management. The final year centres on practical exhibition work through Display Design, Planning and Creation: Project Module, alongside optional modules covering biological anthropology, post-excavation techniques, and specific historical periods. Students can also pursue independent research through the optional Dissertation in Archaeology.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: BBB IB: 30 points overall
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What students say
Based on about 13 final-year students who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Teaching on my course: 91%
- Learning opportunities: 88%
- Assessment and feedback: 84%
- Academic support: 94%
- Organisation and management: 81%
- Learning resources: 93%
- Student voice: 79%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 15 students who started, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Continued on course: 95%
- Left higher education: 5%
What graduates do next
Based on about 7 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Working: 60%
- Working and studying: 10%
- Further study: 15%
- Unemployed: 15%
Most common jobs
- Natural and social science professionals: 15%
- Conservation and environment professionals: 15%
- Elementary occupations: 10%
- Leisure, travel and related personal service occupations: 10%
- Teaching Professionals: 10%
- Find their work meaningful: 65%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 65%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 45%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 275 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North East: 2%
- North West: 3%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 3%
- East Midlands: 4%
- West Midlands: 3%
- East of England: 13%
- London: 21%
- South East: 31%
- South West: 14%
- Wales: 4%
- Scotland: 1%
- Northern Ireland: 1%
Who gets in
Based on about 15 students who started, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- A levels: 95%
- Foundation course: 5%
- Other HE qualification: 5%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Silver overall, Silver for student experience, Silver for student outcomes.
Modules
- Revolutions and Transitions: The Human Journey from 6 Million Years Ago to the Present Day
- Archaeology Today: Methods and Practice
- Early Empires: Mesopotamia, Egypt and Rome
- Presenting the Past: An Introduction to Museum Studies
- Forensic Anthropology and the Archaeology of Death
- Contemporary World Cultures: An Introduction to Social Anthropology
- Forensic Archaeology and Crime Scene Analysis
- Roman History: The Rise and Fall of the Republic
- Ancient Song
- Chivalry: The Emergence and Impact of a Medieval Ethos
- The Rwanda Genocide of 1994
- Warfare in Early Modern Europe, c. 1500-1715
- Optional Language and University Wide Modules
- Archaeology and Heritage: Past, Present and Future
- Museum Learning and Engagement
- Curatorship and Collections Management
- Ancient Objects: Materials and Meanings
- Prehistoric Europe: The First Million Years
- Entertainment and Leisure in Roman Society
- Archaeology Field School and Professional Practice
- Bioarchaeology
- Forensic Archaeology and Crime Scene Analysis
- Changing the Face of the Earth: Past, Present and Future Sustainability
- Optional Language and University-wide Modules
- Display Design, Planning and Creation: Project Module
- Dissertation in Archaeology
- Objects and Identities in the Roman Empire
- Biological Anthropology
- Post-excavation: Assessment, Analysis and Publication in the Profession
- Emergence of Civilisation in Mesopotamia
- The First Europeans: Archaeology of the Lower Palaeolithic
- The Archaeology and Anthropology of Food
- Living in Medieval Towns
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement at University of Reading earn?
The median salary is £29,500 after 15 months, £23,000 after 3 years, £27,500 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £23,000 and £34,500. The £27,500 median after five years is £2,000 more than the UK median for Archaeology.
What do graduates of BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement at University of Reading do next?
85% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement at University of Reading?
91% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement at University of Reading?
The typical offer is BBB at A level, or 30 points in the IB. The average entrant had 125 UCAS points.
Does BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement at University of Reading include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has a compulsory placement year.
How many students continue on BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement at University of Reading?
95% of students continued into their second year, and 5% left higher education.