Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement BA (Hons)

This is an exciting opportunity to study BA Museum Studies and Archaeology with Professional Placement at an undergraduate level.Learn to think and research like a museum professional while gaining hands-on experience at our three on-site museums and on archaeological digs.This joint honours course combines the contemporary theory and practice of museum studies with the academic and practical study of archaeology. At the University of Reading, our expertise in archaeology starts with the earliest humans and spans up until the medieval period. We focus mainly on British, European and Near Eastern archaeology, but also explore other regions across the world.Our Department is ranked in the top 10 UK universities for Archaeology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2019). The Department of Archaeology also has an outstanding track record for student satisfaction, with satisfaction scores of 90-100% for the quality of our courses in every National Student Survey between 2010 and 2018.Central to the course is the hands-on experience you will gain at our on-site museums. The University has three museums – including the Ure Museum of Greek Archaeology – in which you can gain experience as a volunteer while you learn. As well as museums we also have a number of special collections, including art and rare books.You will develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be a museum professional by considering the environment that artefacts are displayed in, how they are catalogued and the meanings they hold for different audiences.Our museum teaching staff 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.**Placement**This four-year degree course includes a placement of a year's study at a university abroad in your third year, giving you the opportunity to develop valuable professional and international experience. You can also combine the two options by spending one semester studying abroad and then undertaking a half-year professional placement abroad or back in the UK.We provide opportunities for you to undertake placements in a variety of contexts. **Careers**This degree can lead to a variety of careers. The course is an ideal foundation to begin your career in heritage management, commercial archaeology, and research, as well as disciplines such as teaching, business, publishing and marketing.You will gain a broad range of subject-specific and transferable skills spanning the humanities and sciences. The majority of employers consider your attitude and abilities to be even more important than the subject you choose to study (CBI Skills Survey 2014). Our curriculum is designed with this in mind, giving you not just knowledge in subjects you are passionate about, but also the qualities that employers really care about – qualities that are transferable to a diverse range of careers.As a Museum Studies and Archaeology graduate you will gain first-hand experience in handling objects, delivering presentations, and investigating other cultures in depth. Your practical experience of archaeological techniques will also give you skills in analysis, problem-solving, working in teams and fieldwork.You will learn to think and research like a museum professional, and your three years’ experience of working within a multifaceted organisation will make you highly employable in any sector.We have long-established, excellent relationships with employers within the heritage, archaeology and related sectors.