Course summary

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 Professional Placement. This degree combines the study of history – and its political, social and cultural contexts – with invaluable archaeological training. In your archaeological studies, you’ll study material remains to uncover our human past, from as early as the first hominins millions of years ago. Your historical studies will span the last thousand years, with a broad geographical spread that covers Britain and Europe, Africa, America, the Middle East and South Asia. You’ll examine historical records and explore visual and material culture through texts, paintings, photographs, films and oral sources. Studying these complementary subjects together will provide a richer, more holistic understanding of our shared human past. You’ll balance your critical evaluation of historical sources against the physical evidence of lived experience provided by archaeological finds. A professional placement allows you to apply – and increase – your academic knowledge while enhancing your employability. We encourage all our students to consider any placements that can equip them with skills to support them in their future careers. You'll undertake your placement during the third year of your degree, returning to complete your final year of study in your fourth year. The University of Reading is ranked in the Top 100 in the world for Archaeology (QS World Rankings by Subject 2023). 100% of students in the Department of Archaeology and 100% of students studying BA History said our teaching staff were good or very good at explaining things (National Student Survey, 2023). For more information, please visit the programme page: https://www.reading.ac.uk/ready-to-study/study/subject-area/ancient-history-ug/ba-ancient-history-and-archaeology-with-professional-placement