Museum Studies and Archaeology with Study Year Abroad

Museum studies and archaeology is a combination that connects the theoretical and professional practice of museums with the discipline that provides much of the material those museums contain. Archaeology recovers and interprets the material remains of past human activity, from prehistoric settlements and ancient cities to more recent industrial and domestic contexts. Museum studies asks how objects and collections are preserved, interpreted, and displayed, and how institutions make decisions about whose stories are told and who is served.

Together, they equip you to engage with the past in both its discovery and its public presentation.

At the University of Reading, this four-year, full-time programme includes a study year abroad, giving you the opportunity to encounter both archaeology and museum practice in a different national context. Reading has particular strengths in both disciplines, with an active archaeology department and strong connections to the museum and heritage sector. You will study archaeological methods, including excavation, finds analysis, and landscape archaeology, alongside the history and theory of archaeology as a discipline.

Museum studies introduces collection management, curatorial practice, exhibition design, and the ethics of repatriation, indigenous rights, and the politics of representation in museums. The year abroad enriches your understanding of how different countries approach their archaeological heritage and museum institutions. A typical entry tariff of 104 UCAS points indicates an accessible entry route.

The degree develops both fieldwork and curatorial skills, alongside critical thinking about how the past is reconstructed and made available to the public.

Graduates work in museums, heritage organisations, archaeological units, local authorities, and conservation bodies. Many proceed to postgraduate study in museum studies, heritage management, or specific archaeological specialisms.