COURSE CURRICULUM

The BA Museum and Classical Studies programme at the University of Reading combines the study of the ancient world with practical training in museum studies, preparing students for careers in cultural heritage and museum professions. In the first year, students build a strong academic foundation through modules such as Texts, Readers and Writers, which introduces the literature, writing systems, and numerical traditions of ancient Greece and Rome, and Greek History: War, Society and Change in the Archaic Age, which examines key historical developments through evidence-based analysis. Students also study The Past in the Present, focusing on the importance of material culture and how museums engage audiences with antiquity, alongside Presenting the Past: An Introduction to Museum Studies, which explores the history of museums, curation, collecting practices, and contemporary ethical debates such as repatriation, decolonisation, and inclusivity. In the second year, students progress to Museum Learning and Engagement, where they study visitor experience, education theory, and museum programming through lectures, seminars, and real museum visits guided by professionals. In the final year, students complete a practical Display Design, Planning and Creation project, working in groups to research, design, and install a public exhibition using university collections. Overall, the programme integrates theory and hands-on experience, developing skills in curation, interpretation, and cultural management for museum careers.