University Students

The Museum of English Rural Life is proud to be part of the University of Reading and support the teaching of the University’s Museum Studies programme. Find out about the range of opportunities available for students across the museum and our work.

Museum Studies students

The University of Reading’s Museum Studies courses offer a unique chance to combine a heritage qualification with Archaeology or Classics at an undergraduate level. Students are able to take on challenging and engaging projects, working with real objects and archives across the University’s significant range of museums and collections. We also support dissertations on museum and public heritage topics.

Find out more about Museum Studies at Reading and the different courses that are offered on the University of Reading’s website. If you have any questions about our opportunities for students, please contact The MERL team.

Volunteering for students

Looking to get involved with our work whilst studying? There are many opportunities for University of Reading students to volunteer both at The MERL and across Reading’s dynamic heritage community, which all contribute to attaining a University RED Award.

Find out more about our current volunteering opportunities.

Collections-based research

Classes and researchers across the University use our collections for teaching. We run a collections-based research training programme for PhD students and offer training for Masters students in related subjects.

Placements

We offer placements for University of Reading students as part of their course. Those interested should talk to the appropriate person within their department regarding a placement at The MERL.

Internships

Occasionally, we are able to offer paid internships in the University Museum and Special Collections. These are usually externally funded. When we do have internships available, we promote them through our social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) as well as through internal University networks.