Masters Degrees in Reading, United Kingdom

Reading is a large town in the south of England, around 20 miles from the edge of London. Famous for its long-running and high-profile music festival, the town is also an important higher education centre, with one university and around 16,000 students.

What’s it like to study a Masters in Reading?

Despite being a major administrative and economic centre for its region, Reading is one of the largest population centres in England not to be accorded city status. Instead it offers all the features of a larger city, whilst retaining a local feel (but don’t worry if you’re looking for a more metropolitan postgraduate experience: London is a mere half hour away by train).

Today Reading is internationally famous as the home of the Reading Festival: one of the largest live music events in Britain, with international acts performing across multiple stages each August bank holiday weekend (a great way to let your hair down before getting stuck into a Masters dissertation, perhaps?). A more sedate way to take a break from your Masters would be to take a boat-trip down the river to picturesque Henley-upon-Thames, home of the Henley Royal Regatta towing tournament. Windsor is also nearby if you want to pay a visit to Windsor Castle, one of the British royal family’s official residences.

In Reading itself, you can view a Victorian replica of the Bayeux tapestry at the Reading Museum, along with an eclectic collection of historical artefacts.

Universities in Reading

The University of Reading was originally founded as a university college associated with the University of Oxford in 1892, before becoming a full university in 1926. It has since grown to encompass multiple campuses and other facilities in and around the town and is usually ranked in and around the top 50 British universities and the top 200 globally.

Careers in Reading

Reading benefits from its close proximity to London, enjoying excellent connections to the capital and a vibrant economy of its own. Major companies in Reading include Microsoft and Oracle. The Thames Valley Park is a large business park on the outskirts of Reading that hosts both companies, along with a range of other organisations.