History - BA (Hons)

Explore past worlds to get ahead in today’s world. Gain the critical and analytical skills demanded by many employers, and aim high for the career you want. In the National Student Survey 2015, 9 out of 10 of our students said they were satisfied with their course.

Studying history will open up new worlds to you. You’ll explore revolutions, slavery, wars and battles, the making of great leaders, the rise of the middle classes, family and gender roles, and the suffering of the poor.

Through reading and interpreting documents and comparing the lives of different people, you’ll develop critical and analytical skills and learn to evaluate and communicate your ideas. You’ll also understand more about the forces and events that shape our world today.

Our modules will introduce you to a broad range of historical approaches and periods, but also allow you to specialise in your own areas of interest.

You’ll study the histories of Britain, Europe and the United States from circa 1500 onwards, looking in detail at the history of modern Europe, including the First and Second World Wars, the Russian revolution and the Cold War.

If you’re interested in family and social history you can discuss how people used to choose their marriage partners, or how town life differed from rural life. You’ll find opportunities to examine British history from the Tudors to David Cameron, and discover the history of the United States since 1776. You can also explore the British Empire and forms of imperialism, which affected lives in many countries around the world.

Your final-year Major Project will give you the opportunity to become a historian and research any topic of your choice. Our past students have investigated areas like the media coverage of the Vietnam War, child labour in the Industrial Revolution, punk rock, 18th-century dandies, First World War military strategy and the crimes of Jack the Ripper.

Course leader: Professor Rohan McWilliam