History

Course Summary

**Overview** Explore the past to understand the now. Dive into moments of chaos, challenge and change. Uncover evidence that shines new light on societies around the world. Across issues of gender, class, race, inequality and power, you’ll see how diverse people responded to the times they lived in – and how their actions still shape our world today. The city of Portsmouth is a time traveller's paradise where past and present collide: from historic warships to modern cruise liners, from Southsea Castle to the Spinnaker Tower. It's the ideal place to create your own immersive and relevant BA (Hons) History degree. **Course highlights** - Study in a city that’s always been a gateway to the wider world, with options to explore the past of Britain, Europe, Africa, Asia and North America - Get closer to history thanks to close links with Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, and the Portsmouth Museum and Records Service - Tailor your studies to times and themes you find most fascinating - from the British Civil Wars to the Opium War, from Victorian cities to modern Germany, from persecution and migration to anti-racism in the 20th century - Learn in a place where historians collaborate with linguists, sociologists and political scientists to answer deep and complex questions - Develop demonstrable skills in research, analysis and argument that are highly valued by all kinds of employers - Apply your new expertise in a CV-boosting work placement at a museum, heritage site, charity or other organisation of interest **Optional pathways** You can follow optional sociology or politics pathways through this degree, or include it as a pathway in our English Literature, American Studies or International Relations courses. It'll lead to one of these awards at the end of the course: - BA (Hons) History with American Studies - BA (Hons) History with Politics - BA (Hons) History with Sociology "The history degree at Portsmouth has been very enjoyable and the city itself boasts a wealth of material that has been beneficial to my learning." – Connor Jones, BA Hons History student **Careers and opportunities** Employers in all kinds of industries value History graduates. This is because you’ll graduate with much-requested skills including: - analysing and managing large amounts of information - carrying out research independently and as part of a team - communicating a persuasive argument - writing in a concise and informative way What can you do with a History degree? As a qualified historian, you can move forward to further study and research or put your degree to work in areas such as: - archives and information management - corporate governance - law - museums and the heritage sector - publishing and media - teaching Graduate roles and destinations Roles our graduates have taken on include: - archivist - barrister - development editor in publishing - museum curator - researcher and writer for TV - teacher Portsmouth alumni have worked with organisations including: - central and local government - higher education providers - National Trust - Office for National Statistics - Serco - West Midlands Police Work experience and career planning To give you the best chance of securing a great job when you graduate, our Careers and Employability service can help you find relevant work experience during your course. We can help you identify placements, internships and voluntary roles that will complement your studies and build your portfolio. We'll also be available to help, advise and support you for up to 5 years as you advance in your career. This course allows you to take the Learning From Experience (LiFE) option. This means you can earn credits towards your degree for work, volunteer and research placements that you do alongside your study.

Course Details - Modules

** Year 1 core modules:** Culture & Conflict in Europe, 1450-2000 (20 credits); Debating the Past: Historical Perspectives (20 credits); Fragments of the Past: Understanding Sources and Bias (20 credits); Going Global: Encounters & Exchanges, 1450-2000 (20 credits); Thinking Like An Historian (40 credits) | ** Year 2 core modules [all worth 20 credits each]:** Dealing with Debates; Working with the Past | ** Year 2 optional modules [all worth 20 credits each]: ** British Political Leadership; Danger! Censorship, Power and the People; Empire and its Afterlives; Family, Career and Generation; Fear and Fun: Popular Culture and Elite Anxieties; Gender and Sexuality; Ideology and Politics; Imagined Communities: Ethnicity and National Identity; Introduction to Teaching; Learning from Experience; Race and Racism | ** Year 3 core modules:** Dissertation, plus four special themes (or two, if you're on a pathway course) from subjects such as these: Britain in Revolution: the impact of the Civil Wars: 1637-1662; Cinema-going in Wartime Britain; Conflict, Conspiracy, Consensus? Religious Identities in Elizabethan England; Decolonisation in Africa; Europe in the American century; The French Revolution; The Imperial City: Popular Culture, Slums and Scandal in Britain 1870-1939; Magic and Modernity, 1780–1900; The Making of the German Nation; The Opium War, 1839-1842; Racism and Anti-Racism in Postwar Britain; Sex, Gender and Power in Early Modern England | ** Year 3 optional modules [all worth 20 credits each]: ** African American History and Culture; Thomas Jefferson and the Making of the American Republic; US Masculinities; Equality or Liberation? Theorising Social Justice; Food, Culture, and Society; Health, Wellbeing and Happiness; Sociology of Culture: Taste, Value and Celebrity; Autocracy and Democracy; Looking for Utopia, Finding Dystopia? Ideas and Ideologies in the New Millennium; NGOS and Social Movements; Security Challenges in the Twenty-First Century

Course Details – Assessment Method

You’ll be assessed through a variety of formats. The emphasis is on giving you a range of ways to demonstrate what you’ve learned and how your thinking has developed. Your history degree with us is weighted more towards coursework than traditional exams. Assessment types include: blogs essays project reports group presentations individual presentations in-class contributions a dissertation You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so that you can continue to develop and improve The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows: Year 1 students: 8% by written exams, 10% by practical exams and 82% by coursework Year 2 students: 22% by practical exams and 78% by coursework Year 3 students: 24% by practical exams and 76% by coursework

Course Details – Professional Bodies

Professional Bodies are not listed for this Course.

How to Apply

26 January This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application Codes

Course code: V100

Institution code: P80

Campus Name: Main Site

Campus code:

Points of Entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Entry Requirements for Advanced Entry (Year 2 and Beyond)

We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.