Skip to content
Skip to navigation menu

 

History Undergraduate Degree Programmes

 

Students in a lecture theatre

The Department offers full-time and part-time single honours BA programmes in History and a range of full-time Joint Honours programmes, which allow you to combine History with other disciplines in the Humanities and the Social Sciences. Our popular degree programmes are informed by the latest historical research and our modules range from the early Medieval period to the late twentieth century and allow you to study the histories of Britain, Europe and Asia. Our courses seek to encourage you to approach familiar subjects in new ways and introduce you to new topics, allowing you to investigate different approaches - theoretical and practical - in understanding historical studies. 

Information about individual degree schemes can be found by clicking on the following links:

Research-led Teaching 

As in all Russell Group Universities, there is a close link between teaching and research. Your courses will teach you how to do research – to evaluate a body of knowledge and present a conclusion supported by evidence. These are precisely the sorts of skills that employers have traditionally valued History graduates for. ‘Research-led teaching’ also means that you will be taught by internationally recognised experts, who have published extensively. Thus, as a student, you will be directly involved in the re-evaluation of old ideas and the creation of new knowledge.

Stimulating and Flexible Environment

Over a hundred new undergraduates join us each year from a diverse range of backgrounds. Our academic staff are equally diverse and bring to the School their extensive teaching and varied research interests. While all our staff are actively engaged in historical research, as a Department we are committed to providing high-quality teaching that benefits from our research findings and from the latest historical scholarship. This is reflected in our research-led teaching and in the modules we offer, which cover topics from Medieval Heresy to National Socialism in Germany; from Fascism in France to early-modern witchcraft and crime; from Welsh society and culture to the 'Great Depression' of the 1930s, from the history of medicine to the economic history of twentieth-century Britain. 

 

All our modules seek to develop important historical and transferable skills which are essential to study at undergraduate level and to many employers. In some modules seminar teaching is available through the medium of Welsh, while the Department is committed to supporting students in developing their language skills be they in Welsh, German, etc. In addition to the formal curriculum, students benefit from an active programme of visiting speakers. as well as field trips in some modules which range from trips within Wales to Paris and Berlin. The Department also has excellent links with universities in Europe and the US and participates in a range of study abroad programmes.

 

To find out more about the modules we currently offer, visit our Year Two History Module or Year Three History Module pages.

Methods of Teaching and Assessment

Teaching in the Department is delivered through a mixture of formal lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. The Department places a value on small teaching groups and tutorials and contact between its academic staff and students. Staff in the Department believe that seminars, tutorials and workshops provide a valuable component in your learning as they allow you to develop skills in presenting your arguments, setting out your ideas and communicating your knowledge / understanding. These values are reflected in our assessment. Most of our modules are assessed by a combination of assessed essays and written examinations - the latter held at the end of each year - and the emphasis placed on coursework increases as you progress through your degree. However, we also use a range of other assessment methods, including extended essays and project work, primary source analysis, dissertations, and oral presentations.

 

Click here for further information on the learning experience in the Department.

 

Comprehensive Support Structure

Although our teaching seeks to encourage students to take responsibility for their learning, supported by regular feedback from staff, all our students have a member of academic staff who acts as their Personal Tutor. He or she is on hand to help you with any academic or personal issues you may meet while studying for your degree. Further pastoral support is provided in Year One by the Part One Tutor and in the Year 2 and 3 by the Senior Tutor who are on hand to advise you and they are backed up by the University’s many student support services.

 

Prizes and Awards

The School awards a number of prizes in recognition of outstanding academic achievement.