History BA (Hons)

 

Course Code

UCAS Code: V140
International Code: AHU046

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

 

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years part-time

Start date

September 2022

How to apply
Book an Open Day
Download a prospectus
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Course overview

Study level: Undergraduate

The study of the past allows you to understand the present and shape the future. Studying history gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in a range of historic periods.

Additional key points:

  • We have designed the History BA (Hons) to help you understand the historical forces that have shaped the modern world. It looks at how issues such as racism, gender constructs, class, political identities, war, and the environment have intersected, interacted, and evolved to change human societies over time.
  • This course aims to develop your critical thinking skills and analyse themes and voices from a range of marginalised communities. We will encourage you to explore primary (historic) sources and have access those used by historians.
  • You will also be expected to develop a portfolio of historical pieces with evidence from media artefacts and your learning from any international experiences. (These include accredited field trips and online international learning projects).
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Global Ready

An international outlook, with global opportunities
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Teaching excellence

Taught by lecturers who are experts in their field
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Employability

Career ready graduates, with the skills to succeed

Why you should study this course

  • International experiences: a range of field trips* which turn learning experiences into international experiences; an optional sandwich year; and collaborative online international learning (COIL) to develop global citizens who are sensitive to the needs of a range of international communities.
  • Tactile learning: engagement with historical artefacts such as newspapers and other documents to learn about how societies were informed, and shaped.
  • Innovative learning and assessment: learn how to use digital tools to produce documentaries; create video and radio podcasts; development of digital literacy skills.
  • Critical thinking: a focus on the ways in which critical questioning of the past can help you to understand the social, cultural, and political forces which have shaped societies through the present day.
  • Academic Community: The creation of learning experiences built around collaboration and research, taught by a group of historians who are accessible and who work with you to help you build a portfolio of experiences which will aid you in preparing for the post-graduation market or further studies.
  • Specialised degree paths: Specialise in an exciting range of topics and themes within the history programme. These include American history; Modern European history; Espionage Studies; Environmentalism; organised crime; and the history and politics of the far-right.
  • An emphasis on fieldwork and engaging with local communities to explore, analyse, and tell their historic stories.

Course Director Darren Reid talks you through what you could be studying during your History BA (Hons) degree.

Studying history here, with a focus on modern times, has not only been useful and interesting, but practical in the world of today. The balance of modules I have taken are tilted in favour of social history, with a diverse range of political, national and international history modules enriching that balance. In addition to being inspired to study environmental history as a postgraduate student, I have had the chance to study at the University of Limoges as part of the course, where I gained international experience and intercultural skills, including learning French.

Stefan Bernhardt-Radu, BA (Hons) History graduate 2019
Three students looking at a history exhibition in a museum

What you'll study

For full-time students, the first year examines how the foundations of the modern world were laid. It considers the rise of the nation-state, the collision of cultures which occurred between Europe, Africa, and the Americas, and countries’ early struggles for independence against empires. For part-time students, the first year will explore the historian’s craft, taking in a broad series of case studies from across the past 500 years.

Modules

  • This module will deal with the origins and spread of nationalism in the Western world and the rise of the modern nation state from the Atlantic Revolutions of the late eighteenth century to the foundation of the United Nations.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework and podcast

  • The aim of this module is to analyse the transformation of Britain during the period of transition from late Victorian Imperialism, with its emphasis on individualism and self-help, to the creation of the welfare state. The main themes considered are state-society relations and the effect of social, political and economic change upon the people of Britain.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework and presentation

  • The aim of this module is to introduce the philosophy and practices of the discipline, to outline examples of key historical debates and to provide examples of historical malpractice. In addition, historical skills of vital importance to all professional historians will also be discussed and demonstrated.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework and exam

  • Understanding how different media types have shaped lived experiences allows historians to engage with the key forces which have led to the emergence of the modern world. The ways in which information has been used by, and against, large groups in the past are important processes which historians should endeavour to understand.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework and documentary artefact

  • The aim of this module is to introduce students to the ways in which the emergence of the Atlantic World, and later globalisation, altered the cultural, social, and economic realities of all involved. The module looks at historical change from the fifteenth century to the present and places a particular emphasis upon the history of the Atlantic World (Europe, Africa, and the Americas).

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework and presentation

  • Part-time students will study Historians on Trial; Power, Persuasian, and Propaganda; and From Empire to Welfare: Britain, 1901-1951 in their first year. You will then study Nations and Nationalism: From Unifications to Annihilation, History of the Atlantic World and Globalisation, and an Add+vantage module in your second year.

    Optional

If you’re a full-time student, in your second year, you will begin to deepen your knowledge about the history of Europe and the US. You will explore their cultures, conflicts and key social changes.

If you are a part-time student, you will develop an understanding of the key social and political changes which shaped the US. You will also study the relationship between humankind and the natural world and the international history of Europe.

Modules

  • The aim of this module is to provide an outline history of the United States from Contact to the end of the twentieth century. The major themes of this module are: political change and institutions; key leaders; war and diplomacy; economic and social development.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework and podcast

  • The aim of this module is to introduce students to the history of the relations between the major European powers in the twentieth century. The foreign policies of Britain, France, Italy, Germany and the Soviet Union will provide the focus of this module.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework and exam

  • From the Victorian period to the end of the Cold War, espionage has played an important role in the diplomatic, military, political and commercial deals of states. This module charts the professionalisation of Britain's intelligence organisations from the Great Game to the early Cold War. We will examine the formation of the intelligence services in Britain, and their relationship to allies in the United States and enemies in the Soviet block.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework and presentation

  • This module discusses how the debates surrounding environmental history have evolved and proceeds to deal with the impact of environmental groups, human societies, modes of production, the Columbian Exchange, industrialism, war, the birth of environmental groups, and the debates surrounding climate change and humanity’s ethical relationship with the natural world.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework and exam

  • Optional modules- 1 from the following:

    A History of International Crime – 20 credits

    This module aims to provide students with a basic understanding of international organised crime groups. Analysing the historical developments of the traditional criminal organisations (such as the Sicilian mafia, US mafia, Japanese Yakuza, Russian clans). Each week, the module will provide knowledge and insight about the nature and the extent of organised crime, the social and legal consequences, the dynamic relationship between organised criminal groups, law enforcement organisations, states and civil societies.

    Assessment type: Coursework

    Contemporary Far Right in Western Europe – 20 credits

    This module focuses on the rise of Far Right political parties in West European countries. The focus will be on the different explanations put forwards for their success or failure to acquire electoral support, their influence on the behaviour of mainstream political parties and politics in general in the case study countries.

    Assessment type: Coursework, exam

    War and the Media in Britain 1875-2003

    How should historians ‘read’, use and understand the media? How far does newspaper content reflect the attitudes of its intended readers towards their own societies and towards conflicts both domestic and foreign? Or to what extent does readership shape content? This module will introduce students to these issues and debates.

    This module also improves the employability of students beyond providing them with advanced research skills, by also providing them with an understanding of the media and its role in society. This will be an advantage for students wishing to enter the media (as journalists or otherwise), as well as students wishing to enter a career that requires a strong understanding of the mediatised world such as, inter alia, politics, law and marketing.

    Assessment type: Coursework

    Optional

  • Part-time students will study The Making of the United States; Humanity and the Natural World; and

    The International History of Europe in their third year. You will study Shadow Warriors: Modern Britain and Espionage; Optional Module; and Add+vantage module in their fourth year.

    Optional

After your second year, you have an opportunity to take a sandwich year, studying abroad or on professional placement*.

You can opt to go on a work placement or study abroad year, you will be registered onto a module. You must have a confirmed placement or study abroad opportunity two weeks before the start of the academic year to participate in the study abroad/placement year. However, we encourage international students to confirm their placements earlier to ensure they are able to meet any applicable visa requirements. You can only progress onto the relevant work placement or study abroad module if you successfully complete the first two years of the course (i.e. having accumulated 240 credits).

If you opt for either the work placement or study abroad module, you will be registered on a non-credit- bearing module and no additional tuition fees apply. These modules are not credited, but they require you to complete a marked assessment reflecting on your placement/study abroad or work-placement experience. Once you have successfully completed this assessment, your module selection will appear on your final academic transcript. This means that you could graduate with 360 credits in total, assuming successful completion of their final year.

Your studies culminate in a dissertation, the production of a documentary film, or by launching a curated exhibition. You will choose the topic of your dissertation, film, or exhibition, allowing you to explore and research an area of interest to you. Past students have chosen fascinating topics such as prisoners of war

Students studying the part-time option will study the history of race, resistance, and civil rights and complete the first part of their Final Project.

Modules

  • This module will examine the United States through its cultural and racial diversity, comparing and contrasting the historical experiences of American Indians, African Americans, Latinos, whites, and Asian Americans. An emphasis will be on how these groups were defined and treated in relation to each other. We will explore how the idea of race has helped to shape and direct American history.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework and exam

  • This module, paired with 'Final Project in History Part 2' is designed to enable students to develop, enhance and to prepare to put into practice the research and analytical skills acquired in their previous years of study. The modules encourage the student to employ their skills in the gathering, synthesis and interpretation of information and knowledge to pursue an in-depth analysis of a subject of their own choosing.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework

  • Part-time students will take Final Project – Part I; Optional Module in semester one (Post-War Germany; The Third Reich; or Global Organised Crime); Optional Module in semester two (Studytrip; An Inconvenient History; or Women’s Lives in Britain and the US), and Race and Resistance in the United States in their fifth year. In your sixth year, you will take Optional Module in semester one (Post-War Germany; The Third Reich; or Global Organised Crime); Add+vantage module; Final Project in History – Part II.

    Optional

  • Allied to 'Final Project in History: Part 1', this module is designed to enable students to develop, enhance and put into practice the research and analytical skills acquired in their previous years of study. The module will encourage independent study on the part of student, with a particular emphasis on independent and critical judgement. The final project provides opportunities for the application of knowledge and understanding acquired at levels four and five. Students will also develop time-management and independent learning skills.

    Optional

    Assessment: Coursework

  • The Third Reich 1933-1945 – 20 credits

    This module will examine the rise to power of the Nazis and their domination of German political life. It will also analyse the changing nature of Nazism and the impact of Nazi ideas on various sectors of society. The priorities of the Nazis and the impact of those priorities on the German people and those who fell under their control in the Second World War will provide the focus of this module.

    Assessment type: Coursework, exam

    Women's Lives in Britain and the US 1800-1939 – 20 credits

    The aim of this module is to examine aspects of women’s lives in Britain and the US between 1800 and 1945 using an historical approach that will focus on the following areas of study: working lives and labour relations, education, women’s roles in war, peace campaigning, feminist campaigns.

    Assessment type: Coursework, exam

    Post-War Germany – 20 credits

    This module explores the political and economic history of the German nation from its division at the end of the Second World War to its reunification in 1990 and beyond. The particular geographic and political situation of Germany on the frontline in the cold war made her a test case for East–West relations, until the fall of the Berlin Wall gave her the opportunity to bring a century shaped by German aggression to a peaceful close.

    Assessment type: Coursework, exam

    An Inconvenient History: The Green Movement – 20 credits

    The aim of this module is to critically analyse the emergence and evolution of environmental ideas and movements in Britain and America since the turn of the twentieth century. The module traces the preservation and conservation movements of the 19th Century and examines their transformation following the expansion of the consumer society after the Second World War into new environmental movements during the 1960s and 70s.

    Assessment type: Coursework

    Global Organised Crime – 20 credits

    Organised is very much a transnational phenomenon. The module will examine the recent evolution of the traditional criminal organisations in comparative perspective (Sicilian mafia, American Cosa Nostra, Japanese Yakuza and Chinese Triads), the growth of the new wave of organised criminal groups (with a focus on the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Africa and the South American Cartels), the nature of criminality behind the human trade and piracy, the emergence of youth gangs and the evolution of organised crime in the UK.

    Assessment type: Coursework

    Study Trip – 20 credits

    This module aims to give students the opportunity to address and explore issues and themes in history, international relations, sociology, politics and linked disciplines, in a non-UK setting. For example, on a study trip to Sicily, issues in history would include the origins and development of Italian organised criminal organisations, themes in politics would include the relationship between politics and the mafia.

    Assessment type: Coursework, presentation

    Optional

  • Part-time students will take Final Project – Part I; Optional Module in semester one (Post-War Germany; The Third Reich; or Global Organised Crime); Optional Module in semester two (Studytrip; An Inconvenient History; or Women’s Lives in Britain and the US), and Race and Resistance in the United States in their fifth year. In your sixth year, you will take Optional Module in semester one (Post-War Germany; The Third Reich; or Global Organised Crime); Add+vantage module; Final Project in History – Part II.

    Optional

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

The course normally lasts three years when studied full-time and four to six years part-time, with students starting in September.

Our teaching staff will integrate research into your teaching, exposing you to the latest ways to interpret the past. For example, you will engage in a new and evolving cultural history of the United States which explores the links between the country’s past and its tumultuous present.

You will have the opportunity to go on international and domestic field trips, including accredited trips to Sicily and Berlin (which may be subject to additional costs, availability, application and meeting any applicable visa requirements). In the recent past, field trip destinations have included Strasbourg, Nuremburg, and Jamaica. We also host an exciting programme of guest speakers covering topics such as organised crime, international history, and life as a holocaust survivor (all trips are subject to availability).

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods including formal examinations and coursework.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes. Assessments may include exams, individual assignments or group work elements.

Job ready

Throughout the course, your academic study will be combined with broad-based skills development. On successfully completing this course, you will have had the opportunity to develop a range of transferrable skills, which are highly valued by employers, including excellent communications, critical thinking and analysis, strong presentation and listening skills.

These skills, together with your knowledge of the world, could open opportunities to careers in government, business, media production, digital publishing, journalism, lobbying, campaigning, voluntary organisations and international organisations like the United Nations (UN) or the European Commission.

International experience opportunities

You will have the opportunity to engage in credit and non-credit bearing field trips. At level three you have the option of taking the accredited field trip module with Berlin, Sicily, and Brussels and Amsterdam as the choice of destinations.

The history team also run non-credit bearing field trips and have taken students to:

  • Iceland
  • Amsterdam and the Hague
  • Bratislava, Vienna, and Budapest
  • Munich and Nuremberg
  • New York

In addition to field trips, you will also have the opportunity to take part in Collaborative Online International Learning with peers in international institutions.

Entry requirements

Typical offer for 2022 entry.

Requirement What we're looking for
A level BBC
GCSE Minimum 5 GCSEs at A*-C including English
BTEC DDM
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme 31 points

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

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Are you eligible for the Fair Access Scheme?

We believe every student should have the opportunity to dream big, reach their potential and succeed, regardless of their background.

Fair Access Scheme

Typical offer for 2022 entry

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

Europe

Americas

Middle East

South Asia

South East Asia

East Asia

Africa

Russia and Central Asia

You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.0 overall, with no component lower than 5.5.

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course. 

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

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Fees and funding

Student Full time Part time
UK £9,250 per year Not available
International £15,300 per year Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

Facilities

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities is joining two of our school’s completely refurbished Art and Design buildings and adding a range of new facilities, set to open later in 2022. These will include a hyper studio designed for cross-disciplinary projects; immersive studios with cutting-edge virtual reality and mixed-reality technologies. Our aim is to offer you sector-leading facilities in a unique environment.

lanchester library entrance

Library

The library offers a team of dedicated academic liaison librarians who provide specialist help and support. You’ll also have access to subject specific databases of journal articles related to criminology and forensics.

Two young adults sitting and chatting at a reception desk

Academic support

No matter which degree you’re studying, you’ll find a lot of support on campus, including the Centre of Academic Writing and sigma, which offers mathematics and statistics support.

Careers and opportunities

We are committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The University's Careers and Employability team provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.

Careers of graduates have included:

  • Graduate roles
  • Teaching careers
  • Masters courses
  • Working at an NGO or Charity (project based roles)

Where our graduates work

Graduates have gone onto various roles as listed:

Graduate roles

  • Graduate Recruitment roles - Harvey Nash, Premier Group
  • Government affairs advocacy coordinator at Saint Gobain
  • Police Now graduate development programme
  • Graduate Development Management programme at Enterprise Rent a Car
  • Graduate development British Transport Police
  • Royal Navy graduate programme
  • Charity Works graduate programme

Teaching careers (various locations and organisations)

  • PGCE
  • SCITT
  • PDGE
  • Youth development groups (City Year, Explore Learning)
  • Teach First
  • Special education needs (SEN) schools
  • Youth camps – UK and International
  • Business Development Executive at DHL
  • Senior Internationalisation Admin at Coventry University
  • JET (Teaching in Japan) programme
  • NCS – National Citizens Service

Masters course and university location

  • Diplomacy, Law and Global Change – Coventry
  • Gender Studies – Sussex
  • Environmental History – St. Andrews
  • Modern History – Warwick
  • International Relations – Coventry
  • History of War – King’s College
  • Early Modern History – Birmingham
  • International Relations – Manchester
  • Graduate Diploma in Law
  • Human Rights – Sussex

Working at an NGO or Charity (project based roles)

  • Women’s Aid
  • Coventry Haven
  • Citizens Advice
  • City of Culture

Local City Council, Local Government, Politics

  • Working with an MP
  • Political campaign work
  • Local Government Scheme

Civil Service – Government Social Research, Human Resources, Houses of Parliament.

How to apply

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Your next steps

Student life
Accommodation
Fees and funding

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  • Student Contract

    By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2021/22 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.

    Tuition fees

    The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.

    For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.

    Accreditations

    The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery. 

    Facilities

    Facilities mentioned on this page may not be relevant for every course. Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.

    Placements and study abroad opportunities

    Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.

    Additional costs

    This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to), equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas).