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History and Politics

  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 14 September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Main Site
Awarded by:
Queen Mary, University of London
More about Queen Mary University of London

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

Are you interested in the evolution of political ideas and institutions, and the history behind the world's major powers?

Taught by experts from the Schools of History and Politics and International Relations, our joint honours degree in History and Politics examines the close links between these two disciplines.

This degree is designed to help you understand the modern world and uncover the history of political thought. You'll get an excellent grounding in both history and politics - covering a variety of historical periods, regions and ideas, as well as political theory, ideas and ideologies, and government and institutions.

You can choose from a range of option modules in both subjects, giving you the opportunity to explore specialist areas as diverse as colonisation in African history, the Russian Tsars and Bolsheviks, Britain in the Second World War, building the American Nation, comparative European politics, and the twenty-first century War on Terror.

Modules

Compulsory Modules
Year 1:
History in Practice
Thinking Politically: Introduction to Concepts, Theories and Ideologies

Choose from:

Unravelling Britain: British History since 1801
Global Encounters: Conquest and Culture in World History

Remaining choices from:

Background to British Politics
Building the American Nation 1756-1900
Controversies of Science and Technology in the Making of the Modern World
Europe 1000-1500: The Middle Ages and their legacy
Europe in a Global Context since 1800
Global Histories
Reformation to Revolution: Europe and the World 1500-1800
Screening History: Representing the Past in the Contemporary Historical Film
The Foundations of Modern Thought: Introduction to Intellectual History
Political Analysis
Introduction to International Relations
Politics in Action

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Assessment method

Students are assessed by a combination of coursework and exams. Some modules are assessed by coursework only.

In your final year you’ll work on a 10,000 word dissertation researching a specialised area of history that particularly interests you.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Main Site

Study options

  • BA (Hons) • Full-time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • 14 September 2026

Apply by
14 January

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
LV21
Institution code:
Q50
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-
Points of Entry:
Year 1

Queen Mary University of London has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
14 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:
LV21
Institution code:
Q50
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

A level
BBB

Excluded subjects - General Studies and Critical Thinking.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

Queen Mary University of London welcomes applications from students currently studying Level 3 BTEC qualifications and will consider you for entry to the majority of our undergraduate courses. The typical entry requirements will vary according to the course you are applying for.

Some of our courses require specific subject knowledge which you may not be able to cover as part of a Level 3 BTEC qualification and we may therefore require additional Level 3 qualifications to ensure that you are suitably prepared for relevant courses. A small number of our courses do not accept BTEC qualifications for entry, either as a standalone qualification, or in combination with other qualifications at Level 3.

Information on our typical entry requirements and guidance for applying can be found at http://www.qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/btec/

If you are at all unsure about the acceptability of your BTEC qualification for entry, please contact the Admissions team for individual advice (admissions@qmul.ac.uk)

Access to HE Diploma
D: 15 credits M: 15 credits

We consider applications from students with the Access to Higher Education Diploma. The minimum academic requirement is to achieve 60 credits overall with 45 credits at Level 3, of which 15 credits must be at Distinction and 15 credits at Merit or higher. This must include at least 6 Level 3 credits in History modules at Distinction.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
30 points

5,5,5 in HL subjects

Extended Project

We consider applications from students offering an EPQ and may make an alternative offer to include three A levels, one grade lower than our usual requirement, along with a specific grade in the EPQ. For further information please visit: qmul.ac.uk/undergraduate/entry/epq

GCSE/National 4/National 5

A minimum of five GCSE passes to include English at grade C or 4 or an acceptable equivalent will be required.

English language requirements

All applicants to Queen Mary must show they meet a minimum academic English language standard for admission and to be successful on the course. Please refer to the website below for details on our English Language requirements by course and acceptable alternative qualifications. You will also find important information regarding UKVI's English requirements if you are applying as an international student and will require a Student Visa to enter the UK.

Queen Mary University of London: English Language Requirementshttps://www.qmul.ac.uk/international-students/englishlanguagerequirements/undergraduate-and-postgraduate-programmes/

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

Our standard contextual offer: Grades BCC at A-Level.

Our enhanced contextual offer: Grades CCC at A-Level.

Please note that General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded from any A-Level offer and cannot be considered.

More information on our contextual offer criteria can be found on our contextualised admissions page below.

Learn more on the Queen Mary University of London website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear

* This is a provisional fee and subject to change.

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Please visit and search for your chosen course on our A-Z course finder at http://search.qmul.ac.uk/s/search.html?collection=queenmary-coursefinder-undergraduate&query=&sort=title - here you will find further details on fees and funding.
Please also visit our A-Z course finder to view the amount of fee you would need to pay if you are an International fee paying student.

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