History and Politics (Q97)

This wide-ranging course will develop and deepen your knowledge of different periods of history while providing a critical understanding of political ideas, institutions, issues and theories. You’ll tackle challenging issues such as power and warfare, security and insecurity, global justice, culture and beliefs, health and medicine, imperialism and resistance, and class and gender.

Key features of the course

• Study a range of periods and societies from 1750 using social scientific theories and approaches and historical analysis

• Offers a choice of two periods in history and two aspects of politics to specialise in at an advanced level

• Gives you the opportunity to develop an independent project on a subject of your choice

• Develop skills relevant to political and historical research and writing for a range of audiences

Course Modules

This history and politics degree has three stages, each comprising 120 credits.

At Stage 1 you’ll begin by exploring critical global challenges, how social science helps us understand them, and how you can respond as an active citizen. You'll then choose between a broad introduction to the arts and humanities or focusing on the turning points that shaped the modern world, looking at revolutionary change from various perspectives.

Stage 2 consists of two compulsory modules. In your politics module, you'll explore how political ideas, institutions and processes help govern our world. The history module will teach you about the British Isles in a period of rapid transformation, when it was the workshop of the world.

In Stage 3, you'll develop greater depth in both history and politics through more focused study. In history, you'll explore either the shaping of modern Britain or the key events that transformed Europe in the twentieth century. In politics, you'll choose between studying major changes and ongoing challenges in international relations or examining how political ideas remain active and influential in understanding contemporary national and global issues.