Ancient History and History with a Year Abroad

Our BA in Ancient History and History lets you study across a broad period of ancient, medieval and modern history. You’ll explore a wide range of topics, from Greek city-states and Roman emperors to medieval monarchies, modern revolutions, and the ideas that have shaped societies across centuries. Whether you're drawn to ancient myths and monuments or to themes like human rights and disease, this course allows you to explore history in all its complexity.

Our degree opens up exciting debates about how we as historians organise the study of the past. Rather than treating historical periods as isolated blocks, our course encourages you to think critically about the chronological boundaries we place on the past. Key themes, such as power, gender, belief, and resistance, cut across traditional divisions, helping you to understand the limitations of breaking up the past arbitrarily into chunks of time with fixed labels.

With a broad range of modules open to you across the whole span of history (Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, and Modern), you’ll have the flexibility to tailor your studies to your interests. You might focus on ancient and medieval history, exploring connections between antiquity and the modern world, or examine how ideas and institutions have evolved across different eras. How did power work in different societies? What was the experience of minority communities across history? How have constructions of sexuality and gender developed over time? We’ll help you develop the tools to compare different periods of history to appreciate what changed and when, and what stayed the same.

We are based in our stunning Singleton Park Campus, overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula.

This programme includes opportunities to undertake a Year Abroad, enhancing your learning and offering invaluable life experience.

In Year 1, you will typically study areas including: Pompeii and beyond, Global Challenges and the Historian, History of the Mediterranean World (c.1000 BCE – c. 500 CE).

In Year 2, you will typically study areas including: The Practice of History, Gender in the Roman World, Alexander and the Hellenistic world.

In Year 3: Modules will be dependent on which partnership University you choose to study at.

In Year 4, you will typically study areas including: History Dissertation, Extended Research Project in Classics, Ancient History and Egyptology.

We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment include:
• Presentations
• Group Work
• Personal Reflection
Throughout your undergraduate Ancient History and History degree, you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing. For full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course page: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/classics-ancient-history-egyptology/ba-ancient-history-history or get in touch with us at study@swansea.ac.uk