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.

Year 1 of your degree will include three compulsory and three optional modules, with a choice of optional topics that include The Early Modern World, Medieval Europe, Gods and Heroes, and Ancient Egyptian Society and Culture.

Year 2 has one compulsory module and five optionals, with topics including Archaic Greece, Gender in the Roman World, a Schools Placement teaching ancient history and languages, and Plato’s Republic.

Your third year will be spent on your Year Abroad, studying at one of our international partner institutions, where you can gain valuable skills and experience.

Year 4 largely consists of optional modules, with choices including advanced levels of Greek or Latin, Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius, Plato’s Republic, The Great Depression, Ancient and Medieval Monarchy, and a compulsory Dissertation.

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