Summary
History and politics are closely connected. Together, they help you understand how societies are shaped and how decisions are made.
Learn how we make sense of past events, ideas and problems with this combined honours modern history and politics degree.
History at Southampton challenges you to interpret history of past societies critically and imaginatively while developing critical thinking and communication skills for post-university life. You’ll study contemporary issues such as international security, migration and globalisation. Modern History at Southampton challenges you to critically interpret the recent histories of contemporary society. The study of politics encourages you to explore people’s organisation and behaviour.
You will learn to interpret events, ideas and debates from different perspectives, developing the ability to question evidence and form your own arguments. By bringing history and politics together, you will gain a deeper understanding of how the world works.
You'll build a range of skills in research and communication, valued by employers. You’ll learn to absorb, analyse and assess a wide variety of viewpoints, and express arguments in oral and written form, thinking and working independently and in cooperation with others. These are highly valued by our graduates and reflected in our Graduate Outcomes where 98% of our graduates were in employment or further study 15 months after graduation” (Graduate Outcomes, 2022/2023, published in 2025)
Key features of the course
Join a department ranked 10th for History research quality in the Complete University Guide 2026.
Combine your interests through a joint honours degree, studying topics across both History and Politics.
Work with primary sources in our University Special Collections, including the Wellington, Palmerston and Mountbatten papers and collections on modern and contemporary Jewish history.
Use digital humanities facilities to explore ideas through technologies such as virtual reality, 3D scanning and printing.
Student support
You will be taught by experts who take the time to know you as an individual. Through small group seminars and support from your personal tutor, you will build confidence in your ideas and your voice.
You will also have access to wellbeing services, peer mentoring and dedicated careers support, all within a welcoming and supportive community.
Further information
BA Modern History and Politics is a three year full time course based at Avenue Campus. You can choose to extend your degree with a year abroad or a placement year.
Find out more on our course page.
Over the three years of this course, you'll reflect on how modern history and politics complement, cut across, and underpin each other. You'll study compulsory and optional modules in each year.
Year 1: Introduction to key concepts in history and politics. You’ll look at different periods in world history, how they have been defined, and how this affects the way that history is written and understood. You’ll also be introduced to political theory and international relations.
Year 2: Deepen your understanding of specific regions, periods, or themes in history. You’ll also develop research skills in politics and international relations.
Year 3: Year Abroad
Year 4: Research and write your dissertation on a topic that interests you. This is a chance for you to practise your planning and analytical skills and engage with primary source materials.
You will also have opportunities to tailor your learning through student-selected units and an elective placement.
For a full list of modules available please visit the course page://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/modern-history-politics-with-year-abroad-degree-ba#modules
On this course you will learn through a range of activities that may include lectures, classes and tutorials, coursework, individual and group projects, and independent learning (studying on your own).
You will be able to demonstrate what you have learnt through a variety of assessment methods, such as dissertations, essays, individual and group projects, teamwork and written and practical exams.
You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor who will offer support and advice throughout your studies. You will also receive feedback throughout your course, enabling you to identify areas for improvement before your work is formally assessed.
This course is available in Clearing. If you have submitted an application, you can add this course. If you haven’t sent us an application yet, you can do this until 24th September 2026.
This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.
University of Southampton 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?
The following entry points are available for this course:
Find out about equivalent entry requirements and qualifications for your country: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/uni-life/international/your-country.page
We welcome applicants with other qualifications eg. European Baccalaureate. You will be expected to attain an A level equivalent standard.
The University of Southampton requires all applicants to achieve at least a Grade 4 in English and Mathematics GCSEs (taken in England) or a Grade C in both subjects (where taken in Northern Ireland or Wales). Some degree subjects stipulate specific additional GCSE minimum grades, which will be specified as part of the individual degree programme entry requirements.
For more details on the suitability of your qualifications or foundation programme please contact the Faculty of Arts and Humanities Admissions Team at AdmissionsUG.AH@southampton.ac.uk
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | with no component below 6.0 |
Find out more about the University’s English Language requirementshttps://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/admissions/admissions-policies/language.page
Most of the students who previously enrolled on this course joined us with grades lower than our published entry criteria. After receiving their grades, we carefully considered each students’ individual circumstances before confirming their place on their chosen course.
We encourage everyone with the potential to succeed to apply, regardless of their background. Applicants who qualify for contextual admissions will be made an offer lower than the typical offer for that programme.
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.
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.
This report uses your grades to show how students with similar results have done when applying to this course in the past. Sometimes, there isn’t data for every possible set of grades. When that happens, universities and colleges occasionally fill in the gaps for sets of grades that are typically accepted.
| Location | Fee | Year |
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* 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.
Please see our website for further details and updates: www.southampton.ac.uk/uni-life/fees-funding.page
Email:admissions@southampton.ac.uk
Phone:023 8059 4732
Email:AdmissionsUG.AH@soton.ac.uk
Phone:023 8059 4732
Highfield
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
At University of Southampton
