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History BA (Hons)

Explore and analyse key historical events and ideas that have shaped the modern world through global perspectives on this dynamic and engaging history course.

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Block teaching designed around you

You deserve a positive teaching and learning experience, where you feel part of a supportive and nurturing community. That’s why most students will enjoy an innovative approach to learning using block teaching, where you will study one module at a time. You’ll benefit from regular assessments - rather than lots of exams at the end of the year - and a simple timetable that allows you to engage with your subject and enjoy other aspects of university life such as sports, societies, meeting friends and discovering your new city. By studying with the same peers and tutor for each block, you’ll build friendships and a sense of belonging.

Read more about block teaching

Overview

This innovative course explores modern and contemporary history with a global focus, examining both European and non-European perspectives. You'll study a range of important topics such as colonialism, immigration, decolonisation, gender, ethnicity, and conflict, reflecting the globalised world we live in.

You will enhance your ability to critically analyse and communicate complex historical information. Supported by a passionate expert teaching team who are leaders in their field, you’ll engage in more in-depth explorations and deepen your historical interests.

Through a variety of teaching and assessment methods, you will explore British, South Asian, European, African, and American histories, while delving into specialist areas like the history of photography and sport.

Key features

  • Develop a wide range of transferable skills by learning how to research and communicate complex information effectively and apply a historically informed perspective to contemporary and future issues.
  • Specialise in distinctive areas such as photographic history, history of sport and leisure, war and conflict, migration, ethnicity and racism.
  • Boost your career prospects through placement and internship opportunities. Our students have gained valuable skills at a large regional newspaper, the award-winning King Richard III visitor centre in Leicester, as well as teaching in Spain.
  • Explore modern and contemporary history from British, European, South Asian, African, and North American perspectives.
  • Learn beyond classroom boundaries through organised visits to archives and museums such as National Archives in London.
  • You can select an optional route through this degree in English Literature. This route will complement and enrich your understanding of your main subject, alongside broadening your skillset to give you a wider range of career paths available upon graduation.
  • Benefit from block teaching, where most students study one subject at a time. A simple timetable will allow you to really engage with your learning, receive regular feedback and assessments, get to know your course mates and enjoy a better study-life balance.

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²ÝÁñÊÓƵ professor elected a Fellow of the British Academy for her pioneering research

  • UK
  • EU/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: V100

Start date: September

Duration: Three years full-time, four years full-time with a placement. Six years part-time.

Fees and funding: 

2025/26 fees: £9,535* per year 

*subject to the government, as is expected, passing legislation to formalise the increase.

Find out more about tuition fees and available funding.

Additional costs: Here at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

Contact us: For more information, call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Book an Open Day

Submit a study-related enquiry

Start date: September

Duration: Three years full-time, four years with placement.

Fees and funding: 

2025/26 tuition fees for international students: £16,250

Additional costs: Here at ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ we provide excellent learning resources, including the Kimberlin Library and specialist workshops and studios. However, you should be aware that sometimes you may incur additional costs for this programme.

Contact us: For more information, call us on +44 (0)116 2 50 60 70.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

Typical entry requirements

  • 112 points from at least 2 A levels or
  • BTEC Extended Diploma DMM or
  • International Baccalaureate: 26+ Points or
  • T Levels Merit

Plus five GCSEs including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above.

  • Pass Access with 30 level 3 credits at Merit and GCSE English (Language or Literature) at grade 4 or above.

We will normally require students to have had a break from education from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.

  • We also accept the BTEC First Diploma plus two GCSEs including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above

Interview required: No

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

 

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

First year

  • Block 1: Modern Britain Since 1800
  • Block 2: Journeys and Places
  • Block 3: Nationalism and Revolutions in the 19th Century
  • Block 4: Ideology, War and Society in the 20th century

Second year

  • Block 1: Global Cold War
  • Block 2: Exploring Work and Society
  • Block 3: Migration, Multiculturalism and Racism
  • Block 4: Investigating the Past: Theory and Method

Third year

  • Block 1: Special subject
  • Block 2: Empire and its Aftermath
  • Block 3: The War at Home: 1939 - 1945
  • Block 4: Dissertation

See detailed module information


Routes: You can select to study a route in Block 3 during your first year. When selecting a module for Block 3 in your second year you can opt to remain on your chosen route or return to History. If you choose to remain with the route, it must be continued in your third year.


Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

 

Overview

Our teaching is interactive and enjoyable, encouraging you to develop your own thoughts, ideas, and viewpoints. You will build essential skills for both historical study and the modern workplace.

Our modules are designed to enhance your skills as a historian—from analysis and research to reasoning and evaluation—while developing attributes that improve your employability across various careers.

Taught by nationally and internationally renowned experts, you'll benefit from varied assessments, including group work, presentations, portfolios, podcasts, essays, exams, and a dissertation. These assessments are designed to build on each other, helping you strengthen your creativity, project management, teamwork, communication, and technical skills.

You will also benefit from access to ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ’s historical collections, including the Stephen Lawrence Papers, the Ski Club of GB archive, and the Kodak collection at the Kimberlin Library.

Contact hours

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops, group work, and self-directed study. You will normally attend around 9 hours of timetabled taught sessions each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 28 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.

 

Facilities and features

Placements

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our , e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including the Virtual Learning Environment, Collaborate Ultra, ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live , online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our , and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Campus Centre

The home of  De Montfort Students' Union, (DSU) our Campus Centre offers a welcoming and lively hub for student life. Conveniently located at the heart of campus, it includes a convenience store, a Subway and a Starbucks. Here you can find the DSU-owned charitable accommodation service Sulets and DSU’s shop, SUpplies, selling art supplies, stationery and clothing, and printing and binding services. The building is also home to the DSU officer team. 

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Careers Team
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Placements

This course gives you the option to enhance and build your professional skills to progress within your chosen career, through a placement. Our dedicated team offers a range of careers resources and opportunities so you can start planning your future.

Students Kayleigh Cardy and Cory Hancock secured year-long placements as English language teaching assistants in Spain though ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ’s Erasmus+ programme. Kayleigh said: “It’s been so much more than a placement. I’ve travelled, I’ve learnt about a whole new culture and I’ve grown as a person. It’s highlighted what I can achieve when I set my mind to something and I feel better prepared for my final year of university as I’m more independent and confident.”

Students on the #²ÝÁñÊÓƵglobal trip to New York

²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Global

Our innovative international experience programme   aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons, helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through ²ÝÁñÊÓƵ Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges. 

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Graduate careers

Employability skills are embedded in the curriculum to prepare you for a range of careers both related to History and in wider industries. Our graduates have gone on to forge successful careers in various professions, such as teaching, the law, marketing and the heritage and museum sector.

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