History BA(Hons)

Why choose this course?

This course is ideal if you are interested in the history of the modern world and how the past influences the present. It explores the history of many countries and covers many different histories: of people, cultures and societies, and of states and governments. You can study History as a single or joint honours degree.

You can also choose to study this course as a joint honours degree alongside another subject. See the course combinations section for more information.

Jeremy Nuttall, senior lecturer, talks about the History BA(Hons) course and the benefits of studying at degree level.

Rhiannon Lewis talks about her experience of the History BA(Hons) degree course.

What will you study?

This course enables you to study world history, focusing closely on the history of many countries, including Britain and the United States. Topics include culture, society and economy in Britain and other countries, crime, women's history, the French Revolution, slavery, fascism, genocide and the Holocaust, the Second World War, British politics and British imperialism. You will also learn how the past informs our everyday lives and how history is communicated, in words, in pictures and through technology. Our research-led teaching means that you learn with experts in the field. There are opportunities to learn a language, to study abroad and to gain work experience.

In Year 1 you will study British and European culture and society, 1500–1800; the history of globalisation pre-21st century; the historical influence of gender and sexuality; and how the history of Kingston and London interacts with other histories within and beyond the UK.

In Year 2 you will undertake in-depth study and research of modern British society. Option modules may focus on crime and deviance in early modern societies, nationalism and empire in Britain and Germany, the Second World War, slavery and the Holocaust.

The central feature of Year 3 is your personal research topic with dissertation. You will also expand your use of technology in history through an e-journal project. Option modules during this year include a work placement and may also feature modules on historical topics such as the French Revolution, women in Britain and America, Britain since 1960, fascism and genocide.

You will also have the opportunity to study a foreign language for free during your time at the University as part of the Kingston Language Scheme. Options currently include: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish.

Please note that this is an indicative list of modules and is not intended as a definitive list. Those listed here may also be a mixture of core and optional modules.

Year 1 (Level 4)

• Birth of the Modern Era: Britain and Europe, 1500-1800
• History at Kingston: The Historian's Craft
• Private Lives, Public Roles: Sex, Society and Identity in History
• World History

Year 2 (Level 5)

• Extended Essay/Research Project: Researching and Writing British History
• Railway Age To Television Age: Britain, 1830-1959
• Criminality, Deviance and the State in Early Modern Britain and Europe
• From Slavery to the Holocaust - Violence in the History of the Modern World
• Nationalism and Empire: Britain & Germany 1815-1914
• Area Studies
• Modern Political Thought

Year 3 (Level 6)

• Capstone: an e-journal
• Your Dissertation
• Britain, the US and the World in the Twentieth Century
• Enlightenment, Revolution and Terror
• History Worklink
• Advanced Area Studies
• Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity