BA History
Entry requirements
A level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level . To apply to any of our Colleges for History, you will need an A level/IB Higher Level (or the equivalent) in: History If you’re not taking History but are able to demonstrate that you have developed other, equivalent skills by taking other relevant subjects, or through independent subject exploration, you should contact the admissions office of your shortlisted College(s) for advice.
About this course
BA (Hons) in History, a history degree centred on the study of the past across varied geographical regions and chronological periods. Core topics include Research Methods and Historical Research. The course includes outline papers, sources papers, topic papers, and a dissertation of 10,000 words. The first year covers foundational outline and sources papers alongside Introduction to Historical Thinking and Historical Skills. The second year builds depth through topic papers, Historical Thinking II, and a research project where students undertake independent historical work. The final year focuses on advanced study through a special subject, Historical Thinking III, advanced topic papers, and the option to complete a dissertation. Students examine primary source materials ranging from medieval records to modern media while engaging with diverse historiographical approaches.
Modules
- 2 outline papers, which usually cover a long period and broad geographical area. You choose 2 papers from a list of 11, ranging over Britain and Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia
- one sources paper, where you examine a body of primary material on a particular historical theme, issue, or event. You choose one paper from a range of options which vary each year. Typical examples of options may include Travel and Trade in the Medieval World, Globalisation in Nineteenth-Century China, and Arab Intellectual History
- Introduction to Historical Thinking, which introduces methods and debates by examining a single work of history that has influenced the discipline
- Historical Skills, where you focus on research skills essential in History, such as the use of archives, digital sources, and oral history, as well as quantitative approaches
- 2 topic papers that explore focused areas of historical knowledge in depth. The topics available each year may vary. Topic options may include Culture and Power in the Ancient Mediterranean, Nature and Knowledge c.1500-1800, and Modern South Asia
- one research project where you undertake your own historical research. Each project covers analytical and conceptual features of a particular area of history, and offers guidance on the methodologies and skills needed to research it
- Historical Thinking II, where you broaden your knowledge of different historiographical approaches and methods
- a special subject, which counts as 2 papers. This is an in-depth study of a historical period, process or problem, using primary sources. Topics on offer vary year to year, but currently include heresy in medieval southern France, memory in early modern England, and religion and nationalism in post-1948 Zimbabwe
- Historical Thinking III, where you have the chance to reflect critically on major historical concepts encountered throughout your degree
- 2 advanced topic papers, where you explore a complex theme at the forefront of historical scholarship. Topics change from year to year, but currently include the history of political thought, the Indian sub-continent from the late 18th century, and consumer culture in the United States
- one advanced topic paper and a dissertation of 10,000 words on a topic of your choice. Recent examples of dissertation topics include 10th-century Byzantine political culture, 19th-century Mauritian elites, and community life on Sheffield's Park Hill estate