BA Modern History and International Relations

Example structure
Studying at Essex is about discovering yourself, so your course combines compulsory and optional modules to make sure you gain key knowledge in the discipline, while having as much freedom as possible to explore your own interests. Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field, therefore to ensure your course is as relevant and up-to-date as possible your core module structure may be subject to change.
For many of our courses you’ll have a wide range of optional modules to choose from – those listed in this example structure are just a selection of those available. The opportunity to take optional modules will depend on the number of core modules within any year of the course. In many instances, the flexibility to take optional modules increases as you progress through the course.
Our Programme Specification gives more detail about the structure available to our current first-year students, including details of all optional modules.
Year 1
The Making of the Modern World 1776-1989


Introduction to Politics


Introduction to International Relations


Democracy: Forms and Futures


Co-Operation and Conflict


Becoming a Historian


From Disunity to Unity? An Introduction to the History of Europe in the 20th Century (optional)
Year 2
Making Histories: Concepts, Themes and Sources


International Relations: Theories and Approaches


History Works: Beyond Your BA


Conflict Analysis


The U.S. Presidential Election (optional)


Human Rights in Historical Perspective (optional)


South Africa: The Road to Apartheid (optional)


The European Union: Institutions and Policies (optional)


Final year
Placement-Linked Project (optional)


Authoritarianism (optional)


The Analysis of Conflict and Peace (optional)


The United States and the Vietnam War (optional)


Crime and Punishment: England in Comparative Perspective 1650-1900 (optional)


Year abroad
On your year abroad, you have the opportunity to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised. The rest of your course remains identical to the three-year degree.
Teaching
Taught by a weekly lecture followed by a seminar, where groups of about 15 students meet with their tutor to discuss their reading, to work together with primary sources, or to make presentations to the rest of the group
Lab sessions allow you to improve your technical research skills
Opportunities to gain work experience on placements and internships
One-to-one tuition for your final-year project
Assessment
Assessment methods include essays, coursework journals, oral presentations, book and film reviews, source analysis, and the dissertation
If you undertake a placement, you will prepare an assessed report on this experience
Your first-year marks do not count towards your final degree class
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