Modern & Contemporary History

About the course

Teaching staff in the department are friendly and accessible and have published extensively in a broad range of subjects including political, military, urban, social and technological history.

Teaching is primarily in the form of lectures and seminars. The staff-to-student ratio is generous and most of the class sizes are relatively small so there is plenty of time to get to know people and to make friends among your fellow students.

In the first year you are given a grounding in the making of the twentieth century. This is divided into three strands, covering Britain, Europe and the USA. At this stage you are also introduced to some of the problems that you will encounter when you compare different historians’ accounts of the same events and processes.

During the second year, each of these themes is developed. Now you engage in much greater detail with themes in the histories of twentieth century America, Britain and western Europe. You will also learn about the ways in which these cultures interacted with and influenced one another. In addition, you will learn more about historical method.

In the third year, you will have the opportunity to focus on specialised subject areas. By this stage, the basis will also have been laid for the third year dissertation. This is a lengthy piece of work, based on primary documents, which allows you to engage with a subject of your choice under the guidance of an individually selected tutor. Major emphasis is placed on interactions between what individual research establishes and the existing ‘historical map’ in a particular field.

What you will learn

You will learn about the making of twentieth century society and culture. Your starting-point will be the later nineteenth century. Then in your second year you will go on to study Britain, the USA and western Europe in greater depth. Having completed these survey and thematic courses, you will be in a position to choose more specialized modules in your third year. You will also learn more about historical method and how to question texts: understand the perspective from which a document has been written: and query the ‘evidence’ of witnesses in the past. Finally, you will learn about the world in which you live now and about the problems by which it is so deeply troubled. All these are rooted in the past: each of them has a history.

Special features

• The department is small with friendly, accessible teaching staff offering a wide range of topics. Many of the modules are based on the published research interests of teaching staff.

Careers and professional development

Studying history develops the analytical, report writing, discussion and presentation skills that help you to find work in an extremely wide range of careers including teaching, management, business, marketing, industry and the public sector.

You may also use the degree as a stepping stone to postgraduate study in subjects such as history, social policy, social work, law, business and commerce.

Our BA (Hons) Modern & Contemporary History course is an excellent preparation for a wide range of future careers requiring analytical skills, articulacy and the ability to make and sustain an argument or policy position.

Mode of attendance: Full-time