BA History

Students take 120 credits per year composed of core and optional modules, which allows you to design your own intellectual journey while maintaining a strong grasp of the fundamentals of History. (Please note that 30 credits equal one unit in the table below)

In the first year, students take introductory modules only, moving on to intermediate level modules in the second year, and then to advanced modules in their final year.

How to structure your programme?

In choosing your modules, some students choose to focus mainly on one region (Africa, Near and Middle East, South, Southeast or East Asia) or topic (e.g. Islam, violence and warfare, gender, modernity). Others choose a broader approach, exploring various topics and regions. There are advantages to both approaches, though ideally you will develop an in-depth knowledge of regional histories but also be able to place these histories in comparative context.

Open option modules are modules from outside of this degree programme, typically language modules or non-history modules in other departments. Open option modules may constitute part of your credits, however can constitute no more than 30 credits per year and can only be taken if you have satisfied the History component of your programme.

Year 1 - You must choose four 100-level modules, including:

• H101 Approaching History (30 credits)
• H102 History of the World (30 credits)

And either:

• two further regional introductory History modules (100-level)
• OR one regional introductory History module (100-level) plus an approved open option

Year 2 - You must choose four 200-level modules, including:

• H201 Historical Research: Approaches, Methods, Design (30 credits)
• two modules (15 credits each) drawn from the intermediate thematic modules, including ‘Cities in History’; ‘Frontiers in History’; ‘Gender in History’; ‘Violence in History’

And either:

• two further regional introductory History modules (200-level)
• OR a regional module and an approved open option

Year 3 - You must choose four modules, including:

• a 'Special Subject' taught module (300-level)
• and a History dissertation, which is EITHER a 400-level Special Subject Long Essay linked to the 300-level taught course OR an Independent Study Project (H500)

And either:

• two 200-level modules
• OR one 200-level module and an approved open option

• H101 Approaching History
• H102 - The History of the World

• H110 Introduction to the History of Africa
• H120 Introduction to the History of East Asia
• H130 Introduction to the History of the Near and Middle East
• H140 Introduction to the History of South Asia
• H150 Introduction to the History of South East Asia

• H201 Historical Research: Approaches, Methods, Design

• H211 Cities in History
• H212 Frontiers in History
• H213 Gender in History
• H214 Violence in History

• H234 Culture and Identity in Modern South Asia 1800-2000
• H236 State and Society in Mughal India
• H241 The Middle East in the Period of the Crusades, 1050-1291
• H246 Cities of Paradise and Empire
• H247 Medieval Iran: Nomads, Settlers and Dynasts
• H248 The Making of the Modern Middle East
• H253 Islam in Southeast Asia, 1760s-1960s
• H254 Indigenous Warfare & Society in Early Modern Southeast Asia, 1300-1830
• H270 Society and Culture in Twentieth-Century Africa
• H275 Race, Class and Culture in the History of Southern Africa
• H278 Muslim Societies in West Africa
• H280 Atlantic Slavery and Its Legacies: Western Africa Ca 1500-2000
• H283 Modern Japan
• H297 Modern China
• History and Culture of Korea to the late 19th Century
• The Other Korea: North Korea since 1945
• Islamic Reform Movements in Modern Africa

• H333 Urban Modern Eastern Asia (I)
• H335 Gandhi and Gandhism
• H337 Histories of Partition: India and Pakistan 1947 (I)
• H343 Reform, Resistance and Revolution: the Ottoman Empire 1876-1909 (I)
• H382 Opium and Empires: Eastern Asia's Narcotic Trade and Culture in Global Context
• H348 Rulers, Rebels and Scholars in Early Islam (I)
• H353 The Creation of Modern Burma 1852-C.1941 (I)
• H378 Violence, Identity & Politics in Modern East and Northeast Africa (I)
• H379 Asante, the Gold Coast and the British, 1807-1935 (I)
• H334 The Mongols and the Islamic World (I)
• H398 - The Vietnam War and Asia I

• H500 Independent Study Project in History
• H435 Gandhi and Gandhism
• H498 - The Vietnam War and Asia II
• H437 Histories of Partition: India and Pakistan 1947 (II)
• H443 Reform, Resistance and Revolution: the Ottoman Empire 1876-1909 (II)
• H434 The Mongols and the Islamic World (II)
• H448 Rulers, Rebels and Scholars in Early Islam (II)
• H453 The Creation of Modern Burma 1852-C.1941 (II)
• H478 Violence, Identity & Politics in Modern East and Northeast Africa (II)
• H479 Asante, the Gold Coast and the British, 1807-1935 (II)
• H482 Opium & Empires: China's Narcotic Trade and Culture in Global Context (II)
• H433 Urban Modern Eastern Asia (II)

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules