BA Modern History and Politics

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


Democracy: Forms and Futures


Becoming a Historian


Europe: Myth and Idea (optional)


Themes in Global History (optional)


Year 2
Making Histories: Concepts, Themes and Sources


Principles of Social Justice


Ethics and Public Policy


History Works: Beyond Your BA


International Politics of the Middle East (optional)


'The Special Relationship'? Anglo-American Relations 1850-2005 (optional)


Games, Strategy and Politics (optional)


Final year
Project: Collaborative Faculty - Student Research Experience (optional)


Development, State Building and Conflict (optional)


International Security Studies (optional)


British Social History 1830-1950 (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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