Contemporary British History

Course detail Description

Our Contemporary British History course will provide you with training in and experience of the historical analysis of issues that are central to understanding contemporary Britain. While we focus on the study of British history over the past century, we also recognise that you can’t understand British history without reference to other countries and regions, in particular the Empire/Commonwealth, Europe and North America.

Alongside teaching you the techniques, skills and knowledge relevant to your interests and research needs, we will equip you for both independent research and analysis in primary and secondary material, and train you to write at an advanced level. We will foster your intellectual development and independent learning ability, which you will need to continue your own professional and personal development.

Teaching
If you are a full-time student, we will provide you with six hours of teaching each week through lectures and seminars. We will expect you to undertake 34 hours of independent study alongside this.

If you are a part-time student, we will provide you with two to four hours a week of teaching through lectures and seminars in your first year, and two to four hours in your second year. Alongside this we will expect you to undertake 12-24 hours a week of independent study.

For your dissertation, we will give you six hours of one-to-one supervision, and we will expect you to undertake 574 hours of self-study.

Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work

Assessment
We assess the majority of our modules through coursework, although modules from other departments may differ. We will assess your dissertation module through a 15,000-word essay.

Regulating body
King’s College London is regulated by the Office for Students.

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Structure

Year 1 Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 180 credits. Required Modules

You are required to take:

• Advanced Skills for Historians (20 credits)
• Britain 1900–1945: Politics, Society, Economy, Culture, International Relations (20 credits)
• Britain since 1945: Politics, Society, Economy, Culture, International Relations (20 credits)
• Dissertation (60 credits)

Part-time students typically take the required taught modules and one optional module in Year 1 and two optional modules and the dissertation in Year 2.

In addition, you are required to take three modules (totalling 60 credits) from a range that typically includes the following from History and other departments:

• The Provisional IRA (20 credits) (History)
• The British Empire (20 credits) (History)
• Britain & Decolonisation (20 credits) (History)
• London Calling: Colonial & Postcolonial Encounters with the Metropole (20 credits) (History)
• Gender & British Society (20 credits) (History)
• Science, War & the Nation: Britain 1900–2000 (20 credits) (History)
• Patriotism and National Identities in Britain 1870-1914 (20 credits) (History)
• The Treasury (20 credits)
• No. 10 Downing Street and the History of the Prime Minister I 1945-79: Lessons in Leadership from Attlee and Churchill (20 credits)
• No. 10 Downing Street and the History of the Prime Minister II: Lessons in Leadership from Thatcher and Blair to Cameron (20 credits)
• The Blair Years (20 credits)
• Anglo-American Relations (20 credits) (Department of Political Economy)
• Britain & the Cold War (20 credits) (DPE)
• Election Campaigning, Public Opinion & Politics in Britain 1945–2010 (20 credits) (DPE)
• History & Policy: Policymaking Under Pressure (20 credits) (DPE)
• Parties, Voters & Political Culture in Britain 1945–2000 (20 credits) (DPE)
• Welfare and the State in Britain 1900-1945 (20 credits) (DPE)
• Welfare and the State in Britain since 1945 (20 credits) (DPE)

Other modules from the History Department and other departments may be taken in consultation with the course convenor.

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to- date, innovative and relevant courses of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.