Daniel John Beck - BA (Hons) History

I have always had a passion for history and Portsmouth has a rich history and is surrounded by historical sites such as the Dockyard (home to HMS Warrior, HMS Victory and Henry VIII’s flagship the Mary Rose), Southsea castle and Charles Dickens’ birthplace. It all makes the University of Portsmouth a fitting place to study history and to be inspired by the subject.

The BA (Hons) History course offers the opportunity to develop a whole set of transferable skills such as analysing, evaluating and the confidence to communicate.  After graduation there is a considerable amount of careers I could go into. The University helps you develop your career plans and options. I am considering careers in teaching and journalism, yet whatever career path I choose to follow, I know I will have the advantage of graduating from a course that is admired and sought after.

The course teaches a range of subjects from the past 500 years of history. You have the option to choose the areas you feel most comfortable with and the ones that you enjoy the most. The most interesting unit I have studied was the museum workplace unit. It gave me the opportunity to work for six weeks in the Mary Rose museum. Yet what makes this course so appealing is that if you do not fancy taking part in this type of unit, you have the option to choose one more suited to you. The teaching staff makes the course enjoyable with their huge knowledge of the subject and their uniquely personal, friendly manner of teaching.

The School of Social, Historical and Literary Studies provides a good teaching environment with classrooms, advanced protectoral systems and computer facilities.  The University Library is modern and up-to-date, with an enormous collection of history books. The Library’s technology makes it a whole lot easier to search, find and allocate materials used for the course.   I have used the Student Finance department on several occasions. They are some of the most helpful and friendly people I have come across. Whenever you are in trouble it is a great relief to know that the University has departments to help and support you. 

Outside of university, I enjoy socialising with friends and taking advantage of Portsmouth’s nightlife. With a whole host of nightclubs, pubs, cinemas, restaurants and music venues there is always something to do. My interests are based around sport and there are numerous sporting facilities around Portsmouth to use. I am also a Portsmouth FC season-ticket holder so get to watch professional football most weeks. Overall, Portsmouth is a great place to live due to the size and variety of the city. 

Olivia Winchester - BA (Hons) History

A secondary school history teacher filled Olivia Winchester with enthusiasm for history, leading to her decision to study it at degree level. She says: 'I was particularly attracted to the course at Portsmouth because when I met the lecturers at an Open Day their passion and enthusiasm for the subject came across very strongly. They also seemed to have an excellent rapport with their students and were genuinely interested in students' own personal study interests.

I sincerely believe that I made the right choice in coming here. I have appreciated having such a diverse range of course options to chose from. The range of assessment methods is also very wide and I have particularly enjoyed group presentations.' Olivia found the careers and research module particularly useful and now plans to either work for a charity when she graduates, or to become a museum or art gallery curator.

Madeleine Schaffer - BA (Hons) History

My course teaches the type of history that interests me and I find it challenging, but manageable. The staff are approachable and helpful. They make it as easy as they can for you to achieve your potential as long as you put the effort in.

There are also plenty of resources available to give you more opportunities to learn and develop. Of course being able to go down to the beach in between lectures in the summer is fantastic and with the city right on your doorstep, you have the best of both worlds in Portsmouth.