BA (Hons)
History and Politics
Study how societies change and develop
Course Overview
Why take this course?
Are you interested in the connections between today's politics and their wider historical contexts? This course allows you to examine, question and analyse the primary materials, both historical and political, and encourages you to specialise in particular controversies.
What will I experience?
In this course you can:
- Study issues in social and cultural history alongside a range of themes in politics and international relations
- Apply to study in a US institution for a term
- Do work experience in a local archive, gallery or museum
What opportunities might it lead to?
This course will equip you with skills that are easily transferable to the workplace such as effective communication, organisation and teamwork. You will have the qualities to go into a range of careers such as publishing, marketing, PR as well as roles in the business sector.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
- journalism
- law
- teaching
- administration
- archive and museum work
With the History Department having such an excellent reputation, it seemed clear that Portsmouth would be the ideal university for me.
Stephan Yates, history student
Key Facts
- UCAS Course Code:
- VL12
- Duration
- 3 years full time
- Entry
240-300 points from 3 A levels or equivalent to include 100 points from A level History.
Other qualifications- Fees
UK/EU/Channel Islands and Isle of Man full-time students: £8,750 p/a*
International full-time students: £10,500 p/a*
*Please note that all fees are subject to annual increase.- Contact
- humanities.admissions@port.ac.uk
+44 (0)23 9284 8299 - Department
- School of Social, Historical and Literary Studies
Subject:
History, Politics and Social Studies
Find out what our students say about studying at Portsmouth, including:
- The diverse spread of subjects offered and ability to complete your own research
- The critical thinking, analytical and debating skills you’ll develop
- The passionate lecturers with a wide range of specialist research expertise
Visit us at our open day
Wed 10 Jul
Structure & Teaching
Year one
- Historical Methods
- Society and Culture in Twentieth Century Europe
- Introduction to Political Thought
- Introduction to Governance and Politics
- History Skills Foundation
- Global Issues
Year two
- Masses and Modernity, 1750-1914
- Comparative Politics
Options including:
- Colonialism and the End of Empire in French Africa
- Culture and Ideas in Twentieth Century Europe
- Democratisation in Latin America
- Europe's Maritime Empire 1600-1800
- Fighting over Europe
- From Revolution to Dictatorship - Russia and the Soviet Union 1917-1941
- German Unity and Its Consequences
- In Darkest England: Culture and Conflict in the City (1790-1860)
- International Politics of the Middle East
- Key Issues in Development
- Policy and Politics - Analysing Public Policy
- Race, Slavery and Emancipation in the Americas
- Rum, Sodomy & the Lash: Outlaws at Sea 1600-1800
- US Government and Politics
- History Workplace Experience
- Languages (University Wide Option)
- Learning from Experience (Faculty Wide Option)
Year three
- Dissertation: an independent research project, in either History or Politics
- Modern Political Ideologies
- EITHER Democracy & Democratisation OR Strategic and Security Studies
- History Special Subject I & II. These units will allow you to conduct an in-depth study on a specific topic, using both primary and secondary sources
Teaching and Assessment
Our teaching approach involves lectures, seminars, tutorials and workshops. You will be expected to participate fully in group discussions and projects, as well as develop and apply word processing skills. You will be allocated a personal tutor who will guide you through study skills, research management and dissertation work during your three years of study.
How are you assessed?
We use a range of assessment methods including essays, close textual analysis, presentations and a dissertation. The final classification of your degree award is determined by your overall performance in the second and third year.
Visit us open day
Facilities & Features
The Study Centre
A suite of rooms with group working spaces, printers, Mac workstations and more
Research-Active Staff
Academic staff split their time between research and teaching
University Library
Our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books
The Study Centre
A suite of rooms with a comfy seating area, desks where you can work, printers, Mac workstations and access to the wireless network so you can log in using your own laptop. There are also several study rooms where you can work on group projects, alongside access to the University 3rd Space.
Research-Active Staff
You will be taught by specialist staff who are actively undertaking research in this field, ensuring your learning keeps you abreast of the latest developments. Staff are members of the Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR), the UK's largest research centre of its kind.
University Library
Modern, comfortable and a great learning environment, our library offers a wealth of information including 400,000 books, DVDs, maps and thousands of online ejournals and newspapers. Many electronic resources are available anywhere, 24/7 and our friendly staff are always on hand to help.
Careers & Opportunities
Career prospects
Employers value History and Politics graduates because they know that they bring a wide range of highly developed and useful skills to the job. As a graduate from Portsmouth, you will have skills that are easily transferable to the workplace, such as the ability to analyse and manage large quantities of information, to research in groups or independently and write in a concise and informative fashion. You will also leave with excellent communications skills, qualities that are essential for the modern graduate.
You’ll also possess a firm foundation to study at Master’s or PhD level should you want to continue with your research.
Roles our graduates have taken on include:
- archivist
- recruitment consultant
- museum curator
- public relations officer
- information analyst
Work experience
During your time at Portsmouth, there are plenty of opportunities to gain paid and unpaid work experience alongside your studies. For example, the School of Social Historical and Literary Studies offers a number of internships: students can gain valuable experience in a range of local organizations during their degree course. Current internships include placements at the National Museum of the Royal Navy; the New Theatre Royal, and the office of a local MP.
This course also allows you to take the Learning From Experience (LiFE) option, which means you can earn credits towards your degree for work, volunteer and research placements that you’re involved in alongside your study.
Career planning
6.04 minutes
Finding a job is a competitive business, but the statistics show that 89 per cent of our 2011graduates went into employment, further study or training within six months of finishing their degrees.
To make sure you take the right steps on your career path, we’re here to give you help, support and advice throughout your study. Even after you’ve graduated, we continue to give you support for up to five years.
Employers tell us that they want graduates to be able to demonstrate certain skills when they come out of university. Our courses take account of this. We make sure we prepare you for employment through work-related learning, projects, placements and working in simulated environments that are designed to prepare you for the working world.
Open Day
Our next open day is Wed 10 July
VISIT US! Have a look around and get a feel for what it’s like to live and study here. We’ll be on hand to talk to you about your course interests and show you all of our amazing facilities. You’ll also get to meet tutors and other students…
Application, Fees and Funding — find out more