About this course
Study ancient history and history to learn about global perspectives on ancient, medieval and modern history. You'll be based in a thriving research environment at Southampton, and spend your third year abroad at a partner university. This degree will give you a solid foundation for further study, or for a career in teaching, media, museums or galleries.
You'll look at the different ways historians have approached the past, and study different periods in history. You'll cover the development of historical debates, ways of imagining the past, and topics ranging from ancient history to the war on terror.
You'll spend your third year at a university abroad in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea or Australia.
As part of this degree you can:
choose from over 100 modules
leading from experts in the ancient world and history (archaeology, ancient and modern languages and literatures, and film)
learn Latin and Ancient Greek
access document collections, including the Wellington, Palmerston and Mountbatten papers, and the Parkes archive, one of the largest Jewish documentation centres in Europe
The course combines lectures with small group seminars. You’ll learn how to structure an argument, interrogate and contextualise evidence and evaluate historical controversies.
You can download the course details, including modules, in the programme specificationPDF opens in a new window (PDF, 346.56 KB).
Location and awarding body
The course location is Avenue campus in Southampton. The awarding body is University of Southampton.
Entry requirements
A-levels
AAB including a Humanities subject*
A-levels additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass, with 34 points overall with 17 points at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in a Humanities subject*
International Baccalaureate Diploma additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Applications where Higher Level subjects have been studied without the full Diploma, will also be considered on a case by case basis.
BTEC
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Diploma plus A in an A level Humanities subject*.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus A in an A level Humanities subject*
Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus A in an A level Humanities subject* and A in one further A level
BTEC additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Other qualifications
A-levels with Extended Project Qualification
If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer:
ABB including a Humanities subject* and grade A in the EPQ
A-levels contextual offer
Students who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme, as follows:
ABB including a Humanities subject*
International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) offer
Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) StatementPDF opens in a new window (PDF, 62.17 KB) for further information.
Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
BTEC (RQF) (reformed)
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Extended Diploma plus A in an A level Humanities subject*.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus A in an A level Humanities subject*
Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus A in an A level Humanities subject* and A in one further A level
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 39 must be at Distinction and 6 credits at Merit, to include 6 Distinctions in a Humanities subject*
Access to HE Diploma additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 including a Humanities subject*
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)
A2 A2 A2 B1 B1 B1 including a Humanities subject*
Irish Leaving Certificate additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Scottish Qualification offers
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education. Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF, 111.01 KB) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Cambridge Pre-U
D3 D3 M2 in three principal subjects including a Humanities subject*
Cambridge Pre-U additional information
*A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Welsh Baccalaureate
AAB from 3 A levels including a Humanities subject*
or
AA from two A levels including a Humanities subject* and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Welsh Baccalaureate additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *A Humanities subject includes subjects such as History, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
European Baccalaureate
80% overall including grade 8 in a Humanities subject*
GCSE requirements
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C
English language requirements
All applicants must demonstrate they possess at least a minimum standard of English language proficiency. Applicants requiring a visa to study in the UK who do not offer GCSE English language (or GCSE English) at the required level will need to meet the following English language proficiency requirement. Find out more about the University’s English Language requirements.
Band C IELTS 6.5 overall, with a minimum of 6.0 in all components
IELTS score requirements
- reading
- 6
- writing
- 6
- speaking
- 6
- listening
- 6
We also accept other English language tests.
Non-academic entry requirements
There are no additional requirements
International qualifications
Find a list of accepted international qualifications listed by country.
This is a list of the international qualifications that are recognised by the University of Southampton. If you are not sure that your qualifications meet the requirements of this course please contact our Admissions Teams.
Other ways to qualify
You might meet our criteria in other ways if you do not have the qualifications we need. Find out more about:
our Access to Southampton scheme for students living permanently in the UK (including residential summer school, application support and scholarship)
skills you might have gained through work or other life experiences (otherwise known as recognition of prior learning)
Find out more about our Admissions Policy.
Course structure
Year 1 modules introduce you to the key skills needed by historians and specialists on the ancient world. This includes archaeological fieldwork for some modules.
In year 2 you’ll broaden your studies by choosing options that look at patterns of continuity and change.
You'll take a year abroad in year 3. You’ll record your experiences in a blog and produce an end of year report.
Year 4 is an opportunity for you to specialise and develop your expert knowledge.
You can also broaden your experience beyond ancient history by choosing:
interdisciplinary modules from another subject
language modules, Latin or Ancient Greek
You do not need to choose your modules when you apply. We'll guide you through the process before you start.
Year 1
Compulsory modules include an introduction to the ancient world. You'll also cover periodization, which is the process of categorising the past into discrete blocks of time.
You’ll choose modules from options designed to immerse you in the critical study of historical episodes and themes. These include death in the ancient world, world history in 40 objects, and 20th century China.
Year 2
You’ll cover larger periods of time or geography by choosing topics such as:
myths in the ancient world
maritime archaeology
chivalry
politics and petroleum in Iraq
You’ll also prepare for your year abroad.
Year 3
You’ll spend a year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions. These can be found in locations like:
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Norway
Poland
You can arrange an approved work placement as an alternative to study.
Year 4
The Reading Histories module in semester 1 will help you shape your ideas for your dissertation. You’ll work closely with a group who are interested in a similar historical period to engage with key literature and historiographical approaches.
You can also choose from specialist options as diverse as Ancient Egypt, Anglo Saxon England, the Great Exhibition, the Holocaust or the Vietnam war.
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
Modules
Modules year 1
Compulsory modules
You must take the following compulsory modules in year 1:
- Introduction to the Ancient World
- World Histories: Contact, Conflict and Culture from Ancient to Modern
Optional modules
You can choose from the following optional modules in year 1:
- Literary Transformations
- Liberte, Egalite, Beyonce: Women’s History in Modern Britain
- Death in the Ancient World
- Russia in Revolution, 1905-1917
- God's Own Land: Exploring Pakistan's Origins and History
- A Tudor Revolution in Government?
- Terrorists, Tyrants and Technology: America’s “War on Terror”
- Landscapes and Seascapes of Britain’s Past
- Ancient History: Sources and Controversies
- When an empire falls: Culture and the British Empire, 1914-1960
- Cities of the Dead: Death, Mourning and Remembrance in Victorian Britain
- Joan of Arc: History behind the Myth
- Consuls, Dictators & Emperors
- Twentieth-Century China
- The Real Downton Abbey
- Putin and the Politics of Post-Soviet Russia
- German Jews in Great Britain
- The Long Summer? Edwardian Britain 1901-1914
- Reagan’s America: Capitalism and Cold War
- The End of the World: Apocalyptic Visions of History
- Wonderful things: World history in 40 objects
Modules year 2
Compulsory modules
You must take the following compulsory modules in year 2:
Optional modules
You can choose from the following optional modules in year 2:
- Evolution of US Counterterrorism
- Ancient Greek Language Stage 2A
- Sex, Death and Money: the United Kingdom in the 1960s
- Rebels with a Cause: The Historical Origins of Christianity
- Ragtime! The Making of Modern America
- The Age of Discovery? c.1350-c.1650
- Rebels with a Cause: The Historical Origins of Christianity
- Visual Culture and Politics: Art in German Society, 1850- 1957
- Latin Language Stage 2B
- Introduction to Ethnography: Food and Culture
- Arabian Nights and Days: The World of the 1001 Nights
- The Transatlantic Slave Trade and Abolition in West Africa
- Islamism – from the 1980s to the present
- Oil Burns The Hands: Power, Politics and Petroleum in Iraq, 1900-1958
- From Black and White to Colour: A Screen History of Race, Gender and Sexuality in Post-War Britain
- Nelson Mandela: A South African life
- The Life and Afterlife of the Vikings
- Self-inflicted - Extreme Violence, Politics and Power
- Plague, Fire and Popish Plots: The Worlds of Charles II
- Besieged: Towns in War c.1250-c.1650
- Sin and Society, 1100-1500
- Power, Patronage and Politics in Early Modern England 1509-1660
- Underworlds: A cultural history of urban nightlife in the 19th and 20th centuries
- In Hitler's Shadow: Eastern Europe 1918-1939
- Body and Society
- Ancient Greek Language Stage 1B
- Science on the Street: Science, Technology, Medicine, and the Urban Environment in Modern European Cities
- Witchcraft in England, 1542-1736
- Ancient Greek Language Stage 1A
- The British Atlantic World
- Vienna and Berlin: Society, Politics and Culture from 1890 to the Present
- The power of Rome: Europe’s first empire
- The Global Cold War
- Latin Language Stage 1A
- Imperialism and Nationalism in British India
- Roman Emperors and Imperial Lives
- Latin Language Stage 2A
- Chivalry, c. 1250-1500
- Landscapes of Conflict
- The Fall of Imperial Russia
- Myth and the Ancient World
- Maritime Archaeology
- The Making of Modern India
- The First British Empire: the beginnings of English dominance, 1050-1300
- Ancient Greek Language Stage 2B
- Wellington and the war against Napoleon
- Self-inflicted - Extreme Violence, Politics and Power
- Ancient Greek Philosophy
- Ancient Rome: the First Metropolis
- Aristocracy to Democracy
- Ancient Greeks at War
- Latin Language Stage 1B
- Roman Emperors and Imperial Lives
- Latin Language Stage 1A
- Self-inflicted - Extreme Violence, Politics and Power
- Retail Therapy: A journey through the cultural history of shopping
Modules year 3
Compulsory modules
You must take the following compulsory modules in year 3:
Modules year 4
Compulsory modules
You must take the following compulsory modules in year 4:
Optional modules
You can choose from the following optional modules in year 4:
- The Vietnam War in American History and Memory, pt. 2
- When the Lights Went Out: Britain in the 1970s, Part 1: 1970-1974
- China in the Cold War – Part 2 (Themes)
- Political Culture in Modern Russia, part 2
- A Short History of the Far Right
- Fashioning the Tudor Court 1
- Crime and Punishment in England c.1688-1840 part 1
- Islands and Empires in the Ancient Aegean, Part 1: Ruling the Waves
- For the Many, not the Few: the history of the British Labour Party (part 2)
- Crime and Punishment in England c.1688-1840 part 2
- Towards Empire: England and the Sea, 1450-1650 (Part 1)
- Racism in the United States 1785-1915 Part 1
- Emperor Julian and the Last Pagans of Rome Part 1, Julian: hero and apostate
- A Short History of the Communication Network
- Humanities Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme Yr 3
- Modern Israel Part 2
- Medieval Love, Sex and Marriage: Part 2
- When the Lights Went Out: Britain in the 1970s, Part 2: 1974-1979
- Modern Israel Part 1
- The Holocaust 2
- Living with the Romans: Urbanism in the Roman Empire
- The Archaeology and Anthropology of Adornment
- Revolutions in Modern Iran Part 1
- Emperor Julian and the Last Pagans of Rome Part 2, Julian: hero and apostate
- Refugees in the Twentieth Century 2
- For the Many, not the Few: the History of the British Labour Party (part 1)
- France under the Nazis, 1940-1944 (Part 1)
- The Great Exhibition of 1851 Part 2: Legacy
- Political Culture in Modern Russia, part 1
- Fashioning the Tudor Court 2
- Islamic Philosophy
- Racism in the United States 1785-1915 Part 2
- China in the Cold War – Part 1 (The Chronology)
- The Holocaust 1
- Forging the Raj: The East India Company and Britain’s Asian World, part 2
- The Vietnam War in American History and Memory part 1
- The Great Exhibition of 1851 Part one: Art, Industry and the making of a Nation
- Medieval Love, Sex and Marriage: Part 1
- Society and Politics in Victorian Britain Part 2
- Presenting the past: Museums and Heritage
- A Short History of the Homosexual
- Forging the Raj: The East India Company and Britain’s Asian World, part 1
- The Crisis of Austria-Hungary Part 2
- The 1947 Partition of India and its Aftermath Part 2
- More than Pyramids & Pharaohs? Ancient Egypt in Context
- Refugees in the Twentieth Century 1
- Nuclear War and Peace, Part I
- Islands and Empires in the Ancient Aegean, Part 2: Island Societies
- Later Anglo-Saxon England
- Revolutions in Modern Iran Part 2
- Society and Politics in Victorian Britain Part 1
- France under the Nazis, 1940-1944 (Part 2)
- Nuclear War and Peace, Part II
- The Crisis of Austria-Hungary Part 1
- A Short History of the Populist Leader
- Towards Empire: England and the Sea, 1450-1650 (Part 2)
- Framing the Past:Stardom, History and Heritage in the Cinema
- The 1947 Partition of India and its Aftermath Part 1
Learning and assessment
The learning activities for this course include the following:
- lectures
- classes and tutorials
- coursework
- individual and group projects
- independent learning (studying on your own)
Support for your studies
You'll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.
How you’ll spend your study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study, year by year:
Year 1
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 17%
- Independent study
- 83%
- Placement
- 0%
Year 2
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 12%
- Independent study
- 88%
- Placement
- 0%
Year 3
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 0%
- Independent study
- 100%
- Placement
- 0%
Year 4
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 12%
- Independent study
- 88%
- Placement
- 0%
Course leader
Sarah Pearce is the course leader.
How we’ll assess you
We’ll assess you using:
- dissertations
- essays
- oral presentations
- written exams
Your assessment breakdown, year by year:
Year 1
- Written exam
- 32%
- Practical exam
- 0%
- Coursework
- 68%
Year 2
- Written exam
- 50%
- Practical exam
- 0%
- Coursework
- 50%
Year 3
- Written exam
- 0%
- Practical exam
- 0%
- Coursework
- 100%
Year 4
- Written exam
- 50%
- Practical exam
- 0%
- Coursework
- 50%
Careers
Your year abroad will give you valuable experience to bring to your chosen career. As a history graduate, you'll have a wide variety of employment options. You'll have developed skills in:
gathering and interpreting information
working with and leading teams
understanding and adapting to different cultures
Previous graduates have gone on to careers including:
archivist
heritage manager
museum education officer
museum curator
museum exhibitions officer
secondary school teacher
Many of our graduates go on to further study. Subjects taken include law, accountancy, management and international relations.
Careers services at Southampton
We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2019). Our Careers and Employability Service will support you throughout your time as a student and for up to 5 years after graduation. This support includes:
work experience schemes
CV and interview skills and workshops
networking events
careers fairs attended by top employers
a wealth of volunteering opportunities
study abroad and summer school opportunities
We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.
Fees, costs and funding
UK/EU fees
You'll pay £9,250 in tuition fees for the academic year 2020 to 2021. This fee might change for further years of your course.
International student fees
You’ll pay £17,560 each year. This fee will stay the same throughout your studies.
What your fees pay for
Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations.
Find out how to:
Extra costs you might have to pay
- Computer discs or USB drives
- Hardware
- Textbooks
- Placements (including Study Abroad Programmes)
- Stationery
- Software Licenses
- Laboratory Equipment and Materials
- Printing and Photocopying Costs
See the full list of extra items and costs in the programme specificationPDF opens in a new window 2020 to 2021 (PDF, 346.56 KB).
Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. Explore:
Bursaries, scholarships and other funding
If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £25,000 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.
If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.
Get in touch for advice about student money matters.
Scholarships and grants
You may be able to get a scholarship or grant that's linked to your chosen subject area.
We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Support during your course
The Student Services Centre offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.
Funding for international students
Find out about funding you could get as an international student.
Life at Southampton
The University offers a friendly, diverse and welcoming home for you while you study. You'll work, live and socialise with students from more than 130 countries.
Clubs, societies and facilities
Our campuses have:
cafes and restaurants
bars
health centres
banks
a post office
student shops
a hairdresser
Our sports facilities include a 25-metre swimming pool, a gym with 140 fitness stations, squash courts, a bouldering wall, outdoor pitches and much more. There are over 80 sports clubs you could join, and activity classes including yoga and spin.
We have an internationally known theatre, concert hall, art gallery and cinema showing everything from mainstream blockbusters to international arthouse classics. You could perform at a gig, concert or show, take part in an exhibition or join a writers’ workshop. Find out more about arts and culture at Southampton.
Whatever your passion or community, you can find like-minded people at one of the Students’ Union clubs and societies. There are more than 200 to join, and social activities in every hall of residence.
Support while you study
We aim to help you deal with any problems you might come across, so you can make the most of your time at university. We offer support with:
mental health, learning difficulties and disability
money and accommodation
childcare
computers and IT
How to apply
When you apply use:
UCAS Course Code: V1V1
UCAS Institution Code: S27
What happens after you apply
We will assess your application on the strength of your:
- predicted grades
- academic achievements
- personal statement
- academic reference
Some candidates will be invited to a selection day, which will include an interview. If the admissions Tutor decides to invite you to a selection day you'll receive an email. This will include information on how to prepare and what to expect during the session.
We aim to respond to you within 2 to 6 weeks with a decision about your application.
We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.