About this course
Learn how we make sense of past events, ideas and problems with this dual honours degree. You'll understand how society organises itself and makes decisions. You’ll study contemporary issues such as international security, migration and globalisation. The skills you gain will prepare you for a wide range of career options.
Modern History at Southampton challenges you to critically interpret histories of societies. The study of politics encourages you to explore people’s organisation and behaviour.
On this course you can:
study the modern history of an extraordinary range of places, from Western Europe and the Americas, to Africa and South Asia
learn about rare artefacts from the University’s own collections, as well as take part in guided visits to other museums and galleries
learn about democracy, the modern state, comparative politics and international relations
spend time at a university abroad in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea or Australia
You can download the course details, including modules, in the programme specificationPDF opens in a new window (PDF, 239.88 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 History or a related subject*
A-levels additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Related subject includes subjects such as English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Students applying without History will need to make a case in their personal statement.
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass, with 34 points overall with 17 points at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in History or a related subject*
International Baccalaureate Diploma additional information
*Related subject includes subjects such as English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Students applying without History will need to make a case in their personal statement.
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 A level History or a related subject*.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus A in A level History or a related subject*
Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus A in A level History or a related subject* and A in one further A level
BTEC additional information
*Related subject includes subjects such as English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Students applying without History will need to make a case in their personal statement.
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 History or a related 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 History or a related 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 A level History or a related subject*.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus A in A level History or a related subject*
Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus A in A level History or a related 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 History or a related subject*
Access to HE Diploma additional information
*Related subject includes subjects such as English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Students applying without History will need to make a case in their personal statement.
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 including History or a related subject*
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)
A2 A2 A2 B1 B1 B1 including History or a related subject*
Irish Leaving Certificate additional information
*Related subject includes subjects such as English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Students applying without History will need to make a case in their personal statement.
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 History or a related subject*
Cambridge Pre-U additional information
*Related subject includes subjects such as English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Students applying without History will need to make a case in their personal statement.
Welsh Baccalaureate
AAB from 3 A levels including History or a related subject*
or
AA from two A levels including History or a related subject* and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Welsh Baccalaureate additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Related subject includes subjects such as English, Philosophy, Religious Studies or Classical Civilisation or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Students applying without History will need to make a case in their personal statement.
European Baccalaureate
80% overall including grade 8 in History or a related 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
Your course modules will reflect how modern history and politics complement, cut across, and underpin each other. You'll study compulsory and optional modules in each year.
You can broaden your studies beyond history and politics by choosing:
interdisciplinary modules from other subjects
to study abroad for a semester
You do not need to choose your modules when you apply. We'll guide you through the process before you start.
Year 1
Your compulsory modules will introduce key concepts in history and politics. You’ll look at different periods in world history, how they have been defined, and how this affects the way that history is written and understood. You’ll also be introduced to political theory and international relations.
Optional topics in History will immerse you in the critical study of modern historical episodes and themes. These include death in Victorian Britain, the history behind programmes like Downton Abbey, and the war on terror.
Year 2
You’ll deepen your understanding of specific regions, periods, or themes in history. You’ll also develop research skills in politics and international relations.
You’ll have a wide choice of module options on topics including the making of modern India, Chinese politics, urban nightlife, and migration.
Year 3
You’ll research and write your dissertation on a topic that interests you. This is a chance for you to practise your planning and analytical skills and engage with primary source materials.
You can also choose specialist module options on the Holocaust, the Vietnam war, and the ethics of public policy.
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
Modules
Modules year 1
Optional modules
You can choose from the following optional modules in year 1:
- Cities of the Dead: Death, Mourning and Remembrance in Victorian Britain
- German Jews in Great Britain
- God's Own Land: Exploring Pakistan's Origins and History
- Introduction to International Relations
- Introduction to Political Inquiry
- Introduction to Political Theory
- Liberte, Egalite, Beyonce: Women’s History in Modern Britain
- Political Systems
- Putin and the Politics of Post-Soviet Russia
- Reagan’s America: Capitalism and Cold War
- Russia in Revolution, 1905-1917
- Terrorists, Tyrants and Technology: America’s “War on Terror”
- The Long Summer? Edwardian Britain 1901-1914
- The Real Downton Abbey
- Twentieth-Century China
- When an empire falls: Culture and the British Empire, 1914-1960
- World Histories: Contact, Conflict and Culture from Ancient to Modern
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:
- Diaspora Politics in Transnational Space
- A (Dis)United Kingdom? Myth and Reality in British Politics
- American Political Thought
- Aristocracy to Democracy
- Chinese Politics
- Democratic Theory
- Democratisation in Global Politics: why do some regimes thrive and others flounder?
- Development and International Relations
- European Security Governance
- Evolution of US Counterterrorism
- From Black and White to Colour: A Screen History of Race, Gender and Sexuality in Post-War Britain
- Imperialism and Nationalism in British India
- In Hitler's Shadow: Eastern Europe 1918-1939
- International Security and Climate Change
- Islamism – from the 1980s to the present
- Landscapes of Conflict
- Nelson Mandela: A South African life
- Oil Burns The Hands: Power, Politics and Petroleum in Iraq, 1900-1958
- Partisans, Public Opinion and Elections: Understanding the Political Mind
- Political Thinkers
- Politics of the Media
- Public Policy Analysis
- Ragtime! The Making of Modern America
- Realism and Idealism in International Relations
- Research Skills in Politics & International Relations
- Retail Therapy: A journey through the cultural history of shopping
- Science on the Street: Science, Technology, Medicine, and the Urban Environment in Modern European Cities
- Sex, Death and Money: the United Kingdom in the 1960s
- Strategy and War
- The Ethics and Politics of Migration
- The Fall of Imperial Russia
- The Global Cold War
- The Making of Modern India
- The Transatlantic Slave Trade and Abolition in West Africa
- Theorising International Politics
- Understanding Modern China
- Underworlds: A cultural history of urban nightlife in the 19th and 20th centuries
- Vienna and Berlin: Society, Politics and Culture from 1890 to the Present
- Visual Culture and Politics: Art in German Society, 1850- 1957
- Wellington and the war against Napoleon
Modules year 3
Compulsory modules
You must take the following compulsory modules in year 3:
Optional modules
You can choose from the following optional modules in year 3:
- A Short History of the Communication Network
- A Short History of the Far Right
- A Short History of the Homosexual
- A Short History of the Populist Leader
- China in the Cold War – Part 1 (The Chronology)
- China in the Cold War – Part 2 (Themes)
- Chinese Politics
- Cinema and Political Theory
- Contemporary Theories of Justice
- Democratic Theory
- Democratisation in Global Politics: why do some regimes thrive and others flounder?
- Development and International Relations
- European Security Governance
- For the Many, not the Few: the History of the British Labour Party (part 1)
- For the Many, not the Few: the history of the British Labour Party (part 2)
- France under the Nazis, 1940-1944 (Part 1)
- France under the Nazis, 1940-1944 (Part 2)
- Globalisation and World Politics
- International Security and Climate Change
- Modern Israel Part 1
- Modern Israel Part 2
- Nuclear War and Peace, Part I
- Nuclear War and Peace, Part II
- Partisans, Public Opinion and Elections: Understanding the Political Mind
- Political Culture in Modern Russia, part 1
- Political Culture in Modern Russia, part 2
- Political Texts
- Politics of the Media
- Power and Ethics Before Machiavelli
- Racism in the United States 1785-1915 Part 1
- Racism in the United States 1785-1915 Part 2
- Reading Histories
- Refugees in the Twentieth Century 1
- Refugees in the Twentieth Century 2
- Revolutions in Modern Iran Part 1
- Revolutions in Modern Iran Part 2
- Society and Politics in Victorian Britain Part 1
- Society and Politics in Victorian Britain Part 2
- Strategy and War
- The 1947 Partition of India and its Aftermath Part 1
- The 1947 Partition of India and its Aftermath Part 2
- The Crisis of Austria-Hungary Part 1
- The Crisis of Austria-Hungary Part 2
- The Ethics and Politics of Migration
- The Great Exhibition of 1851 Part 2: Legacy
- The Great Exhibition of 1851 Part one: Art, Industry and the making of a Nation
- The Holocaust 1
- The Holocaust 2
- The Vietnam War in American History and Memory part 1
- The Vietnam War in American History and Memory, pt. 2
- When the Lights Went Out: Britain in the 1970s, Part 1: 1970-1974
- When the Lights Went Out: Britain in the 1970s, Part 2: 1974-1979
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
- 16%
- Independent study
- 84%
- Placement
- 0%
Year 3
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 13%
- Independent study
- 87%
- Placement
- 0%
Course leader
Christopher Prior is the course leader.
How we’ll assess you
We’ll assess you using:
- dissertations
- essays
- individual and group projects
- written and practical exams
- written exams
Your assessment breakdown, year by year:
Year 1
- Written exam
- 10%
- Practical exam
- 21%
- Coursework
- 69%
Year 2
- Written exam
- 25%
- Practical exam
- 8%
- Coursework
- 67%
Year 3
- Written exam
- 25%
- Practical exam
- 1%
- Coursework
- 74%
Careers
You’ll graduate with transferable skills including the ability to:
assess evidence and arguments
present your opinions clearly and concisely
work independently or as part of a group
manage your time and workload effectively
Our history and politics graduates have gone into a wide range of industries and professions, including:
archivist
heritage manager
historic buildings inspector
conservation officer
museum education officer
museum/gallery curator
museum/gallery exhibitions officer
secondary school teacher
lawyer
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.
Work in industry
You’ll have the opportunity to take a paid year in employment between your second and third year.
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
- Software Licenses
- Stationery
- Laboratory Equipment and Materials
- Computer discs or USB drives
- Hardware
- Textbooks
- Placements (including Study Abroad Programmes)
- 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, 239.88 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.
University life
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: VL12
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
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.