About this course
On this joint honours course you’ll explore the major events and ideas that have shaped the world around us. You’ll consider some of the biggest questions of Western philosophy: Is there a god? What is morality? In History you'll learn to develop your own interpretations of disputed narratives. You'll broaden your knowledge and skills by spending a year at a university abroad.
You’ll learn in small groups in a relaxed and friendly environment. You'll benefit from the expertise of academic staff whose research feeds directly into the course content.
Compulsory modules will give you a strong grounding in both subjects. Optional module choices will give you the freedom to pursue your own interests in topics as varied as metaphysics, Reagan’s America, and witchcraft in 17th century England.
You can broaden your knowledge by taking modules from other disciplines. These include topics such as social enterprise, risk management, and living and working on the web. You can also study a language.
You'll improve your employability and learning experience further by spending your third year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions.
In your degree you can:
develop an understanding of philosophical questions such as ethics, reason and responsibility
learn about different approaches to history and gain access to a wonderful collection of primary evidence
explore how political motives and other forms of bias shape the way we think about the past
study areas of history rarely taught in most other UK universities, for example: East and Central European history, South East Asian history and Jewish history
You can download the course details, including modules, in the programme specificationPDF opens in a new window (PDF, 336.15 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 to ABB 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.
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass, with 34 to 32 points overall with 17 to 16 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.
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
BTEC
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Diploma plus A to B in A level History or a related subject*.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus A to B in A level History or a related subject*
Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus AA to AB to include A level History or a related subject*
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.
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred 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 to BBB 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 to BBB 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 to B in A level History or a related subject*.
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus A to B in A level History or a related subject*
Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus AA to AB to include A level History or a related subject*
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*
OR
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 30 must be at Distinction and 15 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.
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 to H1 H2 H2 H2 H3 H3 including History or a related subject*
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)
A2 A2 A2 B1 B1 B1 to A2 A2 B1 B1 B2 B2 including History or a related subject* at B1
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.
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred 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 to D3 M2 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.
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
Welsh Baccalaureate
AAB to ABB from 3 A levels including History or a related subject*
or
AA to AB 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.
Our preferred subjects are Philosophy, History, English, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Sociology, Government and Politics. Our lower offer is given to applicants studying one or more of these preferred subjects.
European Baccalaureate
80% overall including grade 8 in History or a related subject*
OR
77% 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
You’ll have the freedom to shape your degree to suit your interests by choosing modules from a wide range of options in both subjects.
You’ll have the opportunity to broaden your studies by choosing:
You do not need to choose your modules when you apply. We'll guide you through the process before you start.
You'll spend your third year overseas at a partner university.
Year 1
Compulsory modules give you a grounding in the philosophical concepts of reason and argument, freedom and responsibility, and appearance and reality.
Your compulsory modules will also give you a broad introduction to history throughout the ages.
You can choose from a wide range of optional modules to achieve a fascinating combination of philosophy and history that is tailored to your interests. For example, you can study the slave trade of West Africa and the ethics of global poverty. Or you may choose a combination that includes both the reality of life in British stately homes, and the fall of the British empire.
Year 2
Your knowledge of philosophical concepts will be extended by a further compulsory module in the history of philosophy.
You'll also take a further 7 optional modules from a wide choice of topics. This flexibility allows you to build the course around your developing interests.
Year 3
You’ll spend your third year studying abroad at one of our partner institutions.
Alternatively, you can arrange an approved work placement.
Year 4
You’ll consolidate your knowledge and skills by writing a dissertation on a topic of your choice from philosophy or history.
You’ll also select further optional modules. These usually cover topics that academic staff are actively researching, introducing you to the latest thinking. Options include studying the work of Nietzsche or Heidegger, or looking at classical Indian or Islamic philosophy.
Historical topics include a series of ‘short histories’ that look at issues relevant to modern times. These include a history of the communication network, and a historical view of far-right thinking.
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:
- Ethics
- Knowledge and Mind
- Reason and Argument
- World Histories: Contact, Conflict and Culture from Ancient to Modern
Optional modules
You can choose from the following optional modules in year 1:
- A Tudor Revolution in Government?
- Applied Ethics
- Cities of the Dead: Death, Mourning and Remembrance in Victorian Britain
- Consuls, Dictators & Emperors
- Death in the Ancient World
- Existentialism and its Origins
- Faith and Reason
- Freedom and Responsibility
- German Jews in Great Britain
- God's Own Land: Exploring Pakistan's Origins and History
- Joan of Arc: History behind the Myth
- Liberte, Egalite, Beyonce: Women’s History in Modern Britain
- 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 Battle of Agincourt
- The End of the World: Apocalyptic Visions of History
- 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
- Wonderful things: World history in 40 objects
Modules year 2
Core modules
You must study and pass these core modules in 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:
- Aesthetics
- Ancient Greeks at War
- Ancient Rome: the First Metropolis
- Arabian Nights and Days: The World of the 1001 Nights
- Aristocracy to Democracy
- Besieged: Towns in War c.1250-c.1650
- Chivalry, c. 1250-1500
- Epistemology
- Ethics of Global Poverty
- 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
- Islamism – from the 1980s to the present
- Kant
- Landscapes of Conflict
- Logic
- Metaethics
- Metaphysics
- Moral Philosophy
- Myth and the Ancient World
- Nelson Mandela: A South African life
- Oil Burns The Hands: Power, Politics and Petroleum in Iraq, 1900-1958
- Philosophy of Language
- Philosophy of Mind
- Philosophy of Religion
- Philosophy of Science
- Plague, Fire and Popish Plots: The Worlds of Charles II
- Political Thinkers
- Power, Patronage and Politics in Early Modern England 1509-1660
- Ragtime! The Making of Modern America
- Rebels with a Cause: The Historical Origins of Christianity
- Retail Therapy: A journey through the cultural history of shopping
- Roman Emperors and Imperial Lives
- Science on the Street: Science, Technology, Medicine, and the Urban Environment in Modern European Cities
- Self-inflicted - Extreme Violence, Politics and Power
- Sex, Death and Money: the United Kingdom in the 1960s
- Sin and Society, 1100-1500
- The Age of Discovery? c.1350-c.1650
- The British Atlantic World
- The Fall of Imperial Russia
- The First British Empire: the beginnings of English dominance, 1050-1300
- The Global Cold War
- The Life and Afterlife of the Vikings
- The Making of Modern India
- The Transatlantic Slave Trade and Abolition in West Africa
- 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
- Witchcraft in England, 1542-1736
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:
- 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
- Action, Reason and Ethics
- Advanced Aesthetics: Aesthetic Creativity
- China in the Cold War – Part 1 (The Chronology)
- China in the Cold War – Part 2 (Themes)
- Classical Indian Philosophy
- Contemporary Theories of Justice
- Crime and Punishment in England c.1688-1840 part 1
- Crime and Punishment in England c.1688-1840 part 2
- Emperor Julian and the Last Pagans of Rome Part 1, Julian: hero and apostate
- Emperor Julian and the Last Pagans of Rome Part 2, Julian: hero and apostate
- Fashioning the Tudor Court 1
- Fashioning the Tudor Court 2
- 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)
- Forging the Raj: The East India Company and Britain’s Asian World, part 1
- Forging the Raj: The East India Company and Britain’s Asian World, part 2
- France under the Nazis, 1940-1944 (Part 1)
- France under the Nazis, 1940-1944 (Part 2)
- Happiness and Wellbeing
- Heidegger
- Islamic Philosophy
- Islands and Empires in the Ancient Aegean, Part 1: Ruling the Waves
- Islands and Empires in the Ancient Aegean, Part 2: Island Societies
- Language and the City
- Medieval Love, Sex and Marriage: Part 1
- Medieval Love, Sex and Marriage: Part 2
- Modern Israel Part 1
- Modern Israel Part 2
- More than Pyramids & Pharaohs? Ancient Egypt in Context
- Nietzsche
- Nuclear War and Peace, Part I
- Nuclear War and Peace, Part II
- Other Minds
- Philosophical Logic
- Philosophy of Mathematics
- Philosophy of Sex
- Political Culture in Modern Russia, part 1
- Political Culture in Modern Russia, part 2
- Presenting the past: Museums and Heritage
- Puzzles and Paradoxes
- Racism in the United States 1785-1915 Part 1
- Racism in the United States 1785-1915 Part 2
- Radical England: From Shakespeare to Milton
- 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
- Schopenhauer
- Society and Politics in Victorian Britain Part 1
- Society and Politics in Victorian Britain Part 2
- The 1947 Partition of India and its Aftermath Part 1
- The 1947 Partition of India and its Aftermath Part 2
- The Archaeology and Anthropology of Adornment
- The Crisis of Austria-Hungary Part 1
- The Crisis of Austria-Hungary Part 2
- 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
- Towards Empire: England and the Sea, 1450-1650 (Part 1)
- Towards Empire: England and the Sea, 1450-1650 (Part 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
- Wittgenstein's Later Philosophy
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
- 19%
- Independent study
- 81%
- Placement
- 0%
Year 2
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 17%
- Independent study
- 83%
- Placement
- 0%
Year 3
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 0%
- Independent study
- 100%
- Placement
- 0%
Year 4
- Scheduled learning and teaching
- 13%
- Independent study
- 87%
- Placement
- 0%
Course leader
Conor McHugh is the course leader.
How we’ll assess you
We’ll assess you using:
- debates
- dissertations
- essays
- individual and group projects
- oral presentations
- written exams
Your assessment breakdown, year by year:
Year 1
- Written exam
- 23%
- Practical exam
- 5%
- Coursework
- 72%
Year 2
- Written exam
- 44%
- Practical exam
- 5%
- Coursework
- 51%
Year 3
- Written exam
- 0%
- Practical exam
- 0%
- Coursework
- 100%
Year 4
- Written exam
- 26%
- Practical exam
- 0%
- Coursework
- 74%
Careers
Career skills are taught at every stage of your course, and some modules offer specific teaching in reasoning and communication. You’ll graduate with a wide range of transferable skills such as critical thinking, analysis, mental agility and team working.
Your history studies will also develop your ability to to weigh up evidence and arguments, and use analysis of the past to address the problems of the present.
Your year abroad is an excellent opportunity to broaden your experience and may give you the chance to enhance your language skills.
Our graduates have secured roles as diverse as:
project manager
teacher
human resources (HR) coordinator
investment analyst
digital marketing coordinator
tax consultant
data analyst
Our philosophy and history degrees are also a good foundation for further study at Masters or PhD level.
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
- Textbooks
- Stationery
- Software Licenses
- Hardware
- Computer discs or USB drives
- 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, 336.15 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: VV52
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.