Course Description Document

Course Title	History, History (Year Abroad), History (with a Year in Employment) (2025-26)
Course Code	9222 & 9236 & 9268
Award Title	Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA (Hons))
Awarding Body	University of Southampton
Teaching Institution	University of Southampton
Regulated by	Office for Students
Accreditation	None
Regulations	The Regulations of the University can be found on the University's Governance Webpages: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/about/governance/regulations-policies
Location of study	Southampton
Length of the course	3 Years
Tuition Fees	Fees for students can be located by the student fees page. https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentservices/money-matters/student-fees/index.page

Course Overview

Southampton’s History department contains world experts in an enormous range of fields. From the Classical World to the present day, and from Britain and the rest of Europe to the Americas, Australasia, Asia and Africa, studying History at Southampton affords its undergraduates the chance to study topics about which they are already passionate, or to try something entirely new. We offer the opportunity to learn in an engaging, supportive and highly successful research environment, developing a range of study and communication skills that are vital for succeeding in the world of work. You will learn to absorb, analyse and assess a wide variety of viewpoints, and express arguments in oral and written form, and to think and work independently and in cooperation with others. You will learn how to do primary research yourself, applying a range of concepts and methods. We'll give you the skills to navigate the past and the future and guide you along the way. By the end of your time with us, you'll be able to pioneer your own trails with confidence.
Your contact hours will vary depending on your module/option choices. Full information about contact hours is provided in individual module profiles.
You have access to the Hartley Library Archival holdings which include the extensive Parkes Archive in the history of Jewish and non-Jewish relations and the Wellington Archive, the papers of Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington (1769-1852).
If you are undertaking the study abroad programme, you will be able to choose to join a programme with one of our partner universities worldwide between Parts 2 and 3. Upon return to Southampton, you will continue with Part 3 of the curriculum in your fourth year.
Students not on a year abroad programme will have an opportunity to study abroad for a Semester. If you choose to spend a semester abroad, you will undertake half of your Part 2 curriculum at a partner university. Part 3 of your programme will then be completed at Southampton.
These opportunities will enrich your academic learning by experiencing a different academic environment in a vibrant cultural context and develop your language and communication skills.
A comprehensive list of department, Faculty and university-wide exchange partners can be found here: https://www.southampton.../exchange-partners.page
You may also be eligible to apply to undertake the University’s Year in Employment. (YIE). This offers you a great opportunity to complete a work placement between Part 2 and Part 3 of your degree and will help you develop work-based skills. You can choose a placement in any sector you like, whether it’s aligned to your degree or in a completely new area of interest. You can also choose to work in the UK or Abroad. The University of Southampton Work Experience Team offer support and guidance before and throughout your placement.

Aims of the Course

The aims of the programme are to:
•provide you with an understanding of the central theoretical and methodological issues involved in the study of History;
•develop your knowledge and understanding of selected periods of History, and of themes within these periods;
•enhance your ability to reflect on the nature of History: how it has developed over time, and its place in modern culture;
•develop your capacity to undertake independent research into aspects of History, using appropriate sources and methodologies;
•enable you to develop your skills in written and oral communication, the use of primary source material, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Course Structure

The tables below provide a list of the modules that make up your course.

Each module is worth a specified number of credits: you can take a combination of core and compulsory modules enabling you to cover key subject knowledge. Some courses have option modules which enable you to develop your own interests.

Each level of your programme requires a certain number of credits. The number of option modules you can take depends on the number of core modules at a given level and this is also influenced by the requirements of the regulatory requirements for professionally accredited courses. Some courses also have pre and co-requisites, and these are included in individual module information.

Your learning will be led by the latest research, and modules can change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. You can always find the most up-to-date information about your modules and who is teaching them via the information on our webpages and, post enrolment, via the Faculty hub.

If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an option module, it may not be offered. If an option module will not be run, we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

The core and compulsory modules available on your course are as follows:

Part I In Part 1, compulsory modules are designed to introduce you to the periodisation of the past and the continuities and changes across societies from the ancient world to the present day. Optional modules, are designed to immerse you in the critical study of particular historical episodes and themes which are sufficiently well-defined to allow you to link primary sources with historiographical debates, whilst also encouraging you to relate these to the larger questions of historical study. Together, these modules provide a foundation for Parts 2 and 3 by grounding you in key aspects of historical study and enabling you to think about which aspects of history, be it time period, geography or theme, most interest you.
Part I Core and Compulsory The following modules must be taken:
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
HIST1207	History Matters (Object, Image, Text)	7.5	Core
HIST1204	World Histories Introduced	15	Core
HIST1205	Voices from the Past: People in History	7.5	Compulsory
HIST1206	Us and Them: Inventing Identities in History	7.5	Compulsory
Part I Optional The following is an indicative list of Optional Modules available. You will choose up to 22.5 ECTS/45 CATS. It may be possible to take up to 15 ECTS/30 CATS from outside of History, depending on timetable constraints and approval from the Director of Programmes.
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
HIST1109	Terrorists, Tyrants and Technology: America's "War on Terror"	7.5	Optional
HIST1062	Rebellions and Uprising in the age of the Tudors	7.5	Optional
HIST1173	The First World War	7.5	Optional
HIST1175	Castles: Military technology and social change from the middle ages to the modern	7.5	Optional
HIST1190	From Alexander to Augustus: Leadership in the Ancient World	15	Optional
HIST1113	The Crimean War	7.5	Optional
HIST1016	Masada: History and Myth	7.5	Optional
HUMA1038	Introduction to Ethnography: Food and Culture	7.5	Optional
HIST1191	Pandemic, Famine, War and Popular Revolt: The Apocalyptic Fourteenth Century	15	Optional
HIST1184	Jewish Life and Death in Europe	15	Optional
HIST1203	From Constantine to Theodosius: Christians, Pagans and Emperors	7.5	Optional
HIST1209	Antisemitism and Islamophobia in modern European history	7.5	Optional
HIST1186	Sexual Politics: Gender History in Twentieth Century Britain	15	Optional
HIST1185	Racism and Resistance: From Slavery to BLM	15	Optional
HIST1145	From Shah to Ayatollah: The Establishment of the Clerical Power in Iran (1979 to Today)	7.5	Optional
HIST1210	Peace and Love? Britain in the 1960s	7.5	Optional
HIST1094	Henry VIII: Reputation and Reality	7.5	Optional
Part II In Part 2, you will take two core modules on making history: one focused on public history, exploring how stories from the past are packaged for diverse audiences; and another centred on historiographical debates and research. The Part 2 option modules encourage you to engage with larger historical theatres or longer periods of time, in order to enquire into broader patterns of continuity and change and how historians have interpreted these. Together these modules expose you to different ways of writing and creating history and provide the opportunity to try this for yourself. You will then take this knowledge forward into Part 3 and your final dissertation.
Part II Study Abroad - takes place between Part 2 and Part 3 If you are undertaking the Study Abroad programme you will be required to take the non-crediting bearing preparation module HUMA2012 during semester 2 of Part 2 of your programme. To pass this module you will be required to complete a risk assessment, submit insurance details, and attend all scheduled sessions. To pass the Year Abroad, students must complete and pass at least 45 ECTS/90 CATS, up to a maximum of 60 ECTS/120 CATS (or equivalent). You and your departmental Year Abroad coordinator will agree your study plan via a Learning Agreement. Additionally, during the year abroad you will be required to complete the Year Abroad Report module HUMA3013. To pass this module you will need to complete a series of blogs and a final report. Both HUMA2012 and HUMA3013 are assessed on a pass/fail basis. Successful students who pass the Year Abroad will graduate with Year Abroad on their degree certificate.
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
HUMA3013	Year Abroad Report Module for Humanities Students	0	Compulsory
HUMA2012	Humanities Study Abroad Preparation Module	0	Compulsory
Part II Year in Employment - takes place between Parts 2 and 3 To be eligible for the Year in Employment, you must pass Part 2 at the first attempt. You will be required to take the module USOM2038, which is assessed on a pass/fail basis. To pass, students must complete a minimum of 30 weeks work (not including holidays) and submit a final reflective report. Successful students who pass the YIE will graduate with Year in Employment on their degree certificate.
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
UOSM2038	Year in Employment	0	Compulsory
Part II Core The following modules must be taken:
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
HIST2242	Making History Part 1	7.5	Core
HIST2243	Making History Part 2	15	Core
Part II Optional The following is an indicative list of optional modules available. You may choose up to 37.5 ECTS/75 CATS. It may be possible to take up to 15 ECTS/30 CATS from outside of History.
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
HIST2250	Plague, Fire and Popish Plots: The Worlds of Charles II	7.5	Optional
HIST2251	Islam's Identity Crisis: Between Violent Jihadism and Peaceful Reformation	7.5	Optional
LANG2009	The EU and European Identity	7.5	Optional
HUMA2013	How the Arts Work: A Practical Introduction to Cultural Economics	7.5	Optional
HIST2249	Building London: the history of a city, 1666 – 2012	7.5	Optional
HIST2248	The Fall of the Russian Empire	7.5	Optional
HIST2045	Cleopatra’s Egypt	15	Optional
HIST2049	Sin and Society, 1100-1500	15	Optional
HIST2231	Imperial China: From China’s mythical emperors to the 19th century	7.5	Optional
ARCH2027	Bones, bodies and burials: osteology and comparative anatomy	7.5	Optional
HIST2073	Jews in Germany before the Holocaust	7.5	Optional
GERM2006	Vienna and Berlin: Society, Politics and Culture from 1890 to the Present	7.5	Optional
HIST2234	McCarthyism	7.5	Optional
HIST2076	The First British Empire: the beginnings of English dominance, 1050-1300	7.5	Optional
HIST2244	The Global Game: Football in the Modern Era	7.5	Optional
HUMA2008	The Life and Afterlife of the Vikings	7.5	Optional
HUMA2026	Data Environmentalism	7.5	Optional
HUMA2030	Queering the Digital	7.5	Optional
HIST2220	Witchcraft in England, 1542-1736	7.5	Optional
HIST2082	Nelson Mandela: A South African life	7.5	Optional
HIST2055	Ancient Rome: the First Metropolis	7.5	Optional
FREN2007	Immigration, Race and Ethnicity in France	7.5	Optional
HIST2237	Responses to the Holocaust	7.5	Optional
HIST2109	Ancient Greeks at War	7.5	Optional
HIST2097	Napoleon and his legend	7.5	Optional
HIST2241	Peasants, Empresses and Holy Virgins: Women in Late Antiquity	7.5	Optional
HUMA2027	Data, Culture, and Justice	7.5	Optional
HIST2071	Celebrity, Media and Mass Culture, Britain 1888-1952	7.5	Optional
HIST2247	Cold War? Post-War Conflict from a Jewish perspective	7.5	Optional
LATI9014	Latin 2	7.5	Optional
LATI9013	Latin 1	7.5	Optional
HIST2108	The Making of Modern India	7.5	Optional
HIST2031	Stalin and Stalinism	15	Optional
ARCH2003	The power of Rome: Europe’s first empire	7.5	Optional
HIST2102	Discipline and Punish: Prisons and Prisoners in England 1775 - 1898	7.5	Optional
HIST2100	Retail Therapy: A journey through the cultural history of shopping	7.5	Optional
HIST2222	Ragtime! The Making of Modern America	7.5	Optional
HIST2223	Myth and the Ancient World	7.5	Optional
HIST2051	The British Atlantic World	15	Optional
Part III Part 3 encourages you to build on your learning in Parts 1 and 2, further developing your own areas of interest. Special subjects encourage you to develop expert knowledge in a well-defined field and to undertake the sort of projects of original research, rooted in primary sources and informed by historiographical debates, which characterise professional practice in the historical profession. 'Short Histories' modules encourage you to consider a particular historical theme in a range of different chronological and geographical contexts. They include topics such as: the Just War, the Populist Leader, Exploration, Modern Science, the Ancient City, and the Homosexual. The compulsory ‘Reading Histories’ module will help you to shape your ideas for your dissertation into a feasible project. You will work closely with a group who are interested in a similar historical period to critically engage with key literature and historiographical approaches. The dissertation takes place in the second semester of part 3 and is core. You will develop a piece of research on a subject of your choosing with the support of a supervisor.
Part III Core and Compulsory The following modules must be taken:
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
HIST3021	History Dissertation	15	Core
HIST3242	Reading Histories	7.5	Compulsory
Part III Optional The following is an indicative list of optional modules available. You may choose up to 37.5 ECTS/75 CATS. It may be possible to take up to 15 ECTS/30 CATS from outside of History.
Code	Module Title	ECTS	Type
HUMA2013	How the Arts Work: A Practical Introduction to Cultural Economics	7.5	Optional
FREN3025	An ambivalent asylum: the histories and memories of refugees in early twentieth-century France	7.5	Optional
FILM3006	American Cinema Since 1965	7.5	Optional
ARCH3028	Living with the Romans: Urbanism in the Roman Empire	7.5	Optional
LATI9014	Latin 2	7.5	Optional
SPAN3001	Historical Memory in Modern Latin America	7.5	Optional
LATI9013	Latin 1	7.5	Optional
HIST3276	A Short History of Modern Science	7.5	Optional
HIST3243	A Short History of the Far Right	7.5	Optional
GERM3016	Language and the City	7.5	Optional
HIST3279	India in the World: Migration, Culture and Identity of the Indian Diaspora (1800 to Present) Part 2	15	Optional
HIST3274	India in the World: Migration, Culture and Identity of the Indian Diaspora (1800 to Present) Part 1	15	Optional
HIST3278	The Hammer and the Scalpel: The American Precision Ethos and Culture of War (Part 2)	15	Optional
HIST3273	The Hammer and the Scalpel: The American Precision Ethos and Culture of War (Part 1)	15	Optional
HIST3277	The imperial Other: Race, Religion and Identity in modern Britain, France, and Russia	15	Optional
HIST3272	The imperial Other: Race, Religion and Identity in modern Britain, France, and Russia (Part 1)	15	Optional
HIST3252	China in the Cold War – Part 2 (Themes)	15	Optional
HIST3251	China in the Cold War – Part 1 (The Chronology)	15	Optional
HIST3054	The Third Reich 1	15	Optional
HIST3055	The Third Reich 2	15	Optional
HIST3216	Racism in the United States 1785-1915 Part 1	15	Optional
HIST3217	Racism in the United States 1785-1915 Part 2	15	Optional
ENGL3007	Holocaust Literature	15	Optional
HIST3275	A Short History of Exploration	7.5	Optional
HIST3042	From Tyranny to Revolution: England 1625-49: Part 1	15	Optional
HIST3043	From Tyranny to Revolution: England, 1625-49 Part 2	15	Optional
HIST3270	Cultures in Contact: A Diverse Ancient World	15	Optional
HIST3253	War, State and Society: The Hundred Years War (1337-1453), Part 1	15	Optional
HIST3244	A Short History of the Populist Leader	7.5	Optional
HIST3271	Cultures in Contact: Resisting Rome	15	Optional
HIST3225	The Great Exhibition of 1851 Part one: Art, Industry and the making of a Nation	15	Optional
HIST3226	The Great Exhibition of 1851 Part 2: Legacy	15	Optional
HIST3177	Forging the Raj: The East India Company and Britain’s Asian World, part 2	15	Optional
HIST3176	Forging the Raj: The East India Company and Britain’s Asian World, part 1	15	Optional
HIST3254	War, State and Society: The Hundred Years War (1337-1453), Part 2	15	Optional

Learning and Teaching

Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning, and assessment activity, with each ECTS credit taken equivalent to 20 hours of student effort. While your actual contact hours may depend on the option modules you select, the information available on our webpages give an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities.

When not attending lectures, seminars and other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and for other types of assessments and examinations.

Full information about contact hours is provided in individual module information.

Should you wish to revisit this following enrolment, these indications have been located in a permanent resource. This can be accessed at any time via the link below:

https://sotonac.sharepoint.com/teams/CourseSupplementaryInformation/SitePages/Study-Time.aspx

How we'll assess you

Summative assessment(s) usually take place at the end of each module, although some may have interim assessments throughout. Assessment methods might include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and projects for example. The marks from summative assessments count towards your module mark.

Each module normally contains at least one piece of practice or formative assessment for which you receive feedback. Formative assessments are developmental and any results do not count towards your module mark, but they are an important part of your learning.

The information available on our website gives an indication of the assessment methods used on your course, at each level of your course.

Should you wish to revisit this following enrolment, these indications have been located in a permanent resource. This can be accessed at any time via the link below: https://sotonac.sharepoint.com/teams/CourseSupplementaryInformation/SitePages/Assessment.aspx

Staff involved in delivering the different elements of the course

You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on your course. The team includes senior academics, professional practitioners, specialists with industry experience, demonstrators and technical officers.

Postgraduate research students who have undertaken appropriate training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars if their research specialism is directly related to the topic of the module and may also be involved in practical classes, project work and field trips. All contributions will be carried out under the supervision of the module leader.

Fees

What your fees pay for

Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and standard exams.

Extra costs you may experience

Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. There may also be extra costs for retake and professional exams.

Depending on the nature of your course, you may be able to choose modules which may have additional costs, such as field studies, travel overseas or industrial placements which will change the overall cost of your course. Details of these costs can be found in module information.

Please also ensure you read the section on additional costs in the Fees, Charges and Expenses Regulations.

The following course-related costs are not included in your fees:

Type	Details
Calculators	Where a calculator is required, all Casio Calculators are allowed but they must be Non-Programmable, Scientific models. More information is available in the Examination Regulations https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/assessment/assess-overview/exam-regulations.page
Stationery	You will be expected to provide your own day-to-day stationery items, e.g. pens, pencils, notebooks, etc. Any specialist stationery items that you may need will be specified in the relevant module profile.
Textbooks	Where a module specifies essential texts, the Library will identify the optimal option(s) to support the module via the course Reading List. This may include e-books (ideally with unlimited concurrent usage) or a digitised chapter extract, supported by a limited number of print books (where available). You may request that the Library purchases additional print copies via 'suggest a book', borrow an additional copy via our inter-library-loans service or you may prefer to buy your own copies for high demand titles.
Printing	In most cases, written coursework such as essays and projects are submitted online. However it may be necessary to submit a hard copy of some projects, business projects and dissertations. The costs of printing a hard copy for submission of such work will be your responsibility. You will also have to cover the cost of photocopying. https://www.southampton.ac.uk/isolutions/students/printing.
Computer discs or USB drives	Students are expected to provide their own portable data storage device
Hardware	It is advisable that students provide their own laptop or personal computer, although shared facilities are available across the University campus.
Placements (including Study Abroad Programmes)	Students on placement programmes can expect to cover costs for health and travel insurance, accommodation and living expenses; travel costs; visa costs. This will vary depending on which country you are travelling to. Specific details on what additional costs there will be are detailed in the individual module profiles which can be found under the modules tab of the programmes details of your programme. All students enrolled at the University of Southampton are currently eligible for Turing funding, the UK Government mobility scheme to support your overseas mobilities in 2023-24. This is designed to support your living expenses including food and accommodation.

Bursaries, scholarships and other funding

We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from underrepresented backgrounds.

You may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs.

If you are a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.

You may be able to get a scholarship or grant that's linked to your chosen subject area.

Financial Support

The Student Services Centre offers support and advice regarding student finances. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course. You can find more information about financial support via our webpages: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentservices/money-matters/student-support-fund/index.page

Academic support

The Student Support Hub is your first point of contact when it comes to seeking support. The team will answer your questions or concerns about your wellbeing, fees and funding, accommodation and visas. The team will help make sure you receive the support you need, guiding you to further support services where required. You can find more information about student support via our webpages:

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentservices/index.page

One of the most important people you will meet while you are a student at Southampton is your Personal Academic Tutor, who will be allocated to you for your arrival at the University and who is normally a member of academic staff in your own or a closely related subject area. Your Personal Academic Tutor will offer one-to-one support and advice throughout your time at Southampton and will support you in your studies or with other issues you may have. You can find out more via our webpages:

https://www.southampton.ac.uk/studentadmin/academic-support-guidance/personal-tutor.page

Disclaimer

As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our courses to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. As a result, this course may be revised during a student's period of registration; however, any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Please read our Disclaimer to see why, when and how changes may be made to a student's course.