Course Overview
The History degree at Lancaster will develop your critical abilities within a vibrant department of like-minded tutors, students and expert scholars.
Your first year core module 'From the Medieval to the Modern: History and Historians' is designed to extend and deepen your knowledge of the past and introduce you to some major historical topics and themes from the period after the Roman Empire to the present day. You will also become more familiar with the wide range of primary sources used by historians in the writing of history. You'll gain insights into how historians conduct research and interpret the past to better understand the reasons for changing historical interpretations.
In your second and third years you can design your own History degree, focusing on the themes, periods and nations which interest you the most. You can choose from a wide range of options covering British, European, American, Asian and Middle Eastern history, from the eighth to the twentieth century. For example, 'The Origins and Rise of Islam', 'The 'Totalitarian' City: Fascist Rome, Nazi Berlin and Soviet Moscow' and 'Sex and Violence in Imperial India'.
Related Courses
Modules
Lancaster degree programmes are flexible, offering students the opportunity to cover a wide selection of subject areas to compliment their degree. The following is an example list of modules which our previous students have studied. For a full list contact the History department.
Year 1
- From the Medieval to the Modern: History and Historians
Year 2
- New World Order 1919-1939
- The World of the Black Death: Economy, Society and Religion, 1300-1500
- From Bede to Becket: The Cult of Saints in Earlier Medieval England, c.600-1200
- An Age of Trauma? The Political History of the Late Medieval British Isles (c.1280-1510)
- After Vietnam: Remembering, Representing and Refighting the 'Bad War'
- Early Islamic History (600-1300)
- Total War 1916-1920
Year 3
- Dissertation
- Special Subject Provisional Registration
- Total War 1916-1920
- Mass violence and genocide in the twentieth century, 1905-2000
- The 'totalitarian' city: Fascist Rome, Nazi Berlin, and Soviet Moscow
- The Crusades II: Conquest, Colonization and Religious Enthusiasm 1187-1330
- The United States and the Vietnam War
- Restless Nation: Germany in the 20th Century
Lancaster University offers the chance to follow a structured study programme or the option to devise a more flexible programme. We divide academic study into 2 sections - Part 1 (Year 1) and Part 2 (Year 2, 3 and sometimes 4). In Part 1 you will take three modules of study which, depending upon your programme, will be drawn from one, two or three different academic subjects, a higher degree of specialisation then develops in subsequent years. For more information about our teaching methods at Lancaster visit our Teaching and Learning section.
For further information about the department, staff and courses please visit the History department website.
Entry Criteria
A-level: AAA from three A-levels.
General Studies: Accepted as one of 3, if 4 A-levels are offered
Applied A-levels: Considered
Key skills: Not included in offer
Scottish Highers: AAABB
Irish Leaving Cert: Offers will be made on the basis of 5 or 6 Higher level subjects. Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office (01524 592028) for further information
International Bacc: 36 pts overall with 16 from 3 HL subjects
BTEC: DDD
Mature students: Applications strongly encouraged. Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office (01524 592028) for further information
IELTS: 6.5
Careers
Our History graduates have a number of career paths open to them, including journalism and publishing, marketing, PR and retail management. Core skills including independent research, critical analysis and effective presentation have enabled recent graduates to gain roles with major employers including Marks & Spencer, Santander, BskyB and Sainsbury's.
The interdisciplinary research methodologies, critical analysis, organisational and writing skills developed during our Medieval and Renaissance Studies degree can lead to career destinations including business, marketing, the media, publishing, the Civil Service and the public sector.
Many of our graduates decide to progress to postgraduate studies with us or other institutions, often entering into research and teaching positions.
Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring you not only gain a highly reputable degree, but that you also graduate with relevant life and work based skills. We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award which offers you the opportunity to complete key activities such as work experience, employability/career development, campus community and social development. Visit our Employability section for full details.
Studying
Teaching and Learning Methods
At Lancaster we offer a broad range of learning environments designed to best support the requirements of your chosen degree programme. These may include lecture and tutorials, interactive workshops, laboratory sessions, other practical activities, student-led seminars and web-based elivery.
The modules which make up a programme of study are assessed using a variety of different methods, enabling students to demonstrate their capabilities in a range of ways. Typical coursework assignments include laboratory reports, essays, literature reviews, short tests, short and sharply focussed critical reports, poster sessions and oral presentations. Formal examinations include short answer questions, essays and data analysis. Multiple choice formats are also employed where appropriate. Students are supported in the production of final year project reports and dissertations. Details of the assessment methods for individual modules can be accessed via the university's online module catalogue.
In addition to these learning and teaching methods we encourage independent study, meaning you take responsibility for your own learning. For more information visit our Teaching Approach page.
Assessment Methods
We offer you a variety of stimulating and effective approaches to teaching, learning and assessment. This enables you and your tutors to explore the very latest thinking within your subject and develops your skills in problem solving, analysis and critical reflection, communication, application of knowledge and modern technologies.
As a University, we commit to providing all our undergraduates with a minimum number of contact hours per week, providing you with timely feedback on your work and a maximum number of 15 students per seminar group.
Funding
Lancaster University has committed £2.7m in scholarships and bursaries to help with your fees and living costs. Our financial support depends on your circumstances and how well you do in your A-levels (or equivalent academic qualifications) before starting study with us.
Lancaster University's priority is to support every student to make the most of their life and education. For students starting their study with us in 2013, over 600 each year will be entitled to bursaries and/or scholarships to help them with the cost of fees and/or living expenses. For UK students entering in 2013 we will have the following financial support available:
- An Academic Scholarship of £2,000 for the first year of study to any student from the UK entering with A*, A*, A or equivalent academic qualifications
- An Access Scholarship of £1,000 per year for all UK students from households with an income of less than £42,600 who achieve grades of A*, A, A or the equivalent academic qualifications
- A Lancaster Bursary of £1,000 per annum for all students from England with a household income of more than £25,000 but less than £42,600
- As part of the National Scholarship Programme, a £1,000 Bursary, a £1,000 Fee Waiver and a £1,000 Accommodation Discount in the first year of study, for students from England with a household income of less than £25,000. Plus a Lancaster Bursary of £1,000 in subsequent years.
*All of the financial awards above are subject to approval by the Office for Fair Access July 2012.
For full details of the University's financial support packages including eligibility criteria, please visit our fees and funding page
View details of our current Undergraduate fees.
