BA (Hons) History

Key information

Typical offer:
Entry requirements
Fees: See below
Full details
UCAS code: V150
Institute code: H36
Study abroad option
Work placement option
Find out more

This course is up for periodic review
To ensure this course continues to be cutting-edge and enables you to be ready for the modern workplace, it is due to be reviewed by December 2024.

Our website will typically be updated within a month of the review confirming any enhancements, including:
- module titles (and whether they are core or optional)
- expected contact hours
- assessment methods
- staff teaching on the course
Entry requirements

The University of Hertfordshire is committed to welcoming students with a wide range of qualifications and levels of experience. The entry requirements listed on the course pages provide a guide to the minimum level of qualifications needed to study each course. However, we have a flexible approach to admissions and each application will be considered on an individual basis.

UCAS points A Level BTEC Access Course Tariff IB
112-120 BBC-BBB DMM-DDM Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3 112-120 points

Additional requirements

GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.
For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.
Find out more about International Entry Requirements.

UCAS points A Level BTEC Access Course Tariff IB
112-120 BBC-BBB DMM-DDM Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3 112-120 points

Additional requirements

GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and Mathematics
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.
For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.
Find out more about International Entry Requirements.

UCAS points	A Level	BTEC	Access Course Tariff	IB
112-120	BBC-BBB	DMM-DDM	Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3	112-120 points

UCAS points	A Level	BTEC	Access Course Tariff	IB
112-120	BBC-BBB	DMM-DDM	Overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3	112-120 points

Why choose this course?

91% overall student satisfaction rating (National Student Survey, 2022)
Top 25% in the UK for research impact (Research Excellence Framework, 2021)
No exams ever again – all our assessments are coursework based

Join us on an exhilarating journey through time with the BA History course at the University of Hertfordshire, a twentieth-century degree designed for the curious, the passionate, and the ambitious. This course is not only about the study of the past, but a bridge to your future, offering depth, flexibility and a commitment to turning your fascination with history into a rewarding career.

What we give you:

Support from research active academic tutors
A flexible programme of study, allowing you to concentrate on areas you find interesting
Opportunities for work placement and study abroad

This is a history degree for today’s evolving world. You can choose to explore the complexities of faith, science and the supernatural in Faith, Magic, and Medicine 1500-1800, or investigate the use of Propaganda in Twentieth Century War and Politics. With modules like Postcards from Empire you'll traverse continents and centuries, gaining an essential global perspective that makes sense of today's interconnected world. Alongside our history modules, you can choose pathways that include combining history with another subject such as literature, philosophy, film, creative writing or one of our 6 languages. To learn more about languages options at Herts, see here.

The University of Hertfordshire is distinguished by its strong focus on research impact, ranking in the top 25% of UK universities for research impact (Research Excellence Framework, 2021), and enjoys a 91% overall student satisfaction rating (National Student Survey, 2022). We have an active extra-curricular offering, giving you real-world experience and connections with the heritage industry and local communities. Our history students are active in the Oral History Team in projects that have been recognised by the BBC and the Royal Historical Society. We have a very active History Society, run by students for students. You will also have the opportunity to engage with some of the 100+ clubs and societies on campus, to play sports, get involved in music and drama, or help run the award-winning Students’ Union. With our state-of-the-art facilities and a buzzing campus, you’ll find a supportive and fun community that fosters your academic and personal growth.

For anyone looking to turn their passion for history into a promising career in a fast-paced world, our BA in History at the University of Hertfordshire offers a vibrant and supportive environment where you can explore the past, understand the present, and shape the future. Join us and embark on a journey that not only deepens your understanding of history but also equips you with the skills, experiences and confidence to succeed in whatever path you choose.

What's the course about?

The first year is supported by a targeted skills module Historian’s Toolkit that will help you make the transition to degree level work and develop your understanding of the many ways in which and you can be a historian. Alongside this you can dive into the cultural powerhouse of the twentieth century with the module The American Century 1900-2000. In the module History on the Page, Stage, and Screen you will see that from the ever-popular Bridgerton series to Shakespeare’s masterful retellings the vibrant tapestry of the past can come alive, shaping our contemporary cultural landscape through the power of historical storytelling.

In your second year, the course offers great flexibility and choice, encouraging you to follow your interests wherever they lead. Whether it’s delving into the intricacies of family life in the eighteenth century, understanding the pivotal political movements of the 20th century, investigating the evolution of crime and society in the sixteenth century, or mastering the art of historical documentary film making, the choice is yours. Our teaching ensures a dynamic and interactive learning experience that not only broadens your knowledge but also hones your analytical and critical thinking skills, all crucial for today’s world of employment.

Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. If you’d rather go straight to your final year, that’s absolutely fine too.

In your third and final year, you can write a dissertation on a topic of your choice, an optional extended project that allows you to showcase the depth of your understanding and the breadth of your research skills. This is your chance to contribute original insights to the field of history, guided by staff renowned for their cutting-edge research and innovative teaching methods. Final year modules are driven by our teaching staff’s specialist research area and give you the opportunity to work closely with source materials from the past related to your own chosen topics and passions.

Your main campus is College Lane

This is where the creative arts, science and health-related subjects are based. This means you’ll share the campus with future nurses, scientists, artists and more. You can use the common rooms to relax with friends, work out in the 24-hour gym or have a drink in our on-campus pub or cafes. We also have restaurants for you to eat in or grab something on the go. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.

What will I study?

Degree programmes are divided into levels, 4, 5 and 6.  These correspond to your first, second and third/final year of study.  Below you can see what modules you’ll be studying in each.  

You can also choose to study a language as part of your programme; French, German, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Spanish are all options. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner or have studied before, you’ll be put in the appropriate class.

Learn more about language options at Herts

Level 4

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Historians' Toolkit	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module provides you with the toolkit of the historical profession. It supports the transition from secondary education, and those returning to education, by teaching you the history skills needed at university, in a hands-on and relevant way. You will learn about the historical development of the discipline, explore the ways historians interpret a wide range of sources, and develop your essay writing skills .
Faith, Magic, and Medicine 1500-1800	15 Credits	Optional
Many of the debates that define the making of our modern era were concerned with the relationships between religion, science, magic, and medicine. This module begins by exploring the early modern ideas and practices that shaped people s understanding of the natural and supernatural world in Protestant England and Catholic Europe, and also how these influenced European colonial views of the religions and rituals of other cultures. The module will question how events like the witch trials affected peoples medical, magical, and theological world view , and challenge students to consider the extent to which the Reformation and Enlightenment transformed health, faith, and beliefs in everyday life.
The American Century, 1900-2000	15 Credits	Optional
The influence of the American lifestyle extends far beyond the country s borders, and this module encourages you to reflect on the historical roots of often-familiar elements of culture from the United States of America. By focussing on selected moments in twentieth century American music, sport and entertainment, we will consider the historical processes that shaped the continent s social and cultural history. Building on this, we will also examine how and why the country s cultural identity has been internationally transmitted and how it has been received. Each week you will learn to connect a specific individual, event or movement to broader historical issues through the use of video, texts, images, and song.
Imperial Trade and Global Connections 1600-2001	15 Credits	Optional
International trade has a significant impact on the way we live. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the gadgets we use and the services we rely on are often created in distant places and delivered to us through complex trading networks. This module will introduce you to the long history of global trade and consumption. We will consider how the desire for foreign commodities helped transform economies, polities and cultures around the world. We will explore the lives of the traders who supplied the goods and seek to understand the desires of the consumers who demanded foreign luxuries. We will also see the impact that consumption in one country has on lives in other places acknowledging the Africans who, as enslaved people, were turned into commodities, the farmers forced into the production of cash crops, and the workers expected to toil in sweatshops to produce cheap goods for multinational corporations.
History on the Page, Stage, and Screen	15 Credits	Optional
From the Assassin's Creed video games to the enormously popular Bridgeton series historical events, people, and scenarios dominate our cultural landscape. They are presented in novels, on television, on film, and on the stage. The past is the source of inspiration for societies around the world. Writers use it as the setting for their stories; governments use it to justify their policies; businesses use it to sell their products or services. This module explores how history is represented in popular culture and provides students with an understanding of how historians are involved in shaping these depictions. It asks students to question the extent to which contemporary depictions tell us more about our own times than about the past and to consider the extent to which popular representations of the past connect with debates amongst academic historians.
Global Gender History, 1550-1850	15 Credits	Optional
Gender shaped the lives of people around the world between 1550 and 1850. From the cradle to the grave, gender played a major role in determining how societies understood the proper places of women and men. Taking a global approach, you will chart similarities and differences in the experiences of persons who lived, loved, and worked in places as varied as Britain, China, France, Ireland, the Low Countries, North America, Latin America, Spain, and Sweden. Close attention will be paid to how local factors, like race, religion, and labour status, further refined and defined the gendered lives of individuals. The module begins by introducing you to gender history as both historical field and approach, before moving on to consider the different types of primary sources that enable us to access the gendered intimacies of everyday life. Possible topics may include: Crime, Marriage, Piracy, Reproduction, Sexuality, War, and Work.
Revolutions, Riots, and Social Justice 1776-Present	15 Credits	Optional
This module takes you through 200 years of national and global conflicts over people s rights, and the complex history of the recognition of human rights. Taking a history from below approach, this module will give you critical thinking skills in understanding how global change affects individuals and different communities, and how different social movements fought for rights, including women, sexuality, race, and disability. You will investigate the impact of revolutions and new ideas in inspiring different groups across the world to challenge and defend their social, political, and economic rights.
Africa and the World 1500-1850	15 Credits	Optional
The history of Africa is rich and varied but has all too often been viewed through European lenses of prejudice and self-interest; such perspectives shaped by the experiences of Africa s slave trades and of colonisation. This module explores the history of Africa and its peoples from 1500 to the mid-nineteenth century, and, taking an African perspective, how Africa and Africans encountered and engaged with the people, culture, and religions of the wider world. The module will explore how contact with the nations and peoples of Europe, Asia and America forged new political institutions and global trade networks, changed religious practices and social conventions, and drew Africans willingly and unwillingly into a global diaspora.

Level 5

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Propaganda in 20th century War and Politics A	15 Credits	Optional
This broad survey module will encourage students to connect the development of mass communications with domestic and international politics in the twentieth century. Time will be spent on defining public opinion, censorship and propaganda; on examining propaganda channels and techniques; and, on analysing and measuring propaganda effects. Emphasis will be placed on Britain s pioneering role in the new world communications network via its empire, and on the importance attached to the First World War in changing the face of propaganda. A variety of sources, including film, will be used to assess the increasing sophistication of political persuasion thereafter. Particular attention will be paid to Hitler s Germany, Stalin s Russia and the international conflicts in Vietnam in the 1960s and the Middle East in the 1990s. Seminars will involve group work centred on core interpretative texts.
Hearth & Heart: Family Life in the Long Eighteenth-Century	15 Credits	Optional
This module examines the history of the family in Britain and Ireland over the long eighteenth-century. It will introduce you to the methodological approaches and historiographical debates in the history of the family, and will cover a wide variety of topics, from family size and structure, to representations of ideal families in literature and art, family relationships, deviant sexuality, and the regulation of the family by church and state. Questions it will consider include: What was family life like in this period? Did parents really love their children? How widespread was pre-marital sexual intercourse? And, in what ways did the family change over time? Close attention will be paid to the role that gender and social class played in shaping family life over the period. The module will make use of a rich array of source materials including, letters and diaries, church court minutes, art and census material.
Nation & Identity: Newly Independent States in Interwar Europe, 1918-1939	15 Credits	Optional
This module explores a fascinating period in European history when empires crumbled, and new nation-states emerged. The process of state building is investigated in detail. Through an analysis of the settlements that gave birth to the new states, the module seeks to establish the extent to which they influenced and, in some cases, hindered the states development. The various political, economic, social, religious, and cultural forces that shaped the states will also be examined and evaluated. Close attention will be paid to the various efforts to create national identity through a range of diverse range of forums, including membership of international bodies, major sporting occasions, state-sponsored art, and religious events. Building on these themes, the module will subsequently address why some states survived and others collapsed with the outbreak of a second world war.
Making a Historical Documentary	15 Credits	Optional
Historical documentaries are one of the key ways that the public learn about the past. The most successful documentaries take complex issues and communicate them in a straightforward and engaging manner. This practical module will guide you through the various stages of television documentary-making, from generating an idea to actually producing your own short twelve-minute documentary. Archive research, scripting, filming and interviewing, and editing are among the basic techniques that will be covered. You will also develop the ability to critically assess documentaries, learning to detect strengths and weaknesses. Over the course of the semester, you will gain and expand a range of practical transferable skills.
Postcards from the Empire: Experiences of British Imperialism	15 Credits	Optional
At the empire's height, Queen Victoria claimed sovereignty over nearly one in four of the planet's human inhabitants. The lives and experiences of each were sculpted by international, national, and local dynamics. This module explores the stories of these everyday lives through snapshots of life in the British Empire up to 1922. Case studies may draw from places including Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Africa, India, Ireland, Canada, America, and the Caribbean. Themes may include race, gender, class, religion, economics, and adventure. A particular emphasis will be placed on exploring the histories of racialized and colonized peoples, with attention to the historical approaches developed over the past several decades that have changed the ability of historians to identify and engage with these voices.
Maladies and Medicine in Early Modern Europe	15 Credits	Optional
Early modern men and women contended with a range of deadly, disabling, and distracting disease throughout their lives. Those offering treatments jostled for attention and clients in a competitive medical marketplace. This module explores the nature of medical knowledge and treatment between c. 1550-1750. We will look at a range of illnesses including mental illness and disability and disfigurement. The course will investigate the treatments offered to patients and who they were treated by. A series of lectures will form the spine of the module introducing the key themes and historiographical debates in this field. The seminars will then consider specific examples and particular historiographical issues in greater depth. The module will move through three main areas; medical knowledge and learning, disease and death, and medical provision in the period.
Crime and Society in England, 1550-1750	15 Credits	Optional
One way of understanding early-modern English society is to examine the nature of criminal activity, and the perception and response to crime in the period. In this module you will be introduced to a wide variety of criminal activities and behaviours, ranging from the pattern and nature of petty crimes, such as poaching and defamation, to more serious crimes, such as murder and treason. You will be encouraged to reflect on the motives for crime and what such activities can tell us about early modern society. Considerable emphasis will be place on understanding the system of justice and the nature of law enforcement in the period. To this end, you will identify, consult and undertake qualitative and quantitative analyses of online historical datasets and databases, such as The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, and will be encouraged to reflect on the ethical implications of using such resources for historical research.
The Age of the Cold War, 1945-1991	15 Credits	Optional
This broad survey module will examine the origins, nature and end of the Cold War in a global context between 1945 and 1991. The first section of the module assesses the nature of the Cold War in comparative historical context, before investigating the origins of the Cold War, the nature of superpower conflict, and the global expansion of the Cold War. The module then adopts a thematic approach, concentrating on the ideological, diplomatic, economic, political, military and cultural dimensions of the Cold War of the 1950s through to the 1980s. The module will consider the conflict between the superpowers, but also the effect of the Cold War on the periphery and unaligned nations. The final section of the module deals with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the People s Democracies in Europe following Gorbachev s rise to power in 1985, and the diplomacy and events that brought the Cold War to an end.
Doing History: Investigating the Historians' Craft	15 Credits	Optional
This module aims to equip students with the skills required to understand and undertake scholarly historical enquiry and to feed effectively into their Level 6 dissertations and/or extended essays. The workshop format provides time and space to do hands-on activities. It also gives the chance to foster compassionate and collaborative group work with the intention of supporting individual students in developing their historical skills and confidence. Particular attention will be paid to ensuring students develop confidence with the digital tools required for independent historical enquiry, and that they receive guidance and support in the consideration of the ethics of their historical research and engagement with inclusivity and diversity.
Employability Skills	15 Credits	Optional
Producing graduates who are highly employable is a key aim of the University of Hertfordshire. This module aims to help you bridge gaps between your specialist academic studies and the world of graduate employment. As well as allowing you to reflect on and further develop your employability skills we will explore the changing nature of employers' needs. Using case studies, we will consider a range of issues (legal, gender, equality) that can arise in recruitment and the workplace. The module will also focus on career planning and job searching, as well as recruitment and selection processes including the work of assessment centres and psychometric testing. Overall the intention is that you will be able to develop your job-market awareness and identify and explore potential career pathways. The module is worth 15 credits and may be chosen in place of a 15-credit subject module at Level 5, or as an additional module at Level 6, alongside 120 credits of modules in your subject(s).

Level 6

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Year Abroad	0 Credits	Compulsory
A Study Abroad year is an optional additional year that increases the length of the Honours degree award to a four-year full-time degree. The additional year comprises an agreed programme of study in a partner institution abroad with whom the University of Hertfordshire has an institutional agreement. The programme of study will support, supplement and extend the more usual three-year programme. Success in the third year will be recognised in the title of the award, but does not carry additional credit towards the Honours programme. A student would normally confirm the intention to study abroad during the first ten weeks of study at Level 5. This will enable a place to be negotiated at a host institution and the Study Programme and learning contract to be arranged and agreed.
The Humanities Placement Year	0 Credits	Compulsory
The Placement Year provides you with the opportunity to set your academic studies in a broader context and to utilise the intellectual skills you have gained through your degree in the work place. You will also strengthen your time management, organisational and communication skills as well as develop employability skills. You will gain experience of applying for jobs and of working within a commercial, business or professional environment prior to graduating thus increasing employability skills such as teamwork, communication skills and commercial awareness. You will gain experience in a field that is often a destination for Humanities students such as PR, marketing, management and research. You will have developed valuable industry skills and experience as well as being able to apply many of the intellectual skills you have learnt through your degree to a real world situation.
Bodies and Sexuality in the Early Modern Period A	15 Credits	Optional
The body was fundamental to gender roles, social relationships and experiencing everyday life. This course will explore popular ideas about the body and sexuality in the early modern period. Through a series of workshops, you will examine a diverse range of primary source material and supporting historiography to evaluate the assumptions that underpinned early modern notions of normal and abnormal bodies. The course will emphasise the ways in which some bodies were thought to be unsuited/suited to sexual activity. The course will then consider the importance of sexuality and sexual behaviours to early modern life. The course will consider whether certain sexual behaviours were thought to be normal or abnormal and will think about how these activities were monitored and policed. The module will provide experience of researching and using a range of unusual source materials including medical treatises, portraits, jokes and erotic literature.
Italy and Fascism	15 Credits	Optional
How and why did Fascism come to power in Italy? Claiming that Italians were the true heirs to the Roman Empire and that the nation had been betrayed and undermined by its former allies, Fascists demanded a new and expanded role for Italy on the world stage and implemented sweeping and dramatic changes at home. On this module, we will explore how the Fascist project advanced in the aftermath of the Great War, setting this in the context of the underlying social, economic, political, and cultural structures and cleavages in Italian history. You will have the opportunity to work with a wide range of visual and textual primary sources relating to Italian Fascism, and all written documents from the period will be provided in English translation.
Popular Protest, Riot and Reform in Britain, 1760-1848 B	15 Credits	Optional
Britain experienced a period of tumultuous social and political upheaval in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This module will examine the development of social and political protest movements, and survey the causes and consequences of popular unrest in Britain, 1760-1848. You will engage with the secondary literature of the subject and with a wide range of primary sources, visual, written and digital. Topics may include the development of ideas of democratic rights through the influence of the American and French revolutions, radical political and social movements in Britain; Luddites and trade unions; Swing rioters and rural unrest; Chartism; anti-New Poor Law Riots.
Everyday Lives: An Intimate History of Twentieth Century Women	15 Credits	Optional
This module offers an intimate history of the everyday lives of women in America, Britain and Ireland. We will explore the lives, roles, experiences and perceptions of ordinary women during the twentieth century. Students will be introduced to an array of sources including popular and visual culture, objects and digital sources, oral testimony and literature (fiction and memoir) and to what they reveal about the manner in which women were perceived and represented; how women viewed themselves; and how women of different generations experienced, negotiated and reacted to social change. Fashion, consumerism, courtship, sexuality, and advertising are among the areas considered for what they reveal about women and the world around them. Such themes will be analysed within the context of continuity and change across the twentieth century and three geographical perspectives. The module will conclude by questioning the extent to which women s movements were representative of ordinary women.
Final Year History Dissertation	30 Credits	Optional
With the dissertation, students have the chance to select their own topic to research, subject to approval. Albeit under supervision, this module requires largely independent study and research based partly on primary sources, with students expected to address historical problems in depth by gathering, sifting, reading, analysing and reflecting critically upon historical sources and advanced secondary literature. Students present their research in a poster or presentation format, and submit a draft chapter followed by a dissertation.
Witch-Bottles to Wishing-Wells: The Material Culture of Everyday Ritual	15 Credits	Optional
If a picture can say a thousand words then what can a physical object tell us? This module will consider this question by engaging with the material culture (the physical objects and spaces that shape cultures) of everyday and calendar rituals, from 1650-present. Few people in Britain, both today and in the early modern period, would claim to regularly participate in rituals. However, ritual activities are in fact a large part of everyday domestic and private lives, ranging from the use of bottles in the 18th century to counteract bewitchment, to the blowing out of birthday candles today. Through a series of extended, interactive workshops we will examine a diverse range of objects. These will be analysed and interpreted as primary source material, in order to consider the prevalence of everyday rituals and the value of material culture. Artefacts will vary but may include early modern protective charms; votives and offerings; ritual foods; and contemporary seasonal objects.
Sinners, Scoundrels & Deviants: Non-Conformity in the Atlantic World A	15 Credits	Optional
How do societies decide what constitutes deviant behaviour, and who is responsible for making that distinction? This module challenges students to rethink societal definitions of deviant behaviour. It will explore why certain groups and certain behaviours were deemed to be deviant at particular points in time. Focusing on the Atlantic World, the module charts changing perceptions of deviant and traditional behaviour amidst a period of immense social, cultural and political change. Drawing on a diverse range of primary source materials, we will explore how the church, state and community responded to differences in sexuality, lifestyle, religion and race, to create acceptable standards of behaviour. Possible deviant behaviours to be explored include incest, alcohol misuse, bigamy, fist-fights, same-sex and inter-racial relationships.
The Middle East in turmoil: The Arab-Israeli conflict since 1948	15 Credits	Optional
The Arab-Israeli conflict stands as one of the most enduring and, some claim, most intractable political issues in the modern Middle East, if not the whole world. This module offers a detailed examination of this ongoing conflict from its beginnings in the First World War until the present day. It explores the growth of the Zionist movement, the emergence of Palestinian nationalism, the impact of the critical years of 1948 and 1967 that saw the birth and consolidation of the state of Israel and the continuing dispossession of the Palestinians, and the ongoing attempts of forging a political solution since that time. The module is broadly chronological in shape, but uses primary and secondary sources to explore a range of issues including Israeli state and society, European and American intervention in the Middle East, terrorism and war, religion, and efforts to bring peace.
Delivering British Justice? Law in the British Empire, 1760-1965	15 Credits	Optional
What does justice look like in an unequal world? Is the law ever truly neutral or objective? Does law shape society and culture, or the other way around? In this module we will explore the multiple and contested ways in which law was created, resisted, and understood in the British Empire between 1760 and 1965. The perception both at the time, and one often still referred to in the 21st Century that the British Empire was fairer than other European colonial powers was an extremely important one for justification of the imperial project both at home and abroad. The ways in which law was imposed, negotiated and resisted in the empire was fundamental to this belief, often framed as delivering British justice to colonial subjects. Exploring a range of themes and case studies from across the globe, we will use law as a window into understanding politics and society.

Study abroad

An opportunity for an amazing experience, which will help make you stand out from the crowd. With more and more companies working internationally, experience of living in another country can make a great impression on future employers.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a sandwich year abroad. The University has partnerships with over 150 universities around the world, including the USA, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and closer to home in Europe.

If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee to the partner university and no tuition fee to us either. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about Study abroad opportunities

Please note Erasmus+ funding is only available until May 2023. For students starting their course in September 2022 and wishing to study abroad in 2023-24 or 2024-25, please refer to the Turing Scheme.
Work placement

Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought after professional skills.

Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process.

If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study, at the University of Hertfordshire you will pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about work placements
What if I need support?

You’ll get a personal tutor to guide you through your course, all the way to graduation.
You might also want or need extra support during your time with us. Rest assured, no matter what you study, we’ve got you covered. For help with study skills, including referencing, essay writing and presentations, you’ll have access to our academic support services. You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions, and online tutorials. Both our LRCs (Learning Resources Centres) run drop-in study skills sessions. And the best thing is, it’s all free.

Check out our student blogs

Alumni Stories

Eleanor Pilcher

Meet Eleanor Pilcher who since graduating in 2016 has taken the publishing industry by storm. Eleanor currently works as a Marketing Manager at Avon, HarperCollins Publisher.

Read more stories Find out more about this course

Current job role	Marketing Manager
Year of graduation	2016
Course of study	BA (Hons) History and Creative Writing

University experience and employability

Eleanor is a keen writer with great creative ambitions. During her degree she undertook a six-month internship at a literary agency in her final academic year. In 2016, shortly after her studies, Eleanor landed a placement at Penguin before getting a job in publishing recruitment. After developing her skills within the industry and amassing and impressive amount of knowledge and experience, Eleanor began her current role at HarperCollins Publishers.

Eleanor's degree encompassed a broad spectrum of critical, analytical and evaluative skills and helped shape her as a writer. Throughout her studies she had been writing a novel, which she submitted to literary agencies after being encouraged by her tutor to do so. It was Eleanor's passion for writing that uncovered her interest in working for a literary agency. Due to the fantastic lecturers on her course and the invaluable industry networks available to students, Eleanor managed to secure impressive opportunities in her chosen industry that have informed her career.

Sher recognises the impact the University has had on getting her to where she is today. 'For me the advice and feedback I received on both my History essays and Creative Writing finals was incredibly useful to my academic and professional development. I learnt to take criticism and to harness it and also write more because of it.'

Ambitions for the future

Eleanor has established herself in her chosen industry yet still has ambition to continue pursuing new goals. On her hopes for the future, she says: 'I hope to run a marketing department within a publishing company, possibly the one I'm at now. I hope to publish a novel and continue my freelance writing and public speaking on the side.'

Alumni Stories

Callaghan French

Meet Callaghan. Callaghan’s love of history inspired him to study at Herts and now he is teaching in Italy.

Current job role	English as a Second Language Teacher in Italy
Year of graduation	2022
Course of study	BA (Hons) History

A love of history

Callaghan’s love of history started in primary school, and it stuck with him up until it was time to apply to university. He visited Herts for an open day and was impressed. He says, ‘Herts offers the opportunity to study a wide range of historical topics, they have a huge library, and extensive resources available to students. I also had a compulsory academic support module in the first year which was very helpful for my studies.’

His time at Herts was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but one of Callaghan’s favourite moments was when he and fellow committee members were able to revive the History Society once restrictions were lifted. He says, ‘Working together to achieve this after such a tough period is an experience I will always value. I’d recommend that everyone join a society!’

Callaghan says that the most interesting part of his degree was his dissertation because he had the opportunity to research a topic of his choosing and present it to his lecturers and course mates.

Teaching in Italy

Callaghan is now a Teacher in Italy, where he teaches English as a Second Language. He says, ‘My course shaped me into a strong and confident speaker, which has greatly helped me in my current role. I was able to practice this skill in seminars and the occasional presentation.’

Callaghan is considering a career in academia or the Civil Service. His advice to current or future Herts students is to, ‘Work hard, but ask for help if you need it.’

View our Alumni profiles

Eleanor Pilcher Callaghan French

Course fact sheets
BA (Hons) History	Download

Programme specifications
BA (Hons) History	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	Optional
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes
Course length	Full Time, 3 Years Part Time, 6 Years Sandwich, 4 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

Apply using the links below:

2024

Start Date	End Date	Link
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time)
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Part Time)
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

2025

Start Date	End Date	Link
23/09/2025	31/05/2026	Apply online (Full Time)
23/09/2025	31/05/2026	Apply online (Part Time)
23/09/2025	31/05/2026	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
23/09/2025	31/05/2026	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

Fees and funding
Fees 2024
UK Students

Full time
- £9250 for the 2024/2025 academic year
Part time
- £1155 per 15 credits for the 2024/2025 academic year
EU Students

Full time
- £15500 for the 2024/2025 academic year
Part time
- £1940 per 15 credits for the 2024/2025 academic year
International Students

Full time
- £15500 for the 2024/2025 academic year
Part time
- £1940 per 15 credits for the 2024/2025 academic year
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University’s Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed “When tuition fees change”), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

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Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

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BA (Hons) History

Key information

Typical offer:

Fees: See below

UCAS code: V150

Institute code: H36

Study abroad option

Work placement option

Additional requirements

Additional requirements

Why choose this course?

What's the course about?

Your main campus is College Lane

What will I study?

Check out our student blogs

Student Blogs

My week at a glance

Student Blogs

Things you need to know before studying History at Herts

Student Blogs

What I love most about my course

Student Blogs

Alumni Stories

Meet Eleanor Pilcher who since graduating in 2016 has taken the publishing industry by storm. Eleanor currently works as a Marketing Manager at Avon, HarperCollins Publisher.

University experience and employability

Ambitions for the future

Alumni Stories

Meet Callaghan. Callaghan’s love of history inspired him to study at Herts and now he is teaching in Italy.

A love of history

Teaching in Italy

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2024

2025

Fees 2024

UK Students

Full time

Part time

EU Students

Full time

Part time

International Students

Full time

Part time

Other financial support

Living costs / accommodation