BA

History and Welsh History

BA History and Welsh History Code VVC2 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

VVC2

  • UCAS Tariff

    120 - 96

  • Course duration

    3 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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Aberystwyth is a centre for the study of Welsh history with expertise ranging from the medieval through to the modern period and a range of exciting themes, such as the Glyndwr Rebellion, religion and morality in the eighteenth century, empire and migration in the nineteenth, and health and welfare in the twentieth.

In choosing to study the BA in History and Welsh History at Aberystwyth University, you will benefit from learning from world leading scholars in Welsh history and also from the wider range of global History modules the department has on offer as part of this History degree.

If you would like to specialise in Welsh History as well as study the history of the wider world, this is the degree for you. 

Course Overview

The History and Welsh History degree scheme allows you to benefit from studying at a world-leading centre of teaching and research in Welsh history as well as providing the flexibility to explore a range of other historical topics according to your own interests.

Why study History and Welsh History at Aberystwyth?

  • History has been taught in Aberystwyth since 1872, making our department the oldest in Wales and one of the foremost in Britain.
  • Our teaching is innovative, research-based and designed to develop your transferable skills in areas such as analysis, interpretation and communication, which will prepare you for a wide range of careers.
  • Our subject specialisms will enable you to follow your historical interests from the medieval period to the present day, ranging across four continents, and embracing political, social, economic and cultural history.
  • As an Aberystwyth History student, you will have full use of the National Library of Wales, one of the five Copyright Libraries of the UK and Wales's leading archive repository.
  • As part of your degree, you will have the opportunity to study abroad at a partner university, to undertake Heritage sector work placements and to plan for your future career.
Our Staff

Staff in the Department of History and Welsh History are active researchers and experts in their field of History. Most are qualified to PhD level and hold PGCHE. To find out more about our staff, please visit our departmental staff page.

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

Core

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Introduction to History * HY12120 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
'Hands on' History: Sources and their Historians HY10420 20
Europe and the World, 1000-2000 HY12420 20
Medieval and Early Modern Britain and Europe, 1000-1800 HY11420 20
People, Power and Identity: Wales 1200-1999 WH11720 20
The Modern World, 1789 to the present HY11820 20

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

Careers

What career prospects exist with a History degree?

Our graduates have been successful in securing a profession in many different fields;

  • education
  • law
  • archiving
  • publishing
  • politics
  • the Civil Service
  • media
  • the armed forces
  • entrepreneurship.

As a department we are very proud of our notable and esteem alumni;

  • Dr Tim Brain, former Chief Constable of Gloucestershire
  • Guto Bebb, Member of Parliament
  • Dr Joanne Cayford, BBC 
  • Berwyn Davies, Head of the Welsh Higher Education Office Brussels
  • Iwan Griffiths, Sports reporter for the S4C (Welsh language broadcast channel).

Heritage sector student placements

Our department has strong links with the heritage sector, and an established portfolio of student placements. In the past, students have spent up to three weeks at the National Library of Wales (including Welsh-medium opportunities), the Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historic Monuments of Wales, and the Society of Antiquaries of London. These placements provide the opportunity for ‘hands-on’ experience and insights into the heritage sector, and are valuable additions to a student's CV.

International opportunities

Aberystwyth University offers you the opportunity of a lifetime to study, volunteer or work in another country, for an academic year, a single semester or a few weeks during your holidays. Explore other cultures,

challenge yourself and gather experiences which will help with your career. Time spent exploring a new culture can sharpen your interpersonal skills, improve your language ability, and broaden your international mindset. Find out where you can go.

Alumni mentoring and graduate talks

The eMentoring Scheme will enable you to make contact with past graduates in a range of careers within a safe and supportive environment, offering you the chance to find out how they progressed into their current roles and what insights they can offer you as you think about your next steps. The Department of History & Welsh History collaborates with the Careers Service with the aim of arranging talks from alumni at different stages of their careers, such as the successful ‘From university to a career in cultural heritage: first steps’, presented by a recent graduate who secured a place on a prestigious Tate Gallery traineeship.

What work experience opportunities exist while studying? 

Click here to find out about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers team offer.

Enhance your employability prospects with GO Wales and

YES (Year in Employment Scheme) managed by our Careers department.

Teaching & Learning

What will I learn?

The breakdown below will provide you with an illustration of what you may study during the three year degree scheme.

In your first year you may discover:

  • New concepts and historical skills
  • New methods and periods
  • Welsh History from 1250-1800
  • The First World War and Britain
  • Modernity and the making of Asia
  • Exciting recent historical works
  • Our choice of other modules which reflect a broad chronological and thematic range.

In your second year you may explore:

  • Historical method, which examines the way in which the meaning, methods and writing of history have changed over time
  • European History
  • Germany and Nazism
  • The British Empire: Britain and Ireland, 1850-1914
  • an insight into the historian’s craft
  • our different topics and periods from our extensive module list.

In your third year you may study:

  • A special subject which enables you go into in depth research, using original sources all of which enabling you to deploy the critical research skills of a practising historian
  • Gender in History
  • British Society and the French revolution
  • Science, Religion and Magic
  • Stalin and Russia.

How will I be taught and assessed?

The different modes of learning, teaching and assessment employed by us, the department, will enable you to develop skills in small group presentation (seminars and oral assessment), formal writing (essays), research and the development of ideas in written form (a dissertation), and working as part of a team (seminars and student conferences, such as the annual Gregynog Medieval Colloquium). History & Welsh History also maintains individual academic tutorials for all students - rare outside Oxbridge - and has a supportive system of personal tutors. Through this one-to-one contact, you will be able to discuss possible careers, or perhaps further study, with academic mentors.

Student Testimonials

I love 'History' because it's the perfect course for people who enjoy history, but don’t know what area of History they prefer most. I came to university in this position, but this course allows you to discover this by offering you a chance to study many different periods. During my time here I have studied many different eras and events, from the Black Death and Medieval Wales, right up to British Politics in the twentieth century. I love History because it does not constrain you like other courses and allows you to discover your true inner Historian. Christopher Pines

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 120 - 96

A Levels BBB-CCC

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English or Welsh

BTEC National Diploma:
DDM-MMM

International Baccalaureate:
30-26

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall

English Language Requirements:
See our Undergraduate English Language Requirements for this course. Pre-sessional English Programmes are also available for students who do not meet our English Language Requirements.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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