History (with integrated foundation year)

Following the foundation year, the syllabus of this course is identical to its sister course [History, V100].

Why study History at Aberystwyth University?

• History has been taught in Aberystwyth since 1872, making our department the most established in Wales and one of the foremost in Britain;
• Our teaching is innovative, research-based and designed to train you in the Historical skills of interpretation, analysis, and communication that are transferable for the workplace;
• Our subject specialisms enable you to follow your historical interests from the early medieval period to the present day, ranging across four continents, and embracing political, social, economic and cultural history;
• As an Aber 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

Department of History and Welsh History lecturers are all qualified to PhD level, and most also have a PGCHE.

What career prospects exist with a History degree?

Our graduates have been successful in securing professions in many different fields, including:

• Education;
• Academic scholarship and research;
• Archive curation and management;
• Law;
• Publishing;
• National, regional and local politics;
• Civil Service;
• Police;
• Military;
• Media and the creative industries;
• Business and entrepreneurship.

Our former students include:

• Glanmor Williams, Historian;
• Alun Lewis, Second World War poet;
• Tim Brain, former Chief Constable of Gloucestershire;
• Guto Bebb, Member of Parliament;
• Joanne Cayford, BBC;
• Berwyn Davies, Head of the Welsh Higher Education Office, Brussels;
• Iwan Griffiths, Sports reporter for S4C.

Study Abroad opportunities:

All Aber History students have the opportunity to spend one or two semesters in their second year studying at a partner university in Europe (the Erasmus exchange) or further abroad (international exchange). This will allow you to study new historical subjects or gain more expertise in the subjects that interest you most. You will also develop and demonstrate transferable employability skills such as self-reliance, cultural awareness, independence and initiative.

A recent Erasmus Impact survey showed that 64% of employers considered international experience important for recruitment and that studying or working abroad will increase your chances of finding employment by up to 41% compared to students who do not study or work abroad.

Heritage sector student placements

Our department has strong links with the heritage sector and runs an established portfolio of student placements, including at the National Library of Wales, the Royal Commission on the Ancient & Historic Monuments of Wales, and the Society of Antiquaries, London. These placements provide the opportunity for ‘hands-on’ experience in the heritage sector and are available to students on all our History degrees.

Alumni mentoring and graduate talks

The Aberystwyth Alumni Mentoring Scheme enables you to make contact with past History graduates in a range of careers, who are available to offer careers information, guidance, and support. The Department of History & Welsh History also arranges talks from alumni and other speakers in the private and public sectors on careers ranging from telecommunications to museum management. 

What will I learn?

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

During your four years of study, you will develop your historical interests by choosing option modules from the full range of subject areas taught by our department and your overseas host institution. You will also be learning and applying research approaches and methods that will ready you for your final year dissertation.

In the first foundation year, you will be introduced to core components of History.

 In your second year, you will be introduced to: 

• new historical skills and concepts, and a comprehensive introduction to university-level study skills, through our core module Introduction to History;

• new historical periods, themes and subject areas, through our wide choice of optional modules.

In your third year you will explore:

• the ways in which the meaning, methods and writing of history have changed over time, through our core module Making History;

• insights into the historian’s craft, through practice-based seminar classes;

• different topics and periods from our extensive list of optional modules;

• You may also spend one or two semesters studying abroad at a partner university of your choice.

In your final year back in Aber you will study:

• two option modules of your choice;

• a Special Subject, in which you undertake in-depth research, using original sources and engaging with cutting edge scholarship;

• your History Dissertation, independently researched by you on a subject of your choice, supervised by an expert historian in the department.

 How will I be taught and assessed?

Our wide variety of different learning, teaching and assessment modes will enable you to develop skills in formal writing, small-group presentation, constructing informed arguments under time pressure, independent research, and working as part of a team, using the most up-to-date resources and digital platforms. The Department of History & Welsh History also maintains individual essay tutorials for all students - rare outside Oxbridge - and has a supportive system of personal tutors, providing unrivalled one-to-one contact throughout your degree.