BA

History

Key Facts

V10F

  • UCAS Tariff

  • Course duration

    4 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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In choosing History with integrated Foundation Year at Aberystwyth University, you will study one of the most valuable of subjects.

Most of us are curious about the past and about the way human societies have evolved over time. A degree in History will allow you to place the past in perspective and equip you with the analytical skills of interpretation, analysis and communication that are both vital in everyday life and highly sought after by employers. Our degree encourages you to follow your own historical interests, within a first-class research-led teaching environment.

The integrated foundation year - designed for prospective students who do not have a sufficient or relevant academic background - is the perfect option to access this highly sought after scheme. In the Foundation Year, you will gain a solid base of key skills such as essay writing, analysis and how to consider primary and secondary sources, which will prepare you to excel in the rest of the degree.

Course Overview

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 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 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 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

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
How to be a Student 1 GS09520 20
How to be a Student 2 GS09320 20
Information in a Post-Truth World GS01120 20
Introduction to Social Science GS09720 20
The "Othered" Migrant: Social Science Perspectives GS09620 20

Options

Module Name Module Code Credit Value
Representing the Other: Cultures and Clashes GS09820 20
Understanding Change - Environment, People, Places GS00820 20

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 professions in many different fields, including:

  • education
  • academic scholarship and research
  • archive curation and management
  • law
  • publishing
  • national, regional and local politics
  • the Civil Service
  • the police
  • the 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.

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 . History & Welsh History also 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 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.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff

A Levels Available to those who are studying for, or who have completed Level 3 qualifications (eg, A-Levels or BTEC diploma) and to mature-aged candidates without formal qualifications who have suitable background education, experience and motivation.

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

BTEC National Diploma:
Available to those who are studying for, or who have completed Level 3 qualifications (eg, A-Levels or BTEC diploma) and to mature-aged candidates without formal qualifications who have suitable background education, experience and motivation.

International Baccalaureate:
Available to those who are studying for, or who have completed Level 3 qualifications (eg, A-Levels or BTEC diploma) and to mature-aged candidates without formal qualifications who have suitable background education, experience and motivation.

European Baccalaureate:
Available to those who are studying for, or who have completed Level 3 qualifications (eg, A-Levels or BTEC diploma) and to mature-aged candidates without formal qualifications who have suitable background education, experience and motivation.

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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