Universities United Kingdom University of Leicester Courses BA Contemporary History

BA Contemporary History
at University of Leicester

Leicester, United Kingdom

Tuition Fee £ 17,500
Country Rank-
Duration36 Months
Score IELTS: 6.5 TOEFL: 90

Program Overview

Run in partnership with Politics and International Relations, this course will emphasise the history of the recent past and integrate it with contemporary politics and international relations. Ideal if your main interests lie in the 20th and 21st century – you will be able to concentrate on a focused chronological period, with modules covering a broad geographical range.

You will learn about the various factors, particularly political factors, that shape historical events and our understanding of them. An appreciation of international relations is vital for analysing the fluctuating relationships that countries share with one another, either directly or through international bodies such as the UN. The topical nature of this course will not only help you understand the past but also prepare you to construct informed arguments about events that are unfolding today.

Your first year develops your core knowledge and skills, as well as allowing you to explore aspects of the modern world that particularly interest you. Later on you will have even more freedom to shape your degree around your own interests, choosing modules examining the history and politics of different parts of the world, including Britain, Ireland and Europe; North America and South America; East Asia and South-east Asia; and parts of Africa and the Middle East.

NB. This course was previously named Contemporary History BA

Course Content
Year 1
The core modules introduce important skills and key developments in modern history and international relations. You will also choose optional modules on British, European, American or global history; different aspects of the 20th-century political order; and a People and Places option, studying one historical person or place in depth.

Core modules
- Making History (double module)
- The Shock of the Modern
- The Global Cold War: International Relations 1945-1989
- People and Places (double module)
Option modules
Choose one option module from:
- Comparative European Politics
- Order and Disorder: International Relations from 1989 to the Present
Then choose one option module from:
- Global History: Connections and Cultures in a Changing World, 1750 to the present
- Great Britain: The State We're In
- US History since 1877
- Europe 1861-1991: Emancipation and Subjugation
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year 2 (History dissertation)
In the second year you will start transforming from a student of history into a practising historian, through core modules which enhance your critical thinking, independent research skills and intellectual creativity. You'll explore even more new areas of modern history and politics, choosing from a wide range of optional modules.

If you plan to take the History dissertation in your Final Year, you should take these modules:

Core modules
- Perceiving the Past (double module)
- Becoming the Historical Researcher (double module)
Option modules
You will also choose four option modules, one each from: List 1 (History), List 2 (Politics), List 3 (History) and List 4 (Politics).

List 1: History modules
- Religious History
- Histories of Violence
- Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
List 2: Politics modules
- The Making of Contemporary US Foreign Policy
- Political Parties in Contemporary Britain
- Sex and Gender in Global Politics
- Politics of the Global South
List 3: History modules
- Gender History
- Race and Ethnicity
- All Bourgeois Now? Class in History
- Enter the Dragon: Modern Chinese History, 1839-1989
- From Beer to Fraternity: Alcohol, Society, and Culture in North America
- History in the Classroom
- Living with Dictatorship: European Societies, 1918-1941
- Heritage Field Project
List 4: Politics modules
- European Union Politics
- Governing Societies in Conflict
- Latin American Politics
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year 2 (Politics dissertation)
In the second year you will start transforming from a student of history into a practising historian, through core modules which enhance your critical thinking, independent research skills and intellectual creativity. You'll explore even more new areas of modern history and politics, choosing from a wide range of optional modules.

If you plan to take the Politics dissertation in your Final Year, you should take these modules:

Core modules
- Perceiving the Past (double module)
- Political Analysis 1: Understanding Political Science Research
- Political Analysis 2: Preparing for your Dissertation
Option modules
You will then choose four option modules:
- one from List 1 (History)
- one from List 3A/B (History)
- one from List 4 (Politics)
- and another one from List 3A/B or List 4
If you choose two List 3 History modules, there must be one from 3A and one from 3B.

NB. List 2 modules are not available if you take this route.

List 1: History modules
- Religious History
- Histories of Violence
- Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
List 3A: History modules
- Gender History
- Race and Ethnicity
- All Bourgeois Now? Class in History
List 3B: History modules
- Enter the Dragon: Modern Chinese History, 1839-1989
- From Beer to Fraternity: Alcohol, Society, and Culture in North America
- History in the Classroom
- Living with Dictatorship: European Societies, 1918-1941
- Heritage Field Project
List 4: Politics modules
- European Union Politics
- Governing Societies in Conflict
- Latin American Politics
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year Abroad (optional)
We’ll make sure you have everything you need for your future career: not just by awarding you a high quality degree, but also by helping you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to make your mark in the world as a Citizen of Change. One way you can do this is by opting to take a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3 of your degree.

Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to a career in the private, public or third sector - or plough your own furrow as an entrepreneur – you will find the experience invaluable.

Final year (History dissertation)
Your final year is shaped entirely by your preferred areas of interest and specialisation. You will research and write an original dissertation - an independent research project of your own design - with the support of an expert supervisor. You will also choose from a wide range of optional modules that reflect the cutting-edge research expertise of your tutors.

Core module
History dissertation

Option modules
Choose one option module from:
- The Holocaust: Genocide in Europe
- After Hitler: Society, Culture and The Politics of The Nazi Past in The Two Germanies, 1945-1990
- The Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Church, State and Belief in Soviet Russia, 1941-1991
Then choose one option module from:
- The American Presidency
- The Politics of War and Peace: Northern Ireland After 1972
- Parliamentary Studies
- Brexit and British Politics
- The Politics of Contemporary British Foreign Policy
- Politics of the International Drug Trade
Finally choose one option module from:
- The Conservatives: Crisis and Recovery
- American Political Development
- Political Legacies of Conflict in Northern Ireland
- Political Participation in Britain
- Democracy and EU Membership in Post-Communist Europe
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Final year (Politics dissertation)
Your final year is shaped entirely by your preferred areas of interest and specialisation. You will research and write an original dissertation - an independent research project of your own design - with the support of an expert supervisor. You will also choose from a wide range of optional modules that reflect the cutting-edge research expertise of your tutors.

Core modules
- Dissertation
Option modules
Choose one option module from:
- The Holocaust: Genocide in Europe
- After Hitler: Society, Culture and The Politics of The Nazi Past in The Two Germanies, 1945-1990
- The Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Church, State and Belief in Soviet Russia, 1941-1991
Then choose one option module from:
- The USA and the Vietnam War
- Crime and Punishment in African American History
- From Empire to Nation: Modern South Asia, c. 1857-1947
- Disasporas and Migrations in the Modern World
- The American Presidency
- The Politics of War and Peace: Northern Ireland After 1972
- Parliamentary Studies
- Brexit and British Politics
- The Politics of Contemporary British Foreign Policy
- Politics of the International Drug Trade
Finally choose one option module from:
- The Imperial Economy: Britain and the Wider World, 1815-1914
- What Difference Did the War Make? British Society and the Great War, 1900-1939
- When Two Dragons Fight: China and Japan at War in the Twentieth Century
- The Conservatives: Crisis and Recovery
- American Political Development
- Political Legacies of Conflict in Northern Ireland
- Political Participation in Britain
- Democracy and EU Membership in Post-Communist Europe
Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.
Entry Requirement
If you have completed the standard XII awarded by the CISCE/CBSE, or another recognised state exam board, with at least 75% overall, you may be considered for admission to a first year Bachelors degree. For many courses at the University of Leicester, you will need 80% overall or higher, along with higher individual marks of 85% in relevant subjects.
If you are studying A-levels or the International Baccalaureate (IB) then you can begin from the first year of a Bachelors degree.
If you have already completed the first year of an undergraduate degree at an Indian university, you may be considered for entry to the first or second year of a Bachelors degree if you have studied relevant subjects and/or modules.

Fees & Scholarships

International Tuition Fees:

£17500 per year

Career Prospect

We offer several practical or placement modules so that you can gain hands-on experience in your chosen career path. For instance, our 'History in the Classroom' module includes practical teaching experience by incorporating a placement in a local school and our 'Heritage Field Project' will give you hands on experience working in the heritage industry, offering you invaluable experience for the future.

We routinely develop paid internship opportunities for our students to gain additional, relevant work experience during their degrees. Roles such as research assistance, conference organiser, and editorial assistant have been offered in recent years.

Cost Of Studying At University of Leicester

Interest rates as low as 8.9% ^*

250K+

Students Assisted

800Cr+

Loan Amount Disbursed

5000+

Loans Sanctioned

Check Loan Eligibility

BA Contemporary History at University of Leicester