BA History and American Studies with Year Abroad

at University of Leicester

Year 1
The first year provides a strong foundation for your degree, with core modules on American history since independence, US political institutions, processes and ideas, and the emergence of the modern world order. You will also choose from options on European, British and global history to understand American developments in a broader historical context.

 

Core modules

• Making History
• Introduction to American Government and Politics
• The Shock of the Modern
• People and Places
• US History since 1877

Option modules
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
• 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
The core modules will delve deeper into understanding the diverse people, communities and wider world relationships that have shaped America’s development, and will enhance your critical thinking, independent research, and intellectual creativity - skills you’ll put into practice in further optional modules.

 

Core modules

• Perceiving the Past (double module)
• Becoming the Historical Researcher (double module)

Option modules
Choose two option modules from:

• Blood, Position and Power: The Nobility of Later Medieval England, 1066-1485
• Madness, Monarchy and Politics in Georgian Britain
• Jack-the-Ripper: Crime, Popular Culture and Policing in Victorian Times
• Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
• The Making of Contemporary US Foreign Policy

Then choose two option modules from:

• 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
• Foreign Policy Analysis

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
The 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 Special Subject module from:

• Ideals of Womanhood in 19th Century America
• The Holocaust: Genocide in Europe
• After Hitler: Society, Culture and The Politics of The Nazi Past in The Two Germanies, 1945-1990
• A Sea of Conflict? Christian Muslim Encounters c.1100-c.1300

Then choose one option module from:

• The USA and the Vietnam War
• Crime and Punishment in African American History
• The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon Northumbria
• Disasporas and Migrations in the Modern World
• From Empire to Nation: Modern South Asia, c. 1857-1947

Gender, Crime and Deviance in Eighteenth Century Britain

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
• Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, c1350-1650
• The Medieval Natural World
• Abolitionists: Antislavery Activism in Britain and America, 1787-1865

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.

• A/AS-levels: AAB-ABB at A-Level. We prefer A-Level History, though this is not essential. Two AS-Levels considered in place of one A-Level. General Studies is accepted
• EPQ with A-levels: ABB-BBB at A-Level + EPQ at grade B. We prefer A-Level History, though this is not essential
• Access to HE Diploma: Pass relevant Diploma with 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at distinction
• International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 30 points including 6 in one Higher Level subject
• BTEC Nationals: Pass Diploma with D*DD

 

Selection Process
When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.

 

Applicants are not normally interviewed. If you receive an offer you will be invited to visit the department.

 

English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.

 

International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.

UK Students

Starting in 2022

• £9,250 in your first year. Tuition fees are subject to government regulations and may change in future years
• Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,250 for that year
• Year in Industry: your fee will be 15% of the full-time tuition fee that applies in that year

 

If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.

 

International Students

Starting in 2022

• £17,500 per year
• Year Abroad: £4,375, which is 25% of the full-time tuition fee
• Year in Industry: £2,625, which is 15% of the full-time tuition fee

You will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.

 

From 2022 onwards, EU nationals will pay the International fee. If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).

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.