The Medieval Outlook focuses on the period between the end of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance. You will learn about the emergence of Europe as a distinct entity, comprised of a variety of peoples with diverse cultures and languages. ‘Christendom’ is often used to describe medieval Europe and we will look at how the Church did indeed give a type of cohesion to the continent. The Church assumed leadership of societies after the fall of Rome and held a deep and powerful influence on the medieval outlook. We will consider how this influence manifested itself through a study of the state, power and authority as well as popular beliefs and the medieval world-view. We will also consider the tensions which arose between the bishop of Rome and the development of more secular authority and culture. The module will predominantly focus on England but will place the country’s medieval past into a broader European context.

The Dawn of Modernity focuses on the immense social, political and religious changes which took place in Early Modern England. Reformation of the church, the outbreak of civil war, the emergence of radical sectarian groups and an increasingly politicised people created a rapidly changing society. The module will explore the diverse responses to those changes and the fear that people lived in a ‘world turned upside down’. Although the period can be characterised as one of tension and crisis, you will also consider continuities from the medieval period, and the existence of political and social consensus, climaxing in the restoration of monarchy after the short-lived republic. The module will consider whether we can truly agree with the perception of the early modern period as one of approaching modernity through a study of key developments in church, state and culture during the period 1500-1660.

Europe Re-made introduces you to the key developments that transformed European society between 1789 and 1919. At the start of this period, on the eve of the French Revolution, Europe was predominantly an agrarian society with very limited industrial and urban development. In most European states, landed elites were still dominant as a conservative influence resistant to political and social change. By 1919, Europe had been transformed into a society in which state power lay in the hands of urban-based political parties with industry and trade as the dominant forms of economic activity. The module is primarily concerned with the broad political, economic and social influences that caused this transformation which was of immense significance not only for Europe but also for the course of world history during the twentieth century.

Imperialism, Liberation, Globalisation examines some of the main events, political and social movements, economic developments and ideologies which dominated the twentieth century around the world. You will study the rise and fall of the great ideologies of Communism, Nazism and Fascism, the causes and outcome of the Second World War and the development of the Cold War between the Super Powers after 1945. The module will also look at international relations and the global economic system after the fall of the Soviet Empire in 1989-1991.

Time Detectives introduces you to the tools and methods required to become an independent historical researcher. These skills include selecting and interpreting primary evidence, independently locating books and articles, making effective use of digital tools and archives, applying these research skills to a specific historical problem, and producing a clear, convincing and original argument.

History and Society: Theory, Practice and Impact introduces you to the conventions of academic history and outlines a range of concepts and ideologies that are regularly employed within historical discourse. The module also examines the way that history and ideas about the past are employed in a wide variety of non-academic contexts, such as politics, popular culture and journalism.

Communism in Eastern and Central Europe After 1945 examines the rise, stagnation, collapse and ongoing legacies of the communist experiment that ruled half of Europe during the decades after the Second World War. The module examines both the Soviet Union itself during the post-Stalinist era and the countries of east-central Europe, allowing you to choose to study the history of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania or Yugoslavia. This history is of growing relevance to you, given that twenty years after its collapse the communist period can now be seen in historical perspective, and given the close relationships which many of the successors to these states have developed with the UK since the enlargement of the European Union in 2004 and 2007.

Urbanisation, Immigration and Economic Crisis: The United States 1880-1941 examines the processes of cultural, social and economic change in the United States from 1880 onwards. The module examines the causes of such change and their impact on American culture and society. It analyses the reasons why U.S. political leaders and social reformers saw such changes as a threat to core American values, even the very survival of the Republic itself. The responses they advanced to deal with this threat are also assessed. The module concludes by examining the causes of the Wall St Crash, 1929, the ensuing Great Depression and the effectiveness of Roosevelt’s New Deal programmes in addressing the problems that resulted from them.

Mission and Manifest Destiny: U.S. Foreign Policy and Expansionism 1840-1939 examines the process of frontier expansion within the United States during the nineteenth century. The module assesses the impact of the move west on native American populations and also the ideological justifications advanced to justify this expansionism, such as mission, manifest destiny and American exceptionalism.

Rise to Globalism: U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1939 examines the rise of the United States as a global superpower from American entry into the Second World War in 1941 through to the present day. It examines the extent to which the ideology underpinning U.S. foreign policy, under successive administrations, has been shaped by American historical experience and values, such as the concepts of American exceptionalism, mission and manifest destiny. You will also study the challenges facing U.S. foreign policy planners from Franklin Roosevelt to Barack Obama and the effectiveness of the various strategies that have been advanced to overcome them. The module examines both the opportunities and limitations on the exercise of American power in the modern world.

The Rise of the British Empire focuses on the expansion of the British Empire in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Particular attention is given to the debates amongst historians on these subjects. At the heart of the module are fundamental, and much disputed, questions regarding the nature of imperialism and the process by which Britain attained and lost an empire that at different times stretched across Africa, Asia, America and the Pacific.

The Fall of the British Empire explores the reasons behind the end of the British Empire in the twentieth century, from the First World War until the 1960s. Reflecting the scale of the Empire, the module deals with a great variety of territories across the globe, from Australia to Iraq. It provides you with an opportunity to interpret how and why this world-changing process came to pass.

Migration and Mobility in Contemporary European History equips you with a better understanding of the historical context behind one of the most controversial issues facing Europe today. By placing current debates within a historical perspective stretching from the late 19th century right up to the present day, the module will enable you to understand political and social issues ranging from refugees to migrant workers, from cosmopolitanism to immigration controls, and from anti-racist activism to anti-migrant backlashes within a longer term context. By also examining the social and political history of daily journeys such as commuting for work, you will be encouraged to take a broad perspective on mobility.

Digital Detectives provides extensive practical experience with digital archives and will help you to develop a range of advanced digital research skills. Digital tools and archives are becoming increasingly central to the process of historical research. The module will be taught entirely in computer rooms and will take the form of weekly two-hour workshops. The historical content of the module will be structured around the history of crime and society in 18th and 19th century Britain.

Introduction to Contemporary French History: From the 1930s to the Present covers a subject that is both related to and distinct from the familiar Hitler and Stalin centric stories of 20th century Europe. You will examine the history of contemporary France during turbulent periods of political conflict and social change before, during and following the Second World War and France’s subsequent wars of decolonisation in Algeria and elsewhere, as well as its politics and society today. By taking up this comparatively rare opportunity to study the recent history of an important neighbouring country, which is often stereotyped and misunderstood in the UK, you can develop a wider international awareness.

History In Practice: Community Project enables you to enhance your employability by making a direct connection between the subject matter of your degree and the working world. You will negotiate a project with an external agency or professional body. The finished product, in the form of a publication, web page, You Tube video or other format, must be public facing and enhance the work of the partnership body. The programme team will establish partnerships with relevant external agencies and professional bodies with whom you can negotiate your own specific project.

History on Screen looks at how British, American and German cinemas respectively have represented the historical period up to 1945 on screen, using a combination of contemporary and retrospective film productions. The module will thus explore not only the nature of cinematic representation in general, but also how each nation in turn constructs, or indeed, in the particular case of Germany, reconstructs, national identity through the prism of its past.

Black Life and Black Protest in the United States 1895-1945 examines African American life and history from the 1890s through to the end of the Second World War. It considers the reasons for the widespread introduction of racial segregation in the United States at the end of the nineteenth century and its impact on African American communities. You will examine the efforts of African American leaders to challenge discrimination, from Booker T. Washington through to Asa Philip Randolph, assessing their strengths and weaknesses. The extent to which developments in this period sowed the seeds for the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s are also considered.

Black Life and Black Protest in the United States Since 1945 analyses the reasons for the emergence of the post-war civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The contribution of leading individuals within the movement, like Martin Luther King, is also examined together with the life and career of Malcolm X and the Black Power movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The module concludes by assessing the legacy of the civil rights era for present day race relations and the extent to which the election of Barack Obama in 2008 means that the United States can now be described as a post-racial society.

Seeds of Conflict in the Holy Land 1840-1923 examines the origins of the Zionist-Palestinian conflict before the commencement of the British Mandate for Palestine in 1923. The module analyses the development of Zionism and Palestinian Arab nationalism under the Ottoman Empire, British support for Zionism in World War I, and the escalation of political conflict and violence by the 1920s. A principal focus will be the impact of the War.

British Rule in Palestine explores the origins and development of British rule in Palestine, a seminal chapter in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Middle East and the British Empire. The module focuses on the political objectives and impact of British rule in Palestine, with particular reference to the evolution of the Zionist-Palestinian conflict.

The Special Relationship: Britain and the USA concentrates on the major diplomatic, economic and cultural meeting points of arguably the two most influential nations of the 20th century. You will study how their relationship – at times good and at times bad – influenced the course of international history. It is a relationship of unparalled closeness and complexity which persists into the present day. By analysing the principle issues that arose between these two competitive yet cooperative states, we may be in a position to judge to what extent the relationship actually deserves the epithet ‘special’.

History: Interpretations and Context explores the close relationship that history has with contextual developments within wider British society, in the period from circa 1840 to the present day. The relationship operates in both directions, as history and perceptions of the past act to inform notions of national identity and national values, through popular cultural media. By exploring the relationship between history and wider British society, the module also introduces you to the uses made of the past in a number of areas of employment, such as advertising, TV production, the press, marketing and commerce. You will reflect on how popularly held notions of national identity become points of connection for journalists, politicians and advertisers with the population at large.

Special Subject enables you to pursue independent research within a structure that provides a clear framework of support. The module will guide you through from weekly subject-based sessions to more independent, but supported, study of your chosen extended special subject research. You will have considerable choice of subject matter you wish to research, exploring a range of topics before researching a more defined subject area. The module entails identifying a research question, locating relevant and sufficient primary material, assessing and selecting an appropriate methodology, collecting, organising and analysing your primary sources and writing up your research and findings in an extended essay. You will also develop your verbal skills through an oral exam and preparation for that assignment.

Independent Research Project enables you to undertake an extended piece of research, on a topic of your own selection. Extended research is at the heart of history as an academic subject, and this module provides you with an opportunity to independently deploy the skills and knowledge you have acquired. You will frame your own research question(s) and conduct primary research using libraries, archives, digital depositories and other appropriate sources and resources. You will present your case in either written and/or visual form and be able to demonstrate the clear relationship with existing scholarship on your chosen subject.

A Level History should preferably be at Grade C or above (or equivalent).

With effect from academic year 2019/20 entry, A Level History or equivalent is essential.

With effect from academic year 2017/18, you may be able to apply to substitute one 20 credit optional module in Year 2 and/or one 20 credit optional module in Year 3 with alternative elective modules from outside the programme curriculum. Some restrictions on elective module choice may apply.

HIS2034 History in Practice: Community Project (20 credits) replaces HUM2000 Independent Project (20 credits) as an optional module in Year 2.