Entry requirements
A level
The Access to HE Diploma to include 30 Level 3 credits at Merit. Plus GCSE English at grade 4 or above.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
5 GCSEs at grade 4 / C or above to include English.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
Studying history and politics together should provide you with a more robust understanding of each area, aiming to deepen your understanding of past events, political actions and lessons learned through history.
Our highly-accomplished and multidisciplinary teaching team includes respected authors and experts in the politics and history of Britain, Germany, Italy, the Middle East, Africa and North America. They will aim to share knowledge of security studies, social theory, development, peace studies, foreign policy analysis, national and international politics and the history of international political thought.
Past students have explored some of the 20th century’s most defining historical events – from women’s suffrage in Britain to the American civil rights movement. We aim to examine the strengths and weaknesses of different political systems, use and abuse of power, democracy, human rights and more.
We have maintained a close relationship with the local city council and the Houses of Parliament, organising a range of guest talks from the people involved in contemporary politics and international relations. This has previously included British MPs, high commissioners from African states and speakers from major global corporations. Recent topics have included ‘Britain and the EU’, ‘Women in Politics’ and ‘Ethnic Diversity in Politics’.
You'll also have the option to spend a year on professional placement, applying your academic skills within the workplace and potentially gain valuable work experience.* Past students have spent time within an MP’s office, working for local government, for historical societies like The Herbert Art Gallery and organisations such as The British Council.
The course aims to provide an excellent foundation to students help and support them with pursuing their own careers in the public, private and voluntary sectors within a range of areas like local administration, communications, diplomacy, intelligence, development or international organisations.
*Placement years are subject to additional costs, application, meeting applicable visa requirements and availability. Further costs incurred as a result of the professional work placement or study abroad shall be borne by the student.
Key Course Benefits:
* Spend a year studying abroad – we have links with universities in France, Germany and Sweden.
* Our teaching staff include a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
* A wide range of optional modules allow you to study specific political movements, such as the green movement or Far Right, periods of history like post-war Germany or specific issues like feminism or global organised crime.
* Coventry University has excellent employer links with the House of Commons, the National Crime Agency (NCA), local government, local and national NGOs and charities, the Archives and Records Association, the Museums Association, the institute of Historic Building Conservation.
* You could join our active student-led History, International Relations, Politics and Sociology Society (HIPSOC), which has organised fieldtrips to Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Mexico to visit the institutions of the EU, the International Criminal Court and Greenpeace Costa Rica.
* We aim to provide you with extensive placement opportunities, for example, placements have previously included local government for the council, MP and MEP offices, commercial firms like City Year, First Utility and GE Alstrom, organisations like University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, The Citizens’ Advice Bureau, Coventry University, Food Bank and MIND and local heritage sites like Coventry Cathedral and museums.
Modules
Your main study themes are:
**Political Ideas and Action** You will gain an insight into the working of modern political systems and an understanding of the ideas and theories underlying contemporary political structures, movements and debates. We will examine the way individuals and groups react to and behave within their particular social context. We adopt an historical approach, drawing contemporary examples and illustrations from a range of countries across the world to reflect the variety of political systems, including the changes brought about after the collapse of the USSR.
**British History and Politics** You will analyse the transformation of Britain during the period of transition from late Victorian Imperialism, with its emphasis on individualism and self-help, to the creation of the welfare state. The main themes considered are state-society relations and the effect of social, political and economic change upon the people of Britain. We look at the important political and social developments which took place between 1900 and 1951, including black history and women’s history in Britain. We will examine the development of the welfare state, comparing theories, ideologies and principles of welfare: liberalism, social democracy, conservatism, New Labour, radical critiques (Marxism, feminism etc.). We look at various political institutions, such as the Constitution, Parliament, the Cabinet, the Civil Service, local government, and the European Union.
**World Politics** We survey the major developments in world politics since the end of the Second World War. This includes major themes of post-war international politics, such as the dominant relationship between the superpowers, the consequences of decolonisation, the emergence of the 'Third World', the spread of revolutionary wars, the development of European integration and the spread and final collapse of communism and its effect on world politics in the end of the Cold War.
**World History Since 1900** With an emphasis on contemporary European history, we examine key aspects of world history in the 20th and 21st centuries. We study the development of the European states systems and relations between the major European powers, including the foreign policies of Britain, France, Italy, Germany and the Soviet Union. We will examine the development of the European states system and provide you with the essential background for understanding contemporary Europe. You will receive an outline history of the United States, incorporating major themes of political change and institutions, key leaders, war and diplomacy, economic and social development, including race and resistance.
For more information about what you will study, please visit our website.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
Coventry University
School of Humanities
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Politics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
History
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Politics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.
History
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
History is a very popular subject (although numbers have fallen of late) — in 2015, over 10,000 UK students graduated in a history-related course. Obviously, there aren't 11,000 jobs as historians available every year, but history is a good, flexible degree that allows graduates to go into a wide range of different jobs, and consequently history graduates have an unemployment rate comparable to the national graduate average. Many — probably most — jobs for graduates don't ask for a particular degree to go into them and history graduates are well set to take advantage. That's why so many go into jobs in the finance industry, human resources, marketing, PR and events management, as well as the more obvious roles in education, welfare and the arts. Around one in five history graduates went into further study last year. History and teaching were the most popular further study subjects for history graduates, but law, journalism, and politics were also popular postgraduate courses.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Politics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£25k
£21k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
History and archaeology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£19k
£22k
£23k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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