History
Goldsmiths, University of London
UCAS Code: V101 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject specific modules
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
With three Higher Level subjects at 655
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Advanced Higher
Scottish Higher
T Level
Each application will be considered on its individual merits. Where the T Level subject area does not directly match the degree programme being applied for, the personal statement and reference will be particularly important in demonstrating interest, enthusiasm and suitability for the subject.
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.
**History is a relevant, dynamic, fascinating, and important field of study which, at Goldsmiths, is approached in creative, innovative, and exciting ways.**
History is the study of the past. Through history, we uncover the richness of human experience across different societies, cultures, times, and places. We learn how the everyday representations and realities of our lives came to be. History enables us to better understand ourselves. History helps us make a better future.
Many aspects of Goldsmiths BA History set it apart from other history degrees. The Department has been rated top 20 in the UK for quality of teaching in the Guardian University League Table 2023.
Goldsmiths has a rich heritage of social awareness, civic engagement, creative arts, digital innovation, and equality, diversity, and inclusion. As a Goldsmiths graduate, you will be among the most critically engaged, interdisciplinary educated, and socially aware graduates of the University of London.
**Why study BA History at Goldsmiths**
- **We are global.** You will learn about the history of the world from Britain to the Balkans, from Ireland to India, and from Africa to America. You will learn about the depth and breadth of global connections that span our multicultural world.
- ** We are relevant.** You will learn about key events in history, from the Silk Road to the Cold War. You will discover their continuing legacies. You will learn about the long history of ideas such as democracy, liberalism, identity, equality, terrorism, gender, health, and sexuality. You will learn how to think critically about knowledge production and communication; to look beyond the words on the page, delve into the emotional meaning of images and spoken word, and to dig into the truth behind the data.
- **We help you explore your interests.** Across the degree, you will be able to choose from a wide variety of optional modules. In years 2 and 3, you can choose to study module options at Birkbeck, Kings College London, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, and University College London. In your final year, you will undertake a research dissertation on a topic of your own choosing.
- **We are interdisciplinary.** In year 1, you will learn key academic skills and explore connections between history and other disciplines such as management, computing, and education. You will learn about issues of identity and environment. In year 2, you will undertake project work to address UN Sustainable Development goals. You can also choose an interdisciplinary module option from another academic discipline such as Anthropology, Politics, Media Studies, and Sociology. This is part of our Connected Curriculum.
- **We are research-led.** You will learn how to think critically by being introduced to cutting-edge research in fields like non-traditional military history, Black British history, and Queer history. You will be introduced to innovative historical methods from oral and public history. Archival collections at Goldsmiths and Senate House, and numerous digital collections, will be at your disposal.
- **We help you achieve academic success.** Whatever your prior learning experiences, you will learn how to sharpen your academic skills. You can study through our online module so you’re ready to hit the ground running when you arrive on campus. You'll meet your personal tutor during induction and once per term to help you set goals and improve your skills. You will participate in diverse assessments, so you can apply your learning to practice. You will learn with the support of peers in small group seminars, field trips, and film screenings.
- **We develop you to succeed in your future career.** You will gain career knowledge and experience, including through our work placement module which will help you stand out to future employers. You make your voice heard by becoming a student representative or taking part in our Student Ambassador scheme.
Modules
Year 1
You take the following compulsory modules:
Global Connections: the violence and exchanges that shaped the modern world
Historical Controversies
Reading and Writing History
Identity, Agency & Environment 1
Identity, Agency & Environment 2
You'll also be able to choose two optional modules from across the Department of History from a list that is published annually.
Year 2
Your second year will give you the chance to broaden your intellectual horizons, and have more freedom over what you study.
Compulsory modules:
The Goldsmiths Elective
Goldsmiths’ Social Change Module
You'll also have 90 credits worth of optional modules, which may comprise of modules from the Department of History, relevant modules from other departments (known as Connected Curriculum), and up to 30 credits from a University of London Intercollegiate Group II module from a list approved annually by our partner institutions.
Partners include: Birkbeck; King’s College London; Queen Mary; Royal Holloway; University College London.
Year 3
Your final year will be spent developing your specialist interests and knowledge.
You'll undertake a Special Subject module, worth 60 credits, that includes a dissertation and runs for 20 weeks across the autumn and spring terms.
You can choose to undertake your Special Subject module at Goldsmiths or you can choose a University of London Intercollegiate Group III Special Subject module from a list approved annually by our partner institutions. Partners include: Birkbeck, King’s College London, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, University College London.
You also have a free choice of modules to the value of 60 credits which can include both 30-credit and 15-credit modules. Up to 30 credits can be a ‘related studies’ module taken in another Goldsmiths department.
Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.
Assessment methods
A wide and innovative variety of different methods are used to assess learning, these include essays, reviews, source analyses, blogs, videos, walks, presentations, exams, and dissertations. Some modules are assessed by portfolios of coursework, or by a combination of coursework and an examination. Others are assessed by long essays or dissertations on topics approved with the tutor. Assessments vary in length according to the type of assessment and/or level of module.
Assessment supports student progression across the programme, as assessments in the first year aim to measure a set of baseline skills and competencies which are enhanced, deepened and broadened in subsequent years. Lecturers return assessments and provide useful and constructive feedback in a timely manner so as to ensure that students learn from the feedback and have the opportunity to improve subsequent work.
The Uni
Goldsmiths, University of London
History
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.
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.
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.
History
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£22k
£27k
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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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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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:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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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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