Ancient and Medieval History with a Year Abroad
Swansea University
UCAS Code: VV20 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
International students will also require a score of 4 at Higher Level English Language or Literature, or 5 at Standard Level English Language or Literature.
UCAS Tariff
Swansea University will accept the Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate as fully equivalent to one A-Level.
About this course
"Studying an Ancient and Medieval History degree with a Year Abroad enables you to explore remote civilisations which remain influential today. Your focus will traverse major periods of time and diverse subjects: from the emergence of Athenian democracy to the glories of renaissance Italy, the expansion of the Roman Empire to the Christian crusades of the Middle Ages, and the epic texts of Homer.
This four-year degree helps to provide graduates with a wealth of exciting career opportunities thanks to numerous transferable skills which are highly valued by employers. Our interdisciplinary approach means you engage with a range of historic cultures spanning over two millennia across the European continent and the Mediterranean world.
You can tailor your degree to your own interests with a variety of topics to choose from. Your initial studies will focus on the political, social and cultural history of the Greek and Roman world, as well as the transition from Classical antiquity to the Medieval world.
Whether your passion lies in Greek history and society, Rome’s transformation from village to Empire, or the roots of Egyptian History, our extensive first year modules have it covered.
Based on our stunning Singleton Park Campus overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, you will have the ability to tailor your degree according to your interests as you progress.
Your third year gives you the opportunity to spend a year studying abroad, offering invaluable experience and knowledge of a different culture.
Studies are shaped by a study trip or field project focusing on a specific region, and the ‘Literacy through Latin’ work placement project, teaching Latin to primary and secondary school children.
Further teaching experience can be developed by leading workshops for the South West Wales Reaching Wider Partnership. Ancient and Medieval History students typically develop oral and writing skills through presenting ideas in different formats.
Teaching is informed by a vibrant and supportive research environment that unites academics, postgraduates and visiting scholars. Our graduates have progressed to careers in sectors such as education, heritage, business, media, politics and humanitarian services. Employers have included Mercedes Benz, English Heritage and St Fagans National History Museum.
Ancient History at Swansea is ranked:
• 3rd in the UK for Student Satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2024)
• 3rd in the UK for Student Experience (Times Good University Guide 2024)
• 3rd in the UK for Teaching Quality (Times Good University Guide 2024)
• Top 10 in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction (Guardian University Guide 2024)
History at Swansea is ranked:
• 11th in UK for Research Impact (REF2021)
• 16th in the UK for Student Voice (NSS 2023*)
*Based on the average positivity score across questions 22 to 25 in the NSS 2023 when ranked against 33 universities featured in the Times Good University Guide.
Please visit our course page for more information: www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/artsandhumanities/ancient-and-medieval-history/ba-ancientmedievalhistory-v116"
Modules
"Your first year is made up of both compulsory and optional modules, with the optional choices typically including:
• Of Gods and Heroes – Greek Mythology
• Age of Empire: Ancient Egypt and her Neighbours
• Field Trip Module: The Past in its Place
Your second year mostly consists of optional modules. In recent years, module choices have included:
• Archaic Greece
• Gender in the Roman World
• History, Heritage and Classics Study Trip
Your third year is spent studying abroad at a partner institution.
Your fourth and final year of this programme consists entirely of optional modules, allowing you to shape your own degree. This includes an optional independent dissertation project, and choices can include:
• Monarchy: Ancient and Medieval
• Pompeii and the Cities of Vesuvius
• Pagans, Christians and the ‘Falls’ of Rome"
Assessment methods
"We offer a variety of assessment methods within our programmes. In addition to traditional examinations and essays, examples of alternative assessment include:
• Presentations
• Group Work
• Personal Reflection
Throughout your degree you will develop excellent research and analytical skills and learn to present your ideas effectively both verbally and in writing.
For full breakdown of course structure and assessment please visit our course page www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/culture-communication/classics-ancient-history-egyptology/ba-ancient-medieval-history or get in touch with us at [email protected] "
The Uni
Singleton Park Campus
History and Classics
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.
£17k
£22k
£26k
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:
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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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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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