History

UCAS code: V100

Here's what University of Northampton says about its History course.

Studying History at UON will allow you to gain an excellent understanding of how historical events have shaped the contemporary world, as well as to develop key skills which are valued by diverse employers.

History BA (Hons) is delivered by a friendly group of deeply knowledgeable staff whose expertise encompasses the history of politics, warfare, society, culture, economics, religion, class, age, race, medicine, crime, gender, emotions and sexualities. Students study the distant and recent past, local communities and global networks, learning how to compare societies across time and space, but also how to engage critically with evidence and the arguments of other historians. UON History graduates emerge from their studies as intellectually enriched individuals who pursue interesting and rewarding careers.

Career Prospects History graduates from the University of Northampton go on to work in all parts of the economy from teaching to business, to law, the civil service, research and libraries, the heritage and tourist industries, TV, film and publishing. Studying history provides you will the transferable skills of analytical thinking, research, and presentation that will make you in demand in the 21st-century workplace.

The programme mixes academic study with field trips and opportunities to go on placements with local museums, heritage organisations and other relevant employers.

By studying at the University of Northampton, you can be sure that:

• Our expert academics teach in small groups supported with one-to-one assistance. Our academics and students form a tight bond, providing individualised support and guidance whilst challenging students academically.

• Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study, you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd.

• At UON we guarantee a room in our Halls of Residence for all new full-time, first year students who apply and accept their room offer by June 2026 - and we won't ask for a deposit for September 2026*.

• Students enrolling on this course at Northampton will be provided with their own brand-new laptop** to keep at no additional cost. All sports clubs and societies are free to join at Northampton and every essential course textbook is available via the library, meaning you won’t have to purchase copies. For more information on this visit our website (northampton.ac.uk/benefits).

• You will experience student life at the University’s £330 million Waterside Campus. Come along to an Open Day and find out more.

The Northampton Employment Promise

• In fact, we’re so confident in our careers and employability support that If you achieve at least a 2:2 degree and complete either our Employability Plus Gold programme or achieve a Changemaker Gold Certificate during your time studying with us, but still haven’t secured full-time employment 12 months after graduating, we will secure a three – six month paid internship for you or support you into postgraduate study.

?eligibility criteria apply. See northampton.ac.uk/student-life/accommodation/ for more information ?? eligibility criteria and terms and conditions apply. See northampton.ac.uk/benefits for more information

STAGE 1 • Themes and Perspectives in History (Compulsory) • The Early Modern World, 1500-1800 (Designated) • The Holocaust and the Politics of Race (Designated) • The Medieval World 1200-1500 (Designated) • Health and Healers: Histories of Disease and Disability (Designated) • United States: War and Society, 1610-2020 (Designated) • Politics and Society in Britain since 1945 (Designated) • Catastrophe: Europe, 1890-1914 (Designated)

STAGE 2 • Dissertation Research Skills (Compulsory) • Communicating History (Compulsory) • Shadows of Empire: Movements and Migrations (Designated) • Crime, Policing and Punishment in England 1700-1900 (Designated) • First World War (Designated) • Family and Life-Cycle in Early Modern England (Designated) • Medieval Chivalry and its Afterlives (Designated) • Life on the Margins? Poverty and the Poor in Britain, 1660-1834 (Designated) • From Pleasure to Anxiety: The English Aristocracy 1750-1950 (Designated) • Terror and Terrorism from 1789 (Designated)

Optional Placement Year • The Placement Year Experience: Organisations in Context (Compulsory)

STAGE 3 • History Dissertation (Compulsory) • Using History (Compulsory) • Citizenship and Gender in Britain 1760-1918 (Designated) • Jack the Ripper’s East End: Crime and Popular Culture in Late-Victorian London (Designated) • Witchcraft and Heresy in Early Modern Europe (Designated) • Secret State: British Intelligence, 1558-1945 (Designated) • The English Country House, c.1660-1830 (Designated) • Gender and Work in Early Modern England (Designated) • The War of the Roses (Designated) • Cultures of Fascism in Europe and America from Mussolini to the Alt Right (Designated) • Murder and Mayhem: Crime in Twentieth Century Britain and America (Designated) • Seeing Ghosts: Death and the Supernatural in Britain, 1654 - 1918 (Designated)

Module information is quoted for 25/26 entry. Please note that modules run subject to student numbers and staff availability, any changes will be communicated to applicants accordingly. 26/27 entry modules will be released in June 2026.

The course is assessed in a number of ways:

• Essays

• Individual presentations

• Group projects

• Poster presentations

• Audio and visual podcasts

• Role play