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History BA

Course code

V104

V105 with placement

Start date

September

Placement available

Mode of study

3 years full-time

4 years full-time with placement

Fees

2024/25

UK £9,250

International £19,430

Entry requirements

2024/5

ABB - BBC (A-level)

DMM (BTEC)

29 (IB)

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Overview

Perhaps history has always been an interest for you or it’s something you’ve developed an interest in by studying it at school or college. Either way, everyone on the History BA at Brunel starts off on the same level playing field, without the need for a history qualification.

History is about understanding what it means to be human. Studying and analysing it will take you back into the societies of the past to help you understand contemporary issues all the more. It’s also a subject that will help to demonstrate your intellectual acumen and understanding of world affairs, which will be an asset in so many fields of work.

Your studies at Brunel will focus on the history of Britain, Europe and the wider world in the modern period, looking closely at life as it was lived then, observing differences, similarities, patterns and connections with the present day.

Along the way, you will build a toolkit of transferable skills gained through evidence gathering, analysis, problem-solving, drafting and communications, which can be applied to a wide range of industries within the public and private sector.

Opt for a placement year and you’ll be adding a year’s experience in a job role and industry sector that will help to show future employers where you might be a good fit for their organisation. Your placement doesn’t have to be related to history and you’ll get plenty of support from staff and resources in the University’s Professional Development Centre to help steer you in the right direction.

The course has established links to world-renowned archives and libraries based in and close to London,including the Caird Library (National Maritime Museum),The National Archives and the Imperial War Museum,among others. Additionally, the original WWII operations bunker used by Sir Winston Churchill on the former RAF Uxbridge site is a walk away from campus where Brunel students regularly volunteer.

You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.

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Course content

The course content is made up of a variety of subject area strands that can be studied across all three years of the programme. At every level, there are modules relating to each strand. After taking the compulsory modules in the first year, you can choose to study across a range of strands, or specialise in particular strands. Below is a list of the strands:

African History: This strand covers the entire sweep of African history, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Emphasis is placed on internal African social, political and military developments, as well as relations between Africa and the rest of the world, with a view to understanding its complex present.

British & European History: This strand will introduce you to the interconnected histories of Britain and continental Europe. There will be a chance to rethink questions of politics, nationalism, borders and institutions as well as what makes up the disparate and common threads behind the shared experiences of the European peoples.

Historiography and Sources: This strand trains you in the historical method: what historians do, how they study the past, and what makes an historian. You will examine historical debate and historiography, fake debates (such as Holocaust denial), and the importance of primary sources. This will equip you with the skills for your final-year dissertation.

Imperial and Commonwealth History: Maritime empire forms the heart of this strand. There will be particular emphasis on Britain’s enduring role in Australia and the Caribbean. Maritime exploration as well as economic exploitation will punctuate this topic.

International History: This strand focuses on war and diplomacy in the modern era. This can include studying intelligence and national security as well as cold war international relations and major armed conflicts such as the world wars or the Arab-Israeli disputes.

Race and Gender History: This strand explores histories of race and gender in Britain and the Americas, from slavery to mancipation, patriarchy to women’s suffrage, and segregation to civil rights

This course can be studied 3 years full-time or 4 years full-time with placement, starting in September.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

This course has a placement option. Find out more about work placements available.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

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Careers and your future

Studying on the History degree programmes will provide you with key transferable employment skills based on a wide range of written and oral communication skills in addition to analytical and critical thinking skills. Our programmes are built with input from business professionals with the specific aim of helping you enter the workplace fully equipped and confident of your abilities.

Graduates from our BA History programme have gone onto careers in a variety of private and public sectors such as working in government, NGO's, law, teaching, banking and researchers to name just a few areas. Many also undertake further study in order to become specialists in a given field. 

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UK entry requirements

2024/25 entry

  • GCE A-level ABB-BBC.
  • BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DDM.
  • BTEC Level 3 Diploma DM with an A-level at grade B.
  • BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma D in any subject with A-levels grade BC.
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma 30 points. GCSE English equivalent SL 5 or HL 4 and Mathematics SL 4 or HL 4.
  • Obtain a minimum of 120 UCAS tariff points in the Access to HE Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3.
  • T levels : Merit overall

A minimum of five GCSEs are required, including GCSE Mathematics grade C or grade 4 and GCSE English Language grade C or grade 4 or GCSE English Literature grade B or grade 5.

Brunel University London is committed to raising the aspirations of our applicants and students. We will fully review your UCAS application and, where we’re able to offer a place, this will be personalised to you based on your application and education journey.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants as well as our full GCSE requirements and accepted equivalencies in place of GCSEs.

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EU and International entry requirements

If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 (min 5.5 in all areas)
  • Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
  • BrunELT: 63% (min 55% in all areas)
  • TOEFL: 90 (min R18, L17, S20, W17)  

You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.

Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.

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Fees and funding

2024/25 entry

UK

£9,250 full-time

£1,385 placement year

International

£19,430 full-time

£1,385 placement year

Fees quoted are per year and may be subject to an annual increase. Home undergraduate student fees are regulated and are currently capped at £9,250 per year; any changes will be subject to changes in government policy. International fees will increase annually, by no more than 5% or RPI (Retail Price Index), whichever is the greater.

More information on any additional course-related costs.

See our fees and funding page for full details of undergraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.

Please refer to the scholarships pages to view discounts available to eligible EU undergraduate applicants.

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Teaching and Learning

How the course will be delivered

Required equipment

How you'll learn on your course

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Assessment and feedback

You’ll be assessed on what you learn by a combination of coursework and exams. In your final year you will produce a final dissertation on a history subject of your choice under the guidance of a dissertation supervisor.

Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.

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