History and International Relations BA

Are you interested in History, and want to see how it shapes the international system today? Then our History and International Relations combined degree is ideal for you. If you want to not only understand contemporary global affairs, but also want to know the events which have shaped the world we live in, then we have the course for you.

Why did wars occur and why do we still have wars today? How do we account for historical inequalities, and are their effects still being felt today? Can individuals change history, or do global events transcend any one person? Does the imperialism of the past echo in the world of today?

Whether your interest is migration, war, diplomacy, slavery or many other areas, by studying for a BA (Hons) in History and International Relations you’ll be able to look through the lenses of both a historian and an international relations theorist. You will find that these are highly complementary views of the world, but each will give you a subtly different understanding.

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 and you can find the current modules on our website: brunel.ac.uk/ba-hir

History (compulsory elements):
This strand focuses world history. There will be a chance to explore the social, cultural and political dimensions to the formation and interaction of nations as well as important human phenomena such as exploration, migration and war. There will also be a chance to focus on what historians do and how they do it. You will look at debate, fake debate (e.g. Holocaust denial), controversy and primary sources and, in so doing, build up the skills for your dissertation.

History (elective elements):
This strand builds on the strand above. You will be able to develop specialisms in the history of Africa and America or focus on diplomacy and war or study issues of race, gender and identity

International Relations (compulsory elements):
This strand equips you with tools to understand contemporary International Relations at every level. It will focus on war and peace and the ways in which we understand the international system. You will also you develop the tools for sustained research in International Relations. This will include research design on qualitative methods, such as interview techniques.

International Relations (elective elements):
This strand builds on the strand above. You will be able to develop expertise in war and peace, Africa, Europe, the US, terrorism and intelligence.

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

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 History programmes 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.

• GCE A-level BBB.
• BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DDM.
• BTEC Level 3 Diploma DM with an A-level at grade B.
• BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma D with A-levels grade BC.
• International Baccalaureate Diploma 30 points. GCSE English equivalent Standard Level 5 or Higher Level 4 and Mathematics Standard Level 4 or Higher Level 4
• Obtain a minimum of 120 UCAS tariff points in the  Access to HE Diploma .
• 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.

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.

• 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’ll learn in lectures (main classes) and seminars (smaller classes focussed on exchanging ideas) by academic staff who are internationally known for publishing research on a number of history topics, which helps to keep what they teach you cutting edge and up-to-date. Independent study throughout your degree is also crucial.

As active historians, their expertise will be invaluable when you come to do your own research, and you’ll be encouraged throughout your course to develop your own skills in recovering and interpreting historic evidence.

Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.

You’ll be assessed by a combination of coursework and time-limited assessments, but most of your time will be spent in private study and reading. In your final year you will produce a final dissertation on a subject of your choice under the guidance of a dissertation supervisor.

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