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History BA (Hons)

UCAS code: V100

Start year

Information for 2025

About this course

History is being made right now. It is a living, breathing subject that is constantly renewing, evolving and revealing new information that teaches us about the past, anchors us to the present and informs our future. Historians are passionate, focused, curious, intellectual and open to new experiences and information. If this sounds like you, then read on.

History at NTU offers exciting opportunities to discover and understand the past through a range of skills and approaches. Our expert staff have strong links to the modern heritage industry and historical research groups, giving you opportunities to work on real-life projects and take work placements with some of the most prestigious heritage sites in the country. You’ll also have the opportunity to study abroad at one of our international exchange partner universities.

  • 100% of NTU’s research in History was assessed to be world-leading or excellent in terms of its impact - REF 2021.
  • Study in a city steeped in history and home to an array of museums and archives.
  • Work on company projects for museums, heritage sites, charities, trusts, local organisations and private businesses.
  • Study a course our students love - 97% of BA (Hons) History students would recommend studying at NTU to others.

Find out more about History

We’re running an activity for 16 - 18 year olds to give you a taster of what it is like to study at NTU.

Once you register your interest, we’ll email you information nearer to the day.

Thursday 12 June, 10 am - 3 pm

What you’ll study

This course will help to develop your knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures, nations and ideas from medieval and early modern right through to modern and contemporary history across the globe.

We offer you a wide range of options so you can study what you are passionate about, or discover a new and exciting area you never even considered before.

Year One builds the key historical skills and practices you'll need in your future, alongside introductory modules that focus on international perspectives.

Year Two is all about you. You can choose a pathway which suits your needs and interests with the opportunity to travel, work or specialise your study with optional modules.

Year Three is your chance to really explore what fascinates you, with a further range of options and a project on a specialist research topic of your choice. You'll be guided along with expert supervision from your teaching team.

Core modules

Europe since 1789: Revolution to Referendum

Explore the ideas, ideologies, political , social, and economic changes associated with the development of Western Europe and the European States from the late 18th Century to the late 20th Century. From revolutions to unifications, empire and colonisation, war and state, the rise of communism and fascism, intellectual, economic, cultural and social developments, the module will act as a foundation for future study of history at University.

Rewriting the Conquest of Mexico: Burying the White Gods

Examine the history of the Aztecs, and the legacy of the so-called 'Conquest' of Mexico. How was the history written? And why does the traditional, colonial narrative remain problematic to this day?

Making History

Making History helps you build key skills for studying History, like analyzing sources, managing research projects, and presenting ideas confidently. You’ll explore fascinating topics from different times and places

History Matters 

Making History helps you prepare for university-level History by teaching research methods, source analysis, and data presentation. You'll develop key skills and explore diverse historical perspectives with expert academics.

America, 1607-2020: form Colony to Superpower

Examine the themes of race, colonisation, slavery in American history and examine the connections between the past and the present – for example, with the civil rights struggles of the sixties and the Black Lives Matter Movement today.

The Islamic World of the Near East

This module offers you a broad and globalised history of the Islamic World of the Near East between the years c.1000-c.1323.  This was a time of tremendous change across the entire region with major developments in: culture, trade, art, architecture, religion, technology and demography.

Core module

The Historian's Craft

This module introduces you to a range of historical source collections and guides you through best practice of critically examining source evidence.

History in Action

You will evaluate your skill set and identify gaps to work on through a minimum of 80 hours of relevant work-like experience, to include placement, volunteering and charity work, community-engaged learning, consultancy or collaborations.

Tudors and Stuarts: Rulers and representations

Understand the relevance of themes in Tudor and Stuart history to contemporary Britain.

In the second half of the year you will choose from:

Pathway 1: Extended work-like experience

Get the experience you need for after you graduate, and really understand how the things you study translate into the world of work with a work placement. Your highly experienced Employability Team will help you find a placement to suit your career goals from our huge network of companies, historical and heritage organisations, charities, institutions, and beyond.

Pathway 2: An international exchange

Travel the world, meet new friends, and have experiences you will remember for the rest of your life.

Our flexible curriculum has been designed to allow some amazing opportunities for you. Your second year of study is divided into two semesters, giving you the opportunity to take part in an international exchange. You could study with one of international exchange partners in Australia, Europe, USA, Canada, Thailand and many, many more.

Our dedicated team will support you in finding and arranging a suitable exchange. And don't worry about the cost, they will help you apply for any grants or loans you may need, as no one should miss out on the chance to broaden their horizons.

Pathway 3: Taught pathway choosing three optional modules from:

Fascism, Past and Present

Examine and contextualise fascism and fascist regimes both in the past as well as the present - specifically recent neo-fascist movements and illiberal right-wing governments.

People and Planet: pasts, presents, and futures

Develop an understanding of the human impact on the environment from the 15th Century to the present and how such slow-moving change can interact with social justice.

Money Matters: Finance Past and Present

Use the skills and knowledge developed by Humanities students to examine how human behaviour and historical trends have impacted economic systems across national, international and global arenas.

Intercultural Communication at Work

Gain the knowledge, skills and strategies to build your intercultural communication competence. Analyse and reflect on the impact of culture(s) on your values, assumptions, perceptions, expectations, and behaviours. Build successful verbal and non-verbal communication strategies in different intercultural settings.

History Online: Researching and Presenting the Past

Create a 'magazine' project to contribute to the History blog.

Year-long University Language Programme language module.

You may choose to take an optional year-long placement in Year Three, either in the UK or overseas.

You will be supported by our experienced Employability Team to source a suitable placement.

Core module

History Research Project

Produce your final year research project which will include a  product pitch , literature review and finally a showcase where you present in an exhibition-style  environment.

Representing History

Apply your historical knowledge and skills to deliver a real world project working for an external client brief.

Optional modules

Choose three modules from:

Women and Gender in the Pre-Modern World

Explore the changes in lived experience and gender roles from biblical to renaissance periods.

The Apocalypse in History and Culture

Explore the concept of the apocalypse in history, examining its social, cultural and religious dimensions across medieval and early modern landscapes. You will encounter the apocalyptic traditions and prophetic voices that defined their age and engage critically with diverse primary sources such as art and imagery, letters, literature and philosophies. The module will show how End Times visions from history still resonate today and can be identified within contemporary fears of apocalyptic and dystopian futures.

Legacies and Memory of Conflict

The module examines the issue of conflict, its legacies and memorialisation. It will focus on a series of historical struggles from around the world and use them to interrogate what happened and why before analysing their traces and consequences in their respective post-conflict eras.

The Global Struggle for Civil and Human Rights

Examine the long struggle for civil and human rights within different national and transnational contexts

History Online: the Value and Values of History

Explore a diverse range of historical subjects based on the latest research and your personal interests.

We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves

Student Profiles

Sophie Oxtoby

History

NTU definitely stood out with the variety of modules that are offered and the range of topics that are covered.

Leah Drew

History

.The diversity of topics and sources that you engage with are fantastic. There is something for everyone – military history, history and religion, gender history, life and death in history, history across the globe, just everything!

Emma Allsop

History

The work placement modules and the range of topics available were the main reasons I chose my course. The second year module called History At Work and the third year module, Real Life Work Project both allowed me to gain experiences that I wouldn’t have had otherwise.

Harriet Bird

History

I gained work experience at Creswell Crags through my second year module, and the Real Life Work Project module. I also have a volunteer position at Newstead Abbey. I used the FutureHub employability service at NTU to get this placement.

Emily Thompson

History

The staff are always so helpful and on hand which means that if you ever struggle there is always someone here to help

Video Gallery

 

How you're taught

Our students love their course, and you will too

94% of BA (Hons) History students are positive about the academic support on their course (National Student Survey 2023)

How will I learn?

As well as traditional lectures and seminars, your learning is designed to help you hone your skills of research, critical analysis and intellectual discussion. You will be involved in group work, live projects, tutorials, presentations, visits and workshops that will help you to develop your teamwork and communication skills, as well as your ability to present complex arguments.

You will also carry out independent project work where you’ll have the support of NOW, our virtual learning environment, as well as face-to-face support from your teaching team.

Learn a new language

Alongside your study you also have the opportunity to learn a new language. The University Language Programme (ULP) is available to all students and gives you the option of learning a totally new language or improving the skills you already have. Learning a new language can enhance your communication skills, enrich your experience when travelling abroad and boost your career prospects. Find out more about the ULP.

How you're assessed

We use a varied and diverse range of coursework assessments to develop your skills and support your progress. These include digital projects, reviews, case-studies, essays, presentations and reports.

Our innovative approach to assessment means that in Year One you will develop and enhance a complementary set of key skills for success in second and third year, and throughout the degree the varied assessment pattern will enable you to engage with the past and prepare for your future through an exciting array of projects

Contact hours

If you’re struggling with a topic or require additional support or guidance, you can arrange to see your tutors in small groups or one-to-one, to discuss essay plans or to seek some specific academic guidance.

It is the nature of the subjects offered in the School of Social Sciences, however, that much of your time will be spent engaged in independent study. We recognise that this marks a change of culture from school or college, and we have in place a system of study support to help you adapt to this.

Staff Profiles

Kevin Gould - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

Kevin Gould is a Principal Lecturer in Late Medieval/Early Modern History (European), and Programme Leader for Single Honours History.

Andrew Gritt - Head of Department

School of Arts & Humanities

Dr Andy Gritt is Head of the Department of Humanities at Nottingham Trent University.. His primary research focus is on British economic and social history, c. 1650-1914

Katharina Massing - Senior Lecturer

School of Arts & Humanities

Dr Massing is the module leader for the MA Museum and Heritage Development Research Project, Materiality and Memory and Museum and Heritage Futures.

Careers and employability

Your career development

Knowledge and understanding of the past is of incalculable value both to the individual and to society, and as one of our History students you will gain a wide range of academic and transferable skills to achieve this.

…at university

As well as through study, the combination of skills gained from work experience and extracurricular activities can help boost your job prospects and develop a well-rounded CV. Undertaking volunteering or work experience with organisations and businesses that you are interested in working for will help you develop some skills that are relevant to your career interests. For example, experience working with museum collections if you want to pursue a career in curatorship.

… on graduation

History graduates find employers respect and desire the skills they acquire. Popular career routes you may follow include research or teaching, politics, law, business, social care, arts and museum curatorship, journalism, librarianship and archiving.

Or you may wish to follow in the footsteps of other graduates and choose to progress to further study, either by continuing your research within History, or gaining more direct vocational qualifications such as museum and heritage management, teaching, or tourism.

Our History course also has established links with its former students, through which we receive employment opportunities for graduating students. Our graduates have gone on to forge successful careers both within large, well-known organisations and the small to medium-sized companies that constitute much of the UK economy.

Employability

Our friendly and experienced careers consultants will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal and practical support. Find out more about our Careers Service.

Campus and facilities

You’ll mainly be studying in the Djanogly building with access to facilities including a student kitchen and collaboration space.

NTU’s City Campus has everything you’ll need to stay busy between lectures. As well as the Boots Library and its beautiful roof garden, there’s our stylish Students’ Union building and two-storey, 100-station gym; a whole host of cafés, bars, restaurants and food outlets for every taste; our much-loved Global Lounge; performance and rehearsal spaces for musicians; and much, much more!

Take a few steps off campus and you’ll find yourself in the heart of Nottingham — England’s original ‘rebel city’. It’s one of the UK’s top 10 student destinations, and one of Europe’s top 25. Enjoy a booming indie arts scene, pop-up galleries, the nationally renowned Nottingham Contemporary, two A-list theatres, the iconic Broadway (voted one of the world’s top 100 independent cinemas by Total Film), and a constant rotation of events and exhibitions.

Take our virtual tour to get a real feel for the campus.

Here are some of the free services, student discount and benefits you'll get studying at NTU

We've carefully considered what benefits and services you need for your studies, so when you join NTU you'll get free printing and materials credits, access to our free WiFi, a copy of Microsoft Office, and can even borrow a laptop if yours is out of commission.

For life outside your lectures, you'll enjoy access to over 60 sports clubs and 130 student societies, discounted travel and bike hire, free language learning, award-winning student support and an entertainment programme which is second to none.

See all the benefits and free services you will enjoy as an NTU student.

Societies

Current students run societies in a range of Humanities and Arts subjects including History, Medieval, Film, Filmmaking, Philosophy, Politics and International Relations, and the Book society.

There are also a number of media channels which our students get involved in such as the NTU radio station FlyLive, our student magazine Platform, and TV station TrentTV.

Find out more about student societies at the Student Union website.

Entry requirements

UK students

Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications

Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications.

To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.

International students

Academic entry requirements: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four A levels. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.

English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.

Policies

We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.

Fees and funding

UK students

- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.

£9,535 per year

Find out about the extra support we may be able to provide to help pay for uni, including NTU bursaries and scholarships.

You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees, including the placement year and study abroad options are subject to government policy and may change in future years of study.

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but we don’t want you to feel anxious or confused about it. Visit our fees and funding pages if you have any concerns.

International students

- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.
  • £17,500 per year

You will need to pay tuition fees for each year that you are at university. The tuition fees might increase from the second year of your undergraduate course, in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government.

Scholarships

We offer international scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for a scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.

Living costs

See our advice on managing your money and the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham.

Paying fees

As an international student, you'll need to make an advance payment of £6,000 when you've accepted your offer to study at NTU. You'll then need to pay your tuition fees in full, or have an agreement to pay in two further instalments, before the start date of your course.

Find out how and when to pay your fees, including information about advance payments, instalment dates and how to make payments securely to the University.

Enquiries

If you have any queries relating to advance payments or arrangements to pay, please contact our friendly and experienced international enquiries team.

Additional costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses. There are just a few additional things you may need to budget for:

Textbooks and library books

Most modules will recommend one or more core textbooks, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential textbooks, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) - meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.

Printing and photocopying costs

The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the printing and photocopying information on the Library website.

Field trips

All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.

Placements

If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.

Fees and funding advice

For more advice and guidance, you can email our Student Money Team or phone us on +44 (0)115 848 2494.

Cost of living information and support

Managing your money can help you make the most of life at NTU. Here's how we can support you, and now you can make your funding go further.

How to apply

Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can.

For the full-time route just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow our step-by-step guide.

If you're applying for the part-time route please apply online using the NTU Applicant Portal.

Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.

Writing your application and personal statement

Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. So include all of your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades.

Your personal statement is a really important part of your application. It’s your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place! You've got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you’re applying for. For more hints and tips, take a look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.

Keeping up-to-date

After you've applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!

Need help with your application?

For admissions related enquiries please contact us:

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 4200

Ask us a question

You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.

Application advice

Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example.  After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

Writing your personal statement

Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.