History with International Relations BA (Hons)

Core modules

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 wok 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.

Global Political Economy of Everyday Life

Who gets what, when and how much?: Political Economy is the study of power, from the very big to the very small – In this module you`ll analyse how power operates to shape our everyday lives.  You`ll examine the historic links between Coffee and slavery in the Caribbean, Sports washing in the Premier League, cultural appropriation of global cuisines, elicit economies in drugs and sex, gendered violence and sweatshop labour, cryptocurrencies and much more.  You`ll also analyse how powerful multinational corporations and international institutions can manipulate and control governments, how the rich stay rich by keeping the poor in poverty and the role of social movements in the global south in challenging those inequalities.

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 two History modules, and one Politics module from:

History optional modules - choose two

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

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.

History Online: Researching and Presenting the Past

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

International Relations optional modules - choose one

Security Studies

We live in an incredibly dangerous world, humans have devised infinite ways to destroy life, in this module we will seek to find ways to protect it   To do this you will engage with the dynamic sub-discipline of Security Studies to ask timeless questions including why do states go to war? are there any rules which regulate their conflicts? and if so who will enforce them?  You will also study contemporary issues such as cybersecurity and reflect on critical theories of human security to examine issues of structural violence including racism, poverty, public health, environmental protection and the role of gender violence in times of conflict.

Global Politics of Post Colonialism

Whose lives matter? – We live in a world where wealth and poverty, life and death are unevenly distributed  In this module we will examine how this contemporary global apartheid was forged through the European colonial project.  We will explore the origins of the ideology of racism, the creation of the Third World and the Eurocentrism of international law.  We will also explore the ongoing struggles of decolonisation, for the re-humanisation of humanity, through a range of thinkers from the global south who challenge us to view IR differently, from below, asking the fundamental questions which the mainstream discipline would rather avoid.

Environmental Politics and Policy

Welcome to the ‘Anthropocene’! the world that we humans created and which we threaten to destroy.  In this module you will engage with a range of theories to critically analyse the historical and ongoing impact of human behaviour on the natural world, situating environmental politics through key events from the late 20th century onwards. You will also explore the key debates in environmental ethics and green political thought, whilst studying a wide range of domestic and international policies, processes, treaties, and case studies which offer possibilities for securing our planetary home for the future.

Global Political Marketing

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the organisation, behaviour, and impact of political marketing at both a national and international level. The module examines the marketisation of politics on a range of relevant issues, including political behaviour, party organisation, and voting patterns. Key debates will be considered throughout, relating to targeting and positioning, branding, market research, and the relationship between political marketing and fundamental issues such as trust, democracy, and crisis management.

Politics of Art, Film and Literature

The Cultural Theorist Theodor Adorno once said that “to write poetry after Auschwitz is barbaric” However, it is also true that even in the darkest moments of humanity, we humans have created works of art, which have a unique capacity to inspire empathy and understanding across cultures. This is a unique module in which you will engage in depth with great works of art, books, poems, films, music, to identify their social and political themes, what they tell us about the human condition in a range of global contexts.  It is also unique in its form of delivery, there will be no lectures, but open discussions in which we will work together to explore the tragic joy of the human experience.

Understanding Foreign Policy

Diplomatic encounters and foreign policy decisions are crucial aspects of interstate relations often shrouded in secrecy and mystery. In this module you will develop a unique insight into how diplomats and foreign policy officials make decisions from both a theoretical and practical angle. You will have the opportunity to critically engage with the concepts and theories regarding decision-making in foreign policy.  As there is no better way of learning than by experience, you will engage in games and simulations exercises which put you in the shoes of foreign policy decision-makers and diplomats by solving decision challenges they regularly face.

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.

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.

Leadership, Activism, Campaigning

Throughout the last two years you have learnt the art of communication and how change can be enacted through formal and informal political arenas. You’ve been creative, completing assessments on topics and case studies of your choosing. You’ve built a portfolio of activities and skills which should make you confident about your future. The culmination of these experiences is this module, whereby you get the chance to design a campaign/project on something that matters to you; as too, pitch your reflections on the knowledge and skills gained throughout and their potential for life after Uni.

Optional modules - choose two History, or one History and one International Relations module

History optional modules

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 on Trial

Examine and contextualise the issues and controversies that faced various societies in the United States, Great Britain and the Middle East at critical moments in history

History Online: the Value and Values of History

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

International Relations optional modules

Political Violence and Terror

Since 9/11 the so-called ‘War on Terror’ has dominated global politics, and whilst today it might appear to have taken a back seat to other issues, it continues to exert its influence. Throughout this module you will explore the evolving relationship between terrorism and political violence. Analysing the concept of ‘insecurity’ in a broad sense throughout, you will examine key theoretical approaches as well as a range of real-world cases, illustrating ultimately its increasingly complex use for political means.

Global Politics of Pop Culture

Expand your understanding of ‘politics’ beyond parliaments, parties and politicians to consider the wider power of cultural representations and experiences. From clothes and music to sport and shopping, this module will encourage you to reflect on the ways in which political, economic, social, and cultural power can manifest itself in a range of everyday, subtle, and often quite innocent ways.

Feminist Thought and Praxis

Delve into some of the many branches of feminist thought and core themes in contemporary feminism. The module explores topics such as the relationship between historical and contemporary approaches to feminist theory, its key ideological undercurrents, from its liberal, ‘first wave’ foundations to contemporary, ‘fourth wave’ manifestations, and the application of feminist theory to a range of exciting case studies today.

The International Relations of the Middle East and North Africa

Perhaps no region of the world is more misunderstood than the Middle East and North Africa.  In this module you will take an in-depth look at the political economy of the region against the backdrop of its colonial and post-independence history. You will consider the role of both state and non-state actors, examine a range of contemporary security challenges, and consider the potential and opportunities for inter-state cooperation, as too, future possible scenarios for international relations within the continent.

Negotiating in International Contexts

Arguably, politics – whether local, domestic, or global – is about identifying and diffusing the potential for conflict. In this module you will learn and practise the art of negotiation and leadership through combining the academic study of decision-making with model simulation and gaming/role playing exercises. Engagement with the module provides the chance to take part in the annual, EUROSIM competition with teams from other national and international Universities.

Politics of the Global South

Mainstream IR has long been dominated by the global north, however, as you will see In this module, the south is often where politics is most radical and dramatic.  You will explore these complex societies in depth, understanding Africa’s role in international relations, learning about the rise of Pan-Africanism, and examining a wide range of case studies.  You will also learn about the impact of the drug war on Mexico, the consequences of the military dictatorship in Chile, the socialist experiments in Venezuela, the struggle for the soul of Brazil, and the impact of American imperialism on Haiti and Cuba.

East of the West: Eurasian geopolitics

Whether it be the war between Russia and Ukraine or the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the reverberations from the collapse of the Soviet Union continue to be central to global politics in the twenty-first century. Throughout this module you will gain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the region, from the difficult processes of economic liberalisation, the rise of the oligarchs, the ongoing tensions between post-Soviet states, and the rapidly deteriorating relationship between Russian and the West.

The Emerging Powers of Asia

The world is re-orienting: we are entering the Asian Century.  In this module you will analyse and explore the dynamics of this fascinating region, both individually (e.g., the so-called ‘Asian Tiger’ economies) and through key regional players such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Taking into consideration the role of both state and non-state actors you will consider a range of pressing, contemporary issues such as economic, environmental, and/or ethnic conflict, drugs and/or sex trafficking, and the continued evolving threat of terrorism.