BA (Hons) History and Politics
Course
options
Key Details
- Award
- Degree of Bachelor of Arts
- UCAS Course Code
- VL12
- Course Length
- 3 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2025
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Why you should choose us
3rd
UEA is ranked 3rd overall for research quality in History
Times Higher Education REF 2021 Analysis14th
UEA is ranked 14th overall for research quality Politics and International Studies
Times Higher Education REF 2021 AnalysisCourse Overview
Are you as interested in Tudor intrigues as you are in battles over Brexit? Do you want to explore today’s political world while studying its roots? If so, then our History and Politics degree is for you. From the ancient world to our own global politics, you’ll choose from modules which stretch across borders and through time.
You’ll learn from experts in both history and politics, drawing on a wide range of options to develop a deep understanding of the two subjects – and the relationship between them. As well as the knowledge you gain, you’ll build invaluable skills in critical thinking, communication and digital literacy.
You’ll study the past and present alongside one another, with your first year giving you a firm grounding in both subjects. Afterwards, flexibility will be at the heart of your degree: in your second and third years, you’ll split your time between history and politics in the way that suits you best.
Norwich is an ideal place in which to study, with its historic centre reflecting its journey from medieval hub to radical modern city. On our beautiful campus, you’ll benefit from our strengths in British, European and global research, including internationally-renowned centres in Eastern European history and East Anglian studies. Our network of partnerships with the region’s leading heritage organisations, such as Norfolk Museums, gives you the chance to experience history first hand.
Our graduates go on to careers reflecting their passions: in parliament, government, the Civil Service law, finance, heritage, media, teaching and many more besides. And if you’re thinking of taking your study of history and politics further, our degree will provide a vital foundation.
Placement Year and Study Abroad
As a degree student within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, you’ll be given the option to spend a semester abroad in your second year, selecting from a broad range of partner institutions.
Your time abroad will be an invaluable academic and cultural experience, and one that many students consider to be the highlight of their time at university. You’ll develop skills that you’ll use throughout your career, which are coveted by employers.
For further details, visit the Study Abroad section of our website.
Study and Modules
Structure
Your first year will equip you with the major skills required in both History and Politics. You’ll begin the course with compulsory modules, which will help you build a solid foundation of knowledge in political ideas and topics in contemporary politics, as well as modules that will provide a background to modern history, historical thinking, and historical methodologies.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Throughout your degree, you’ll be taught by leading scholars from several disciplines through a combination of lectures and seminars. Many of our lecturers are world experts in their fields, giving you access to the latest research and thinking – before it hits the bookstands!
Teaching
In your first year, you’ll learn key historical methods and foundational political ideas. You’ll learn how to critique effectively, and be able to take a long view on some of the most influential and important current debates today through a mixture of lectures and seminars. You’ll learn how to listen to and critique the ideas of others, as well as how to present and defend your own ideas. Seminars allow for an open discussion between you and your peers whilst your seminar leader helps to guide.
Independent Learning
Making use of UEA’s state-of-the-art library facilities, you’ll explore the library and discover the wealth of physical and online resources available to enrich your studies. With some guidance from your History lecturers and seminar leaders, you’ll develop your skills in independent reading and research to help you finish the year equipped with the skills you need to continue your journey. In your Politics modules, you’ll prepare for your weekly teaching with guided tasks, such as preparing answers to seminar questions or completing small weekly writing tasks which will help you to develop study skills.
Additional Support
Alongside timetabled lectures and seminars, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with members of academic staff through office hours where you can seek additional advice on a one-to-one basis. You’ll also be assigned an academic adviser who will support you through your studies. Designed to achieve a balance between independent thinking and taught study skills, our course will help you to develop into a self-motivated learner, an expert researcher, and an analytical thinker. And you’ll receive guidance and constructive feedback throughout to help you to improve.
Assessment
In your first year, your History modules will be assessed by a mixture of essays, presentations, and document commentaries. In Politics, you might write essays, critical summaries, or reading logs. You’ll be able to explore the breadth of modules, gaining experience and confidence with these assessments, without them counting to your final degree.
You’ll receive tailored feedback from tutors on your practice assignments to help you to improve your work before your final formal or ‘summative’ assignments. And we’ll strongly encourage you to discuss your feedback with academic staff. You’ll also receive feedback on final assessments, which will be tailored to your learning needs.
Structure
In your second year, you’ll be able to decide whether to focus your learning in favour of one discipline, or to keep it evenly balanced.
There are no compulsory modules this year, so you’ll be able to tailor your learning to the topics that interest you, while honing your skills of academic enquiry and argument. You’ll be given access to a broad and exciting range of optional modules offered across both Schools, many of which are complementary. For example, you could elect to study an introduction to the European Union alongside the history of modern Germany.
You can also choose to study abroad in your second year, learn a new language, and/or broaden your studies by taking modules chosen from those offered by other disciplines in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Optional A Modules
(Min Credits: 40, Max Credits: 60)Optional B Modules
(Min Credits: 40, Max Credits: 60)Optional C Modules
(Min Credits: 0, Max Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
Lectures and seminars in year two will enable you to build on your foundational knowledge and skills acquired in the first year. With a choice of modules from medieval to modern history, alongside studying global politics and diplomacy, you can develop your own pathway and start to specialise in a particular area of your choice. You might also take a placement as part of a Humanities-wide module or learn a new foreign language.
Independent Learning
You’ll deepen your ability to read sources critically, and to analyse and evaluate them within context through independent study. You’ll gain the confidence to take more risks in your academic work, finishing the year with a real sense of how history and politics shape and mould our society.
Assessment
In your second year, your History work will continue to be assessed through essays, presentations, and document commentaries, while in Politics, as well as written coursework, you might take modules involving assessment by giving presentations, completing group projects, or writing policy briefs or select committee submissions. In each module, you’ll have a chance to test your skills and receive feedback from your tutors through practice assessments (also known as formative work), which can take a variety of forms, such as presentations, reviews, and historical source analyses. You’ll continue to receive detailed feedback on your work and be encouraged to benefit from the support of your tutors in their office hours.
Structure
In your final year, you’ll become more focused, selecting modules from a range offered by the School of History and Art History that currently includes topics such as Japan’s first modern century, Communism and Nationalism in Yugoslavia, and the Third Reich.
In addition to your chosen area of focus you’ll study two advanced modules from either History or Politics covering topics such as politics and popular culture or twentieth-century sport history. Alternatively, you could opt to take just one advanced module, and write a dissertation on a historical or political topic of your choice.
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 60)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 30)Optional C Modules
(Credits: 30)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
This is your chance to really delve into specific topics that have interested you in the first two years. As part of a Special Subject, you’ll get the opportunity to explore your chosen topic through longer seminars in discussion with an expert in the field. As part of both the School of History and Art History and the School of Politics, Philosophy, and Area Studies, you’ll benefit from the wide range of expertise our academic staff has to offer. You can pursue a dissertation, working one-to-one with an expert in the field, or choose to take another advanced module.
Independent Learning
You’ll bring together all the skills and confidence you’ve developed over the previous two years through independent research and critical analysis of documents as you master your field of study.
Assessment
Your final year History modules will be assessed through coursework and document work, along with examinations and an extended essay on your specialist subject. In Politics, you’ll continue to be assessed in a diverse array of forms. Your final degree result will be determined by the marks you receive in years 2 and 3. All the feedback you’ll continue to receive will enable you to deepen your understanding of both your subjects and to graduate with a host of skills valued by employers.
Employability
After the Course
BA History and Politics graduates have the world at their feet. As well as your subject-specific skills and knowledge, you’ll develop a range of transferable skills and qualities, including analytical and communication skills, teamwork, leadership, self-management, and sophisticated digital literacy. Such attributes open doors to a wide variety of professions and careers.
Our graduates have a proven track record of moving into a wide range of careers, such as law, finance, local government and administration, the heritage and tourism sector, the civil service, political lobbying, non-governmental organisations, teaching, think-tanks, and many more. Or you could further your research by going on to postgraduate study.
Careers
Recent graduates have entered a number of fields, including:
- Public Relations
- Political lobbying
- Museums and heritage industries
- Teaching
- Finance
- The Civil Service
- Postgraduate Study
Discover more on our Career pages.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
We welcome and value a wide range of qualifications, and we recognise that some students might take a mixture of different qualifications. We have listed typical examples that we accept for entry.
You should hold or be working towards the specified English and Mathematics requirements and one of the examples of typical entry qualifications listed below. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.
- English and Mathematics
All applicants must hold or be working towards GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade C or grade 4.
In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics.
We accept a wide range of English Language qualifications, please see our English Language equivalencies page.
- Contextual Offers
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
A levels
ABB
Contextual offer: BBC
BTEC
Level 3 Extended Diploma: DDM
Contextual offer: DMM
Combinations of BTEC and A levels
Extended Diploma: DDM
Contextual: DMM
Diploma: DD plus B at A level.
Contextual: DD plus C at A level.
Extended Certificate: D plus BB at A level.
Contextual: D plus BC at A level.
BTEC in Public Services, Uniformed Services and Business Administration are all excluded from our BTEC offers
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Humanities and Social Sciences Pathway. Pass Access to HE Diploma with Distinction in 30 credits at Level 3 and Merit in 15 credits at Level 3
T levels
Not accepted
Foundation Year options:
If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes such as - BA (Hons) History with a Foundation Year
- Further Examples of Typical Entry Requirements
International Baccalaureate
32 points overall
Irish Leaving Certificate
3 subjects at H2, 3 subjects at H3
Scottish Highers
AAABB
Scottish Advanced Highers
BCC A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable
- Deferred Entry
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
We welcome and value a wide range of qualifications, and we recognise that some students might take a mixture of different qualifications. We have listed typical examples that we accept for entry.
You should hold or be working towards the specified English and Mathematics requirements and one of the examples of typical entry qualifications listed below. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.
- English and Mathematics
All applicants must hold or be working towards GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade C or grade 4.
In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics.
We accept a wide range of English Language qualifications, please see our English Language equivalencies page.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. For specific details about your country, view our information for International Students.
A levels
ABB
BTEC
Level 3 Extended Diploma: DDM
Combinations of BTEC and A levels
Extended Diploma: DDM
Diploma: DD plus B at A level.
Extended Certificate: D plus BB at A level.
BTEC in Public Services, Uniformed Services and Business Administration are all excluded from our BTEC offers
International Baccalaureate
32 points overall
- INTO UEA
If you do not meet the academic and/or English language requirements for direct entry our partner, INTO UEA offers progression on to this undergraduate degree upon successful completion of a preparation programme. Depending on your interests, and your qualifications you can take a variety of routes to this degree.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
-
IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components)
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, INTO UEA offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study.
-
- Deferred Entry
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
View our information for Tuition Fees.
Scholarships and Bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
The cost of individual field trips will vary, and all such trips are optional.
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of other course-related costs.
How to Apply
UCAS Hub is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.
Your application does not have to be completed all at once. Register or sign in to UCAS to get started.
Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is E14.
View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information: