Course Overview
The History part of the programme can offer a range of modules which cover broad sweeps of time (Medieval Europe, 1066-1452: Modern China, 1650-2000) allowing students to consider how societies alter and change, the long term impact of war, economic upheaval and political radicalism, and the rise and fall of great powers. In addition the programme offers modules based upon depth, drilling down into events and moments of seminal change (the Great War, Genocide in C20th, the Wars of the Roses, the Irish Question). This combination is extensive and covers all interests and preferences. It combines breadth and depth thus providing students with an extensive knowledge of the past. Around this core of subject knowledge we root our teaching in documentary source materials, field trips, visits to archives and record offices. Students will also be introduced to new areas of study by investigating how the past is captured, made and communicated through visits to archives or museums or analyses of film, TV and other media. This all provides for a fully rounded programme of study which grounds students in the requisite methodologies and practices of the discipline of history.
Archaeology is the study of the human past through an examination of physical remains such as stone tools, pottery and bones, through to buildings, structures, monuments and landscapes. It attempts to reveal how both contemporary societies and past societies are organised, how humanity interacts with the environments and landscapes, and how ideas about the world are visible in the objects people have created. To be able to understand the past in any depth engagement with theoretical and ethical issues is needed. This means we explore issues such as representation, land use, technology, environmental change, death, beliefs and the evolution of the human body, mind and ideas with a view to broadening and widening knowledge of how humanity has arrived at the position it is in now. Many modules include a field trip to local sites or historic features of the landscape: we also do a graveyard survey for the less-squeamish.
Key Features
- Small classes with interactive learning
- Opportunity to construct your own degree scheme based on your favourite subjects
- Fieldwork and excavation opportunities
- Training in historical research methods
- Use of local record office and museum resources
- Wide range of modules
- Dynamic classes exploring real world issues
- Transferable interpersonal skills
- Opportunity to develop independent research projects
- Taught by tutors who research and publish in their chosen fields
- Field trips and visits to archives and record offices
- Interdisciplinary approaches to study and understanding of the past
Modules
- Museums, Heritage and Representation
- Exhibiting Egypt: digitising material culture
- Excavation and Fieldwork
- Post-Excavation and Analysis
- Death and Burial
- Funerary Beliefs in Ancient Egypt
- Britain and the Great War
- An Introduction: from the French Revolution to the Holocaust
- Medieval Europe: from Charlemagne to the hundred years War
- Modern America, 1776-2009
- History and theory of Genocide
- Modern China: Rise of a Superpower
- Terrorism
- Medieval Documentary Source materials
- Wars of the Roses
- Terrorism
- Europe in the Age of Revolution, Nationalism & Democracy, 1789-1945
- The Bomb: a Nuclear History
- Bronze Age Societies
- Funerary Beliefs in Ancient Egypt
- Human Evolution
- Advanced Environmental Techniques
- Humans and their Environments in Prehistoric Europe
- Origins and Innovations
- Medieval Castles in Context
- Building & Architectural History
- Nautical Archaeology
- Heritage Data Management
- Roderic Bowen Library & Archives
Course Tutor(s)
- Prof Janet Burton
- Dr Lester Mason
- Dr William Marx
- Mr Conway Davies
- Dr Ros Coard
- Dr Martin Bates
- Dr Nigel Nayling
- Mr Quentin Drew
Assessment
The programme is assessed in a variety of ways and will include several of the following type of assessment: essays of 1000 to 4000 words in length, document analysis, book/ journal reviews, short reports and reflective journals, time tests, seen and unseen exams, field journals, posters, group and individual presentations, dissertations of 10,000 words, wiki's, commentaries and film evaluations.
Career Opportunities
You will develop powers of analysis, logical thought and argument within a supportive and encouraging environment. It will be these skills of communication, understanding, analysis and self-management that provide you with a passport into employment. Types of employment could include museum and archive work, journalism, law, banking, local politics, all types of administrative work, marketing and advertising, and teaching.
- Teaching/ education officer
- Local Government, community, local politics
- Journalism
- Law and advocacy
- Fund-raising, management consultancy, research
- Publishing
- Race relations, community, social work, caring professions
- Business
- Heritage (library, archives, museum, tourism)
- Postgraduate research
- Politics
- General administrative and management posts; civil service
Related Courses
- BA Conflict and War
- BA Archaeology and Anthropology
- BA Environmental Archaeology
- BA Archaeology with Forensic Studies
- BA Nautical Archaeology
Tuition Fees
Annual tuition fees for entry in the academic year 2017/18 are as follows:
UK/EU: £9,000
International: £14,900
Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3% for International students and at the capped fee rate as set by the UK Government for UK/EU students.
You can find further information on fees and how to pay on our Student Finance pages.
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's Bursaries and Scholarships page
Additional Costs
There is an optional two-day residential for our students studying degree combinations which include Medieval Studies and/or History. It is the annual student-led Conference in Gregynog, where students can visit local historical sites of interest and attend themed guest lectures from visiting academics. This residential costs £110.
