This is an archived page and for reference purposes only
Any study of history engages a natural human curiosity about the past. History is an exciting and diverse subject, which is reflected in the flexibility and breadth of the BA in History offered at Kent.
Overview
The School of History has established itself as one of the leading History departments in the country, recognised for its research excellence, flexible programmes and quality teaching. You are taught by passionate academics, active researchers and recognised experts. The School was placed eighth nationally for research intensity in the most recent Research Excellence Framework, and, over the past five years, has consistently scored over 90% for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey.
Our course is carefully crafted to allow undergraduates to tailor their degree to their own interests, with more than 70 undergraduate history modules to choose from, covering topics from the crusades to the Cold War; from the impact of science on 19th-century culture to the totalitarian regimes of Stalin’s Russia and Hitler’s Third Reich. On this programme, you also spend a year abroad, studying at a university in France or Germany.
At Kent, you will join a large and thriving student body, benefiting from a strong tradition of student-led activities through the History Society. Alongside the extensive resources of the University library, you have the unrivalled privilege of access to the rare books and priceless manuscripts of Canterbury Cathedral. Opportunities are also available for work experience or a year studying in Europe.
Independent rankings
History at Kent was ranked 19th in The Guardian University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2016, 94% of our History students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
History at Kent was ranked 14th for graduate prospects in The Times Good University Guide 2017. Of our History students who graduated in 2015, 92% were in work or further study within six months (DLHE).
Course structure
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
Year abroad
Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.
Students on a four-year degree programme spend a year between Stages 2 and 3 at one of our partner universities in Europe. For a full list, please see Go Abroad. Places are subject to availability, language and degree programme.
You are expected to adhere to any academic progression requirements in Stages 1 and 2 to proceed to the Year Abroad. If the requirement is not met, you will be transferred to the equivalent three-year programme. The Year Abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching is by a combination of lectures, providing a broad overview, and seminars, which focus on discussing particular issues and are led by student presentations. Lectures and seminars use a variety of materials, including original documents, films and documentaries, illuminated manuscripts, and slide and PowerPoint demonstrations.
The School of History uses a mixture of assessment patterns. The standard formats are 100% coursework or 60% examination and 40% coursework.
The School also has excellent student support arrangements. Alongside our Student Support Officer, each student is assigned an academic tutor. All module convenors keep regular office hours, and the School has a policy of returning at least one essay on each module in a one-to-one personal meeting, allowing for additional verbal feedback and discussion.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- foster an understanding of European History through an integrated four-year degree programme, in particular by studying abroad, making full use of the University's strong European connections
- encourage the study of History through foreign languages
- produce graduates with a firm understanding of the tradition and discipline of History as a means of understanding cultures that are different from their own and changes in society over time
- develop intellectual curiosity and initiative in students, and foster the appreciation of study as a value in itself
- encourage independent critical thinking and judgement
- develop new areas of teaching in response to the advance of scholarship and the needs of the community in a research-led environment
- provide stimulating learning opportunities and offer support for students from diverse backgrounds
- widen participation in higher education
- prepare students for a range of careers in a modern complex society, and for further study
- develop a critical understanding of the past
- provide a flexible degree through which students can adopt a structure for their various interests.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- the complexities of human existence in past societies, and of unfamiliar structures, cultures and mentalities
- European History and culture and the links between Britain and Europe
- experience of European systems of teaching and learning
- texts and other source materials, both critically and empathetically, while addressing questions of genre, content, perspective and purpose
- the problems inherent in the historical record, and the limits within which interpretation is possible
- texts and books written in a range of European languages
- historical work, and to recognise the value of neighbouring disciplines
- more than one country, more than one period: medieval, early modern and modern, and several specialisms, including social, economic, political, and cultural history, and the history of science.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- conceptualisation: relating concept to empirical evidence and recognising the relative and contested character of concepts
- critical thought and independence of mind to challenge received conclusions and evaluate the work of others
- synthesis of material from a variety of sources to gain a coherent understanding of issues
- an understanding of the nature of the discipline and our own involvement with it
- recognising and distinguishing between the different sources of historical knowledge
- recognising and employing the skills required to solve particular problems.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills that give you the ability to:
- apply a range of historical methods and analytical approaches, showing awareness of the relevance of other humanities and social science disciplines
- access a range of sources of information, including textual and non-textual material
- present the results of historical work to a critical audience and/or readership, using standard notes, reference systems and bibliography
- marshal an argument: summarise, analyse and defend a particular interpretation or analysis of historical events.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- communication: organise information clearly, respond to written sources, present information orally, adapt style for different audiences, and use images as a communication tool
- mumeracy: make sense of statistical materials, integrate numerical and non-numerical information, understand the limits and potentialities of arguments based on quantitative information
- languages: build on existing skills to become fluent in one European language during the year abroad
- IT abilities: produce written documents, undertake online research, communicate using email and process information using databases
- work with others: define and review the work of others, work co-operatively on group tasks and understand how groups function
- improve your learning abilities: explore personal strengths and weaknesses, time management, review the working environment, in particular the student-staff relationship, develop specialist learning skills, such as foreign languages, and develop autonomy in the learning process
- problem solving: identify and define problems, explore alternative solutions and discriminate between them.
Careers
Historians develop excellent skills of analysis, frequently assessing multiple and often conflicting sources before condensing opinions into concise, well-structured prose. Graduates are able to demonstrate self-motivation and the ability to work independently, demonstrating to potential employers that they respond positively to various challenges and that they can work to tight schedules and manage heavy workloads.
Despite the increasingly competitive job market, History graduates continue to excel. Many graduates find employment in fields such as journalism and the media, management and administration, local and national civil services, the museums and heritage sector, commerce and banking, teaching and research, and the law.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
New GCSE grades
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB including Classics-Ancient History, Classics-Classical Civilisation or History grade B and excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking |
| GCSE | Grade B in chosen language |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 points at HL including a modern European language other than English 4 at HL or 5 at SL and History 5 at HL or 6 at SL |
International students
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
Meet our staff in your country
For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2017/18 tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||
| Part-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
UK/EU fee paying students
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for Year Abroad/Industry
As a guide only, UK/EU/International students on an approved year abroad for the full 2017/18 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Please note that for 2017/18 entrants the University will increase the standard year in industry fee for home/EU/international students to £1,350.
General additional costs
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Funding
University funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
Government funding
You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.
The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.
Scholarships
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.