School of Arts and Digital Industries
uel.ac.uk/adi
BA (Hons) History
BA (Hons) History If you are interested in how the present is shaped by the past, and would like to explore how societies have developed and changed, UEL offers a distinctive and innovative history course. Our History BA encompasses five centuries of British, European and global history and we use London’s archives and museums to study London as a global, multi-cultural city. Incorporating social, cultural and political history, we teach you about key events and movements, and how ordinary people experienced them.
uel.ac.uk/adi
You will develop an in-depth knowledge of the past, and analyse how historians have interpreted it in the present. As well as teaching the traditional skills of historical research, critical thinking and assessing evidence that make history such a highly valued degree, we also engage with historical practice in the digital age. For example you will learn to interrogate historical databases, professionally record and editoral history interviews and publish
historical research online for a world-wide audience. Your studies will even involve speaking to people who were involved in extraordinary historical events. Recently some of our students recorded interviews with survivors of the 1943 Bethnal Green Tube disaster. Where better to study history than in London, with its world-class archive, library and museum collections? Many of our teaching sessions are held off-campus at sites where students can critically engage with public history and expand their knowledge. We arrange guided walks, examine museum collections and organise hands-on research workshops at major institutions such as the London Metropolitan Archives, the British Museum and the Museum of London. First year students have the option of attending a residential field trip exploring the history of migrant labour in the Kent hop gardens and sleeping in an extraordinary 17th century farm house that was converted to a hop-picker’s hospital.
The learning environment Our purpose is to teach history with energy and passion, and to inspire our students to read perceptively, think critically and write clearly. We pride ourselves on a friendly, supportive and respectful setting. The student population at UEL is diverse in terms of ethnicity, experiences, international links, age and social background. This creates a lively, interactive learning environment which is guided by a teaching team who are passionate about history. You will find our staff approachable and eager to help. The history course is taught through lectures, seminars, skills workshops, tutorials and independent study. Most assessment is through essays, written tasks and research projects, as well as exams, web based multimedia projects and group presentations. In your final year you will work with a member of staff to research and write a dissertation on a historical subject of your choice. Here, and throughout your degree, you will benefit from the research expertise of our staff, who all regularly publish original research. UEL students studying at the Royal Geographical Society
Placements We take career development seriously and we ensure that all our students take practical steps to try out potential careers, undertake a work placement and develop skills that will be relevant to the workplace. In recent years students have completed short placements with organisations including the Jewish Museum, the London Transport Museum, Black Cultural Archives, the RAF Museum, Tower Hamlets Archives and our own UEL Archives.
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USA to research the history of race relations, while another visited Bangladesh to research the history of textile design. Other History students have been funded by UEL’s Civic Engagement Fund to work on an exhibition and audio installation on hop picking for an East London charity. Our students are also given the opportunity to undertake work alongside academic staff on exhibitions, research and heritage projects.
Resources All students are given a new tablet (to keep) for accessing course materials and readings. You will also be able to borrow a wide array of professional digital equipment and software from our equipment store. You will have access to a huge array of books, online journals, ebooks and academic databases and we have a subject librarian who can help you find the resources you need, and use of our state of the art library which is open 24 hours a day. Students can also access specialist archives housed at UEL including the East London theatre, the British Olympic Association, the Refugee Council and the Eastside Community Heritage oral history collection.
Students are encouraged to attend the extensive lecture programme with renowned historians organised by the Raphael Samuel History Centre, first established at UEL. We have a dedicated Writing Centre that can give intensive support to students who need help with academic writing. Opportunities Our students have many opportunities to extend their experience beyond the classroom, both around the world and closer to home. Supported by the UEL Going Global Bursary scheme, one student recently travelled to the
The Raphael Samuel History Centre (raphael-samuel.org.uk) is a research centre partnership between UEL and two other London universities, which holds conferences, workshops and talks throughout the year, and has links with archives and heritage organisations as well as universities. Students are welcome to help at or attend RSHC events, giving you the opportunity to expand your knowledge and understanding and make connections with people who share your enthusiasm for history. In the second year students can study abroad on the international exchange programme at partner universities in Australia, Canada, the US and China. A range of internships are available to History students each year and UEL’s Student Associate Scheme matches prospective teachers with placements in local schools.
What you will study: year by year
In the second year
Each year students take three history modules and one option. Taking an option in English Literature, Politics, Tourism Management, Anthropology or Sociology, means that you can develop your knowledge of the humanities, and explore interdisciplinary angles.
You will cover major events in Europe from 1500-1789 and explore key concepts of class, gender and race in ‘Reformation to Revolution’. Alongside this you will study later political developments in European history up to World War I in ‘Empires, Nations, and Class’. You will develop practical research and historical writing skills in the ‘Research Workshop’ which includes sessions at two major London archives and you will complete a mini-research project in a 20th Century history subject of your own choice. In the second year we spend a period focusing intensively on career development and you will be given training in career planning, CV writing and undertake a short work placement with a heritage organisation or an institution of your own choosing. In addition, you will take a second year option (see list opposite).
In your first year You will examine the growth and decline of European empires from 1500 to 2000 in ‘Patterns of Imperial History’, and study social and political change in ‘Britain and Europe in the Long Nineteenth Century’. With our campus located next to East London’s Royal Docks, many of these changes can be seen in our local environment and in the first year you will investigate East London history and the development of London more broadly in ‘London History and Heritage’. One of your assignments will be to use historical databases to research the history of an East London street, and publish your findings online. In addition, you will take an option (see list opposite).
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In the third year You will explore aspects of early modern belief systems including witchcraft, folklore and religious and scientific ideas in ‘Culture Thought and Belief in the Pre-Modern World’. In ‘Memory and History’ we look at how history is used in the present for memorialisation, constructing identity and coming to terms with traumatic events such as the holocaust. You will learn all the technical skills necessary to professionally record, archive and analyse an oral history interview, an essential tool for modern historians. Along with your final year option, you will work intensively on your chosen dissertation topic with the support of your tutor and take a series of workshops on dissertation research and writing.
Year One Patterns of Imperial History London, History and Heritage Britain and Europe in the Long 19th Century One option from: Political Philosophy International Studies Approaches to Shakespeare Introduction to Social Anthropology Year Two Reformation to Revolution: Europe, 1500 – 1789 Research workshop: Twentieth Century Social History Empires, Nations, and Class: Continental Europe from Waterloo to World War One One option from: Landscapes of Power Writing Early Modern England Anthropological Theory Origins of Culture International Organisation and Global Governance Year Three Memory and History Culture, Thought and Belief in the Pre-Modern World Research Dissertation One option from: The Mediterranean World Political, Cultural and Social Change 1900-2015 Politics of Global Powers Anthropology of Political Economy and Belief Heritage, Museums and Cultural Tourism and Culture, Mobility and Landscape (two half modules) Please note that options may change from year to year Student discovering remains of decoration in a ruined hop-pickers hut.
Teaching team At UEL, all history modules are delivered by expert historians who regularly publish original research. Most option modules are taught by expert academics from other subject areas. Dr Rosalind Carr, the programme leader for History, is the author of Gender and Enlightenment Culture in Eighteenth-Century Scotland (Edinburgh University Press, 2014). She teaches modules on the Enlightenment, early modern Europe, and imperial history. Professor Kate Hodgkin has published a number of books and articles on aspects of cultural history, including the history of subjectivity, the relationship between memory and history, witchcraft, and the history of madness. Dr Toby Butler is a Reader in History and Heritage Studies and leads the MA Heritage Studies course. He has particular research interests in oral history, public history and locationorientated historical interpretation. He has created several multimedia and web based heritage trails for museums, charities and local authorities. Jeremy Gilbert is Professor of Cultural and Political Theory. He has written widely on politics, music, 20th century culture and contemporary culture.
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Careers and employability History is consistently listed in the top 10 degree subjects for finding a job after graduation. We organise work placements and visiting speakers from Londonbased heritage organisations, our History degree is well equipped to prepare you for the workplace. Our graduates proceed to careers in areas such as publishing, the media, local government, tourism, the heritage industry, administration and teaching. We encourage our students to pursue further study. Many graduates go on to gain professional qualifications too, with the PGCE a popular route to a teaching career.
These are some examples of recent graduate roles and destinations: Trainee curator, Museum of London History teacher (primary and secondary) MA and PhD postgraduate study Civil Service Advertising Amazon graduate scheme University administration education officer Imperial War Museum Social worker Social entrepreneur
Dezna Marks decided to move from a job in the City and make a major career change. She took the UEL history degree and gained additional experience as a UEL research intern. This secured a place on PGCE in History at the prestigious Institute of Education and and she is now a secondary school history teacher:
“It was a major decision for me to give up a career I’d been in for over 20 years and return to education after 30 years but studying History at UEL turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.”
Frank Sliwinski enjoyed history so much he decided to continue with postgraduate study at the University of Oxford where he was recently awarded an MSc in Russian and East European Studies:
“Studying History at UEL was a great adventure through different periods and various fascinating topics. It enhanced even further my passion for history and it made me want to discover the com-plexity of the subjects that were part of the course. The UEL history course helped me enormously in pursuing my academic aspirations and the skills that I gained were essential to the continuation of my studies at Masters level.”
Why study at UEL? Going to university is an investment. You are investing your time and your money in a degree that will put you on the right path for a successful career and you need to choose a university that invests in you. Our graduates are achieving great things and, When you join us, we will support you, motivate you, inspire and provide you with the opportunities you need to ensure you graduate with the skills required by employers in your field.
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UEL invests heavily in: •
the financial wellbeing of our students through our free books and scholarships and bursaries for all undergraduate students
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creating strong links with industry, setting up mentoring opportunities and work placements
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creating an engaging and inspiring academic experience the latest resources and facilities
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support and advice before you start university
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study skills support to equip you for success
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a dedicated service to equip students for employment including a graduate internship programme and access to a year’s business incubation space
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a modern and beautiful campus environment with cutting edge campus facilities including a sports centre (SportsDock) and libraries open 24/7
Entry requirements
Foundation year
UCAS code V100
We offer a four year extended history degree programme with a foundation year for those who don’t meet the entry requirements. You will begin with a foundation year which will prepare you for the BA, giving you academic and personal skills you will need for degree-level study. see the UEL website (History extended programme) for details.
112 UCAS points (see ‘foundation year’ if you don’t meet entry requirements). From A level: Must include passes at A2 in at least two subjects. From International Baccalaureate: Diploma with 24 points including a minimum of 15 points at Higher Level. We would normally expect you will have Grade C in GCSE English and Maths. For the full list of qualifications covered by the UCAS tariff and the associated points please check the UCAS website. We will also consider qualifications not on the UCAS tariff including: Access to HE Diploma (QAA approved) with 60 credits overall and 45 credits at Level 3 UEL New Beginnings pre-entry course
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Mature applicants and those without traditional qualifications As an inclusive university we recognise that applicants who have been out of education for some time may not have the formal qualifications usually required for entry to a course. We welcome applications from those who can demonstrate their enthusiasm and commitment to study and have relevant life/work experience that equips them to succeed on the course. Our pre-entry Information Advice and Guidance Team (0208 223 4354) can give further advice on pre-entry courses, entry requirements and suitability for study.
Visiting UEL There are open days throughout the year, which give you a chance to meet staff and students, tour the campus and ask questions. Check out when our next open day is at uel.ac.uk/opendays If you are an international student living overseas, look out for dates when we may be visiting your country – you can check at uel.ac.uk/international If you’d like to attend a lecture and seminar, or have any questions about the course, please contact the programme leader Dr Rosalind Carr: r.j.carr@uel.ac.uk
How to apply Please visit uel.ac.uk and search for History. Latest information will available under ‘how to apply’. We use the University and Colleges Admissions System (UCAS) which uses a web-based application system that allows you track your application. To register go to www.ucas.com and follow the step-by-step guide. You will need the UEL institution code which is E28. For further information contact our Applicant Enquiries team on +44 (0)20 8223 3333 or study@uel.ac.uk. Cover image 1930’s guidebook cover with thanks to Bishopsgate Library.
facebook.com/universityofeastlondon @uel_news youtube.com/videouel uel.ac.uk/adi © University of East London For 2017 applicants onwards This publication has been prepared some months before the academic year to which it relates, and whilst every care has been taken to ensure accuracy at the time of going to press, its ongoing accuracy cannot be guaranteed. In particular, we are constantly developing and improving the courses, modules and options described in the publication, and we reserve the right to modify or discontinue them. No part of this publication is to be construed as an offer or the basis of any agreement between UEL and an individual.