About this course
Learn how we make sense of past events, ideas and problems with this dual honours modern history and politics degree. You'll understand how society organises itself and makes decisions. You’ll study contemporary issues such as international security, migration and globalisation. The skills you gain will prepare you for a wide range of career options.
Modern History at Southampton challenges you to critically interpret histories of societies. The study of politics encourages you to explore people’s organisation and behaviour.
On this course you can:
- study the modern history of an extraordinary range of places, from Western Europe and the Americas, to Africa and South Asia
- learn about rare artefacts from the University’s own collections, as well as take part in guided visits to other museums and galleries
- learn about democracy, the modern state, comparative politics and international relations
- spend time at a university abroad in Europe, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea or Australia
Year abroad
A year abroad will enhance your understanding of modern history and politics and let you experience a new culture. Discover more benefits and financial support options for studying abroad.
Apply using:
- course name: Modern History and Politics with With A Year Abroad
- UCAS code: VL13
Year in employment
Enhance your employability by taking this course with a paid industrial placement year.
You'll spend this extra year applying the skills and knowledge you've learned so far.
We regularly review our courses to ensure and improve quality. This course may be revised as a result of this. Any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Find out why, when, and how we might make changes.
Our courses are regulated in England by the Office for Students (OfS).
Learn more about these subject areas
Course location
This course is based at Avenue.
Awarding body
This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.
Download the Course Description Document
The Course Description Document details your course overview, your course structure and how your course is taught and assessed.
Entry requirements
For Academic year 202526
A-levels
AAB including an essay writing subject*
A-levels additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Essay writing subjects include History, English, Philosophy, Politics, Law, Criminology, Sociology, Geography, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Latin or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
A-levels with Extended Project Qualification
If you are taking an EPQ in addition to 3 A levels, you will receive the following offer in addition to the standard A level offer: ABB including an essay related subject* and grade A in the EPQ
A-levels contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all applicants with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise an applicant's potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
International Baccalaureate Diploma
Pass, with 34 points overall with 17 points at Higher Level, including 5 at Higher Level in an essay writing subject*
International Baccalaureate Diploma additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Essay writing subjects include History, English, Philosophy, Politics, Law, Criminology, Sociology, Geography, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Latin or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
International Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
International Baccalaureate Career Programme (IBCP) statement
Offers will be made on the individual Diploma Course subject(s) and the career-related study qualification. The CP core will not form part of the offer. Where there is a subject pre-requisite(s), applicants will be required to study the subject(s) at Higher Level in the Diploma course subject and/or take a specified unit in the career-related study qualification. Applicants may also be asked to achieve a specific grade in those elements. Please see the University of Southampton International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) Statement for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
BTEC
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Diploma plus A in an essay writing A level subject* . Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC National Diploma plus A in an essay writing A level subject* Distinction in the BTEC National Extended Certificate plus A in an essay writing A level subject* and A in one further A level
RQF BTEC
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Essay writing subjects include History, English, Philosophy, Politics, Law, Criminology, Sociology, Geography, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Latin or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
QCF BTEC
Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Extended Diploma plus A in an essay writing subject* . Distinction, Distinction in the BTEC Diploma plus A in an essay writing A level subject* Distinction in the BTEC Subsidiary Diploma plus A in an essay writing A level subject* and A in one further A level
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
Access to HE Diploma
60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3, of which 39 must be at Distinction and 6 credits at Merit, to include 6 Distinctions in an essay writing subject*
Access to HE additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Essay writing subjects include History, English, Philosophy, Politics, Law, Criminology, Sociology, Geography, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Latin or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Irish Leaving Certificate
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2017)
H1 H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 including an essay writing subject*
Irish Leaving Certificate (first awarded 2016)
A2 A2 A2 B1 B1 B1 including an essay writing subject*
Irish certificate additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Essay writing subjects include History, English, Philosophy, Politics, Law, Criminology, Sociology, Geography, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Latin or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Scottish Qualification
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.
Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Cambridge Pre-U
D3 D3 M2 in three principal subjects including an essay writing subject*
Cambridge Pre-U additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Essay writing subjects include History, English, Philosophy, Politics, Law, Criminology, Sociology, Geography, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Latin or other humanities based essay writing subjects.
Welsh Baccalaureate
AAB from 3 A levels including an essay writing subject* or AA from two A levels including an essay writing subject* and B from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate
Welsh Baccalaureate additional information
Offers typically exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking. *Essay writing subjects include English, Philosophy, Politics, Law, Criminology, Sociology, Geography, Religious Studies, Classical Civilisation, Latin or other humanities based essay writing subjects. Students applying without History will need to make a case in their personal statement.
Welsh Baccalaureate contextual offer
We are committed to ensuring that all learners with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply to study with us. The additional information gained through contextual data allows us to recognise a learner’s potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. Applicants who are highlighted in this way will be made an offer which is lower than the typical offer for that programme.
T-Level
Not accepted for this course.
Other requirements
GCSE requirements
Applicants must hold GCSE English language (or GCSE English) (minimum grade 4/C) and mathematics (minimum grade 4/C)
Find the equivalent international qualifications for our entry requirements.
English language requirements
If English isn't your first language, you'll need to complete an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to demonstrate your competence in English. You'll need all of the following scores as a minimum:
IELTS score requirements
- overall score
- 6.5
- reading
- 6.0
- writing
- 6.0
- speaking
- 6.0
- listening
- 6.0
We accept other English language tests. Find out which English language tests we accept.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
You might meet our criteria in other ways if you do not have the qualifications we need. Find out more about:
- our Ignite your Journey scheme for students living permanently in the UK (including residential summer school, application support and scholarship)
- skills you might have gained through work or other life experiences (otherwise known as recognition of prior learning)
Find out more about our Admissions Policy.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
Course structure
Your course modules will reflect how modern history and politics complement, cut across, and underpin each other. You'll study compulsory and optional modules in each year.
You can broaden your studies beyond history and politics by choosing:
- interdisciplinary modules from other subjects
- language modules
- to study abroad for a semester
- a minor subject
You do not need to choose your modules when you apply. We'll guide you through the process before you start.
Year 1 overview
Your compulsory modules will introduce key concepts in history and politics. You’ll look at different periods in world history, how they have been defined, and how this affects the way that history is written and understood. You’ll also be introduced to political theory and international relations.
Optional topics in History will immerse you in the critical study of modern historical episodes and themes. These include death in Victorian Britain, the history behind programmes like Downton Abbey, and the war on terror.
Year 2 overview
You’ll deepen your understanding of specific regions, periods, or themes in history. You’ll also develop research skills in politics and international relations.
You’ll have a wide choice of module options on topics including the making of modern India, Chinese politics, urban nightlife, and migration.
Year 3 overview
You’ll research and write your dissertation on a topic that interests you. This is a chance for you to practise your planning and analytical skills and engage with primary source materials.
You can also choose specialist module options on the Holocaust, the Vietnam war, and the ethics of public policy.
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
Modules
The modules outlined provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our course to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Find out why, when and how we might make changes.
For entry in academic year 2025 to 2026
Year 1 modules
You must study the following modules in year 1:
Engaging Political Ideas
Students should gain a knowledge of how political ideas - such as freedom, equality, justice, or democracy - have been understood in different and incompatible ways, and how those different understandings have been the occasion for ideological or normativ...
History Matters (Object, Image, Text)
History is not just about studying written documents and sources; historians examine the ‘stuff’ of history, including objects, images, and buildings which were made and used by people in the past. We can also ‘read’ these sources, if we know how to appro...
Introduction to International Relations
• Introduce students to the study of structures, actors and policy processes in international politics • Enable students to distinguish between competing explanations of international relations • Develop students’ ability to restate arguments and apply ...
Political Systems
This module provides an introduction to the study of politics and the key concepts and theoretical approaches in comparative politics. Pre-requisite for PAIR2031, PAIR2037, PAIR3039 and PAIR3046
World Histories Introduced
In this history department, we have historians working on periods from the ancient world to the contemporary moment, covering the whole world (and beyond!) and working on themes like gender, politics, environment, and technology. This module covers a rang...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 1:
A (Dis) United Kingdom? Myth and Reality in British Politics
Recent referenda on UK withdrawal from the European Union and Scottish withdrawal from the UK appear to have brought simmering tensions in politics on these islands to the fore - or perhaps even created a newly polarised politics. Moreover, while support ...
Antisemitism and Islamophobia in modern European history
Reports about the growth antisemitic and Islamophobic speech and acts regularly make the headlines in Europe and globally. In the case of antisemitism, this has led to accusations that left-wing antizionism or postcolonial migration are to blame for the r...
Arabic Language Stage 1A
The aim of every language course at the University is to enable you to communicate in your target language (TL) at that particular level and in your particular area of interest. We use the word ‘communicate’ in its widest sense, meaning that you will not ...
Chinese Language Stage 1A
The aim of every language course at the University is to enable you to communicate in your target language (TL) at that particular level and in your particular area of interest. We use the word ‘communicate’ in its widest sense, meaning that you will not ...
French Language Stage 1A
The aim of every language course at the University is to enable you to communicate in your target language (TL) at that particular level and in your particular area of interest. We use the word ‘communicate’ in its widest sense, meaning that you will not ...
From Shah to Ayatollah: The Establishment of the Clerical Power in Iran (1979 to Today)
The 1979 Revolution unexpectedly established a clerical regime in Iran for the first time in its history. What were the roots and consequences of this Revolution? This module surveys this history from an anti-Shah movement initiated by university students...
German Language Stage 1B
The aim of every language course at the University is to enable you to communicate in your target language (TL) at that particular level and in your particular area of interest. We use the word ‘communicate’ in its widest sense, meaning that you will not ...
Political Texts
Politics Book Club
This module examines some of the concrete political challenges of our time through the use of key texts chosen by staff members who work in the relevant fields. We will spend two weeks on each text, with two lectures giving a precis of the main arguments ...
Putin and the Politics of Post-Soviet Russia
This module provides an overview of major political, social and economic developments in Russia since 1991, and how they have been informed by a sense of Russian history. After the fall of the Cold War, Russia has found that it is no longer a superpower, ...
The Crimean War
The Crimean War (1853-56) was the most important Great Power conflict fought between the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815 and the outbreak of World War One in 1914. Yet its causes are uncertain and the way it was fought was often paradoxical: modern te...
Twentieth-Century China
Few nations had a more dramatic experience of the twentieth century than China. Over the course of this module you will learn about the tumultuous political events of the era - from the fall of the once mighty Qing empire, to China’s descent into chaos du...
Who is Anne Frank?
‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ is the most widely read non-fiction book in the post-war world. The author has become a symbol of Jewish suffering during (what we now term) the Holocaust and a figure emblematic of all victims of the Second World War. Indeed she...
Year 2 modules
You must study the following modules in year 2:
Humanities Study Abroad Preparation Module
This module will prepare you for study abroad and also take you through the application process for study abroad. Before you travel, you are required to take out appropriate insurance policies and engage in on-going monitoring of risk and this module will...
Making History Part 1
History has a life which stretches far beyond the ivory tower of academia and university study. This module encourages you to reflect on how historians translate academic knowledge into public history. It introduces you to the many different audiences for...
The Struggle for Democracy
To introduce the theoretical underpinnings of the democratic state; to outline theoretical and practical changes and challenges to the democratic state both today and in the future; to draw links between theoretical ideas about the democratic state and de...
Year Abroad Report Module for Humanities Students
This non-credit bearing module is a required element for all Humanities students on a Year Abroad Programme. It builds on the Year Abroad preparation module, HUMA2012. It is taken as a long thin single module whilst on the Year Abroad with a two hour prep...
Year in Employment
The Year in Employment (YiE) is an opportunity for undergraduate students across a range of programmes to undertake a placement year whilst remaining enrolled to the University of Southampton. Students complete their placement after their second year of s...
You must also choose from the following modules in year 2:
Celebrity, Media and Mass Culture, Britain 1888-1952
This module explores the development of celebrity in Britain 1888-1952, focusing particularly upon the influence of technologies and mass media. The years between the late 1880s and early 1950s saw a massive expansion in printed and visual media, and this...
Chinese Politics
After briefly considering the relevance of the traditional Chinese world order to contemporary Chinese political life, the module then focuses on two core themes: (1) Chinese domestic politics; (2) China’s external relations. Units on Chinese politics wil...
Cold War? Post-War Conflict from a Jewish perspective
Cold War is a peculiar conflict. Often seen as a confrontation between the Socialist East and Capitalist West, the Cold War is typically depicted as a bloodless standoff. In such interpretations, the Iron Curtain isolated Western from Eastern Europeans. ...
Contemporary Theories of Justice
The aim of this module is to familiarise you with several important, but competing, theories of justice. Such theories give guidance on important questions of distributive justice (who ought to get what, when and why?), and provide, to varying degrees, gr...
Data Environmentalism
Data is material. It is produced by people, it is made possible by resource extraction, it needs power to survive, it inhabits and resculpts the landscape. The use of data, then, contributes to climate catastrophe, but that role can be hard to see, hidden...
Data, Culture, and Justice
Data organise our present and shape our future. Those data are never neutral because they are the product of human labour, of choices made by people about what data to record, how to record it, and who is best equipped to do that recording. Drawing on wor...
Democratic Theory
Most states claim to be democratic. This module looks at the theory of democracy, including foundational questions about political inclusion, participation, and equality. As a result, students will develop a greater understanding of what democracy require...
European Power and the Geopolitics of Europe and Asia
It is the first time in history that we can approach the problem of European security architecture in terms of governance, rather than hegemony or the balance of power. The proliferation of European and global institutions concerned with addressing differ...
Fight for your Rights: Protest in twentieth century Britain
When we speak about protest in Britain today, it divides our society: from the politicians who want to curb our rights and the columnists who worry about protests going too far, to the activists who argue that protesting is one of our democratic rights as...
Globalisation and World Politics
The module will look at the main issues and trends, concepts and definitions on globalisation within the discipline of international relations.
Immigration, Race and Ethnicity in France
What developments led to the headscarf and the so-called ‘burka ban’ in France? Why has ‘multiculturalism’ been a taboo subject? To what extent have anti-racism associations been a success in combating racism? This module offers you the opportunity to gai...
Japanese Language Stage 1A
The aim of every language course at the University is to enable you to communicate in your target language (TL) at that particular level and in your particular area of interest. We use the word ‘communicate’ in its widest sense, meaning that you will not ...
Jews in Germany before the Holocaust
German-Jewish history has often been regarded as ‘leading up to the Holocaust’. In this module we will explore the life and culture of Jews in Germany from the late C18th until the eve of the Nazi takeover in 1933. Starting with the Jewish enlightenment, ...
McCarthyism
‘I have here in my hand a list of 205 names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in that State Department.' With these words, asserting both the exi...
Partisans, Public Opinion and Elections: Understanding the Political Mind
Equal opportunity In line with the University’s Equal Opportunities Policy, individuals are treated on their relevant merits and abilities and are given equal opportunities within the module, School and University. The aim of the policy is to ensure t...
Politics and Protest
Politics is often about conflict, but sometimes that conflict takes place within legislative bodies and other times in the streets. Most of what we study in political science courses focuses on conflict within the electoral framework, but this course asks...
Politics of the Media
This module provides a theoretical and empirical overview of the role played by information, communication, and media within the politics of the modern state. Students are introduced to canonical as well as marginal and emerging perspectives on media poli...
Ragtime! The Making of Modern America
For the United States, the turn of the twentieth century was a turbulent, transformative time: an age of embattled political parties and insurgent Populists, mass immigration and overseas war, millionaire capitalists and impoverished farmers, all set to t...
Reinventing Democracy: Innovation, Participation and Power
All over the world the ideal of democratic government has higher support than at almost any time in human history. Yet many citizens of democracies are very frustrated with the way the democracy they live in works. It is one thing to recognise the contemp...
Retail Therapy: A journey through the cultural history of shopping
We are all, in one way or another, participants in the consumer society. Whether we buy for necessity - life essentials such as food - or view it as an enjoyable leisure activity, our purchase of goods is part of a wider cultural movement pushing us to ‘s...
Spanish Language Stage 2A
The aim of every language course at the University is to enable you to communicate in your target language (TL) at that particular level and in your particular area of interest. We use the word ‘communicate’ in its widest sense, meaning that you will not ...
The Global Game: Football in the Modern Era
It is a cliché to say that football is a global game. But in the West the ‘beautiful game’ is still commonly engaged with as a primarily Western sport, dominated by the comings and goings of the Bundesliga, La Liga and, in particular, the English Premier ...
The Government Lab
Governments everywhere encounter several challenges in carrying out their responsibilities and appear to be "stuck" in their delivery. Both wealthy nations and those in the Global South have difficulty implementing policies and providing for their citizen...
The Politics and Governance of the EU
This module focuses on the European Union (EU) as a system of public policy-making and aims to provide students with a working knowledge of the history of European integration, the main EU institutions, the EU policy process, main theoretical debates as w...
Theorising International Politics
Although a ‘common sense’ view of world politics is often presented in non-academic contexts, there is little agreement among experts on what international relations is, and how we should think about the discipline. This module enables students to critica...
Vienna and Berlin: Society, Politics and Culture from 1890 to the Present
This module will introduce you to the social, political and cultural history of Vienna and Berlin in the 20th century, German using a wide range of sources which will include literature, film and architecture. Topics covered may include the following:...
Year 3 modules
You must choose your modules from the following modules in year 3:
A Short History of the Far Right
The resurgence of the far right is one of the most striking and challenging features of the 21st century political landscape. Attitudes and practices that were marginal and unrespectable just decades ago have gained considerable traction, whether measured...
A Short History of the Homosexual
Is sex a biologically-conditioned experience that remains constant over place and time, or is sex and sexuality an ever-changing lived reality that reflects (and shapes) broader shifts within society and culture? This overarching question, fiercely debate...
A Short History of the Populist Leader
As the world responds to the global financial crisis, populist leaders have come to dominate political debate in countries across the world - from India to the United Kingdom to the United States. In engaging with this phenomena, we are faced with a conun...
America and the world, 1945-2000: technology, conflict and the lives of others (Part 2)
This module continues the exploration of the impact of defense technologies and humanitarian concerns upon US foreign policy from the escalation of US involvement in the Vietnam War into the post-Cold War era. It will examine the US approach to fighting t...
American Political Thought
For many people, the phrase “American political thought” either has an obvious meaning – some version of liberal democracy, surely – or it is a contradiction in terms – America has politics, but seems to exercise little thought. This module sets the recor...
An ambivalent asylum: the histories and memories of refugees in early twentieth-century France
Where does the idea of a stateless person come from? Why did France become one of the foremost nations for refugee reception? How were refugees fleeing from persecution in other parts of Europe treated in France? Why did France establish a system of ‘conc...
Anarchism in Theory and Practice
Debates in political theory tend to focus on what the best form of government would look like, and on values of the term 'best' in this context. This module aims to move beyond these more traditional debates and critically assess the political perspective...
Chinese Politics
After briefly considering the relevance of the traditional Chinese world order to contemporary Chinese political life, the module then focuses on two core themes: (1) Chinese domestic politics; (2) China’s external relations. Units on Chinese politics wil...
Contemporary Theories of Justice
The aim of this module is to familiarise you with several important, but competing, theories of justice. Such theories give guidance on important questions of distributive justice (who ought to get what, when and why?), and provide, to varying degrees, gr...
Crime and Punishment in England c.1688-1840 part 2
This course will span the period c.1688-c.1840, beginning with the reforms of the criminal code introduced following the Glorious Revolution, known as the ‘Bloody Code’, and concluding in the mid-nineteenth century with the introduction of the police forc...
Critics of Empire: Radical and Revolutionary Political Thinkers of the Global South
For thinkers of the Global South, the experience of empire, of being subject to imperial rule in a variety of forms, serves as a key site for the development of political theory. This module addresses a range of the responses to empire that emerged within...
Dissertation in Politics & International Relations
The researching and writing of an 8,000-word dissertation provides you with the opportunity to integrate and hone a variety of skills acquired and extended during your studies, and to significantly deepen your knowledge of a topic of your choice. In m...
Ethics of War
This module provides an overview of ethical challenges associated with the use of force for political purposes. Drawing on historical and contemporary ideas and information, we consider whether, how and why ethical principles influence strategic and tacti...
European Power and the Geopolitics of Europe and Asia
It is the first time in history that we can approach the problem of European security architecture in terms of governance, rather than hegemony or the balance of power. The proliferation of European and global institutions concerned with addressing differ...
Forging the Raj: The East India Company and Britain’s Asian World, part 1
What are the origins of Britain’s long relationship with Asia? How did a trading company become a territorial power, with its own army and navy? What did people in Britain make of this phenomenon, and how did it influence their views of Britain’s global e...
France under the Nazis, 1940-1944 (Part 1)
In 1940 France experienced the worst military defeat in its history. On this module you will explore the causes and consequences of a defeat that caused the collapse of French democratic rule and direct military occupation by the Germans until 1944. You w...
Global Justice: Poverty, Inequality and the Environment
This module provides an introduction to recent debates within international political theory on the issue of global justice. It addresses questions such as: What obligations do individuals have to those affected by poverty or ecological degradation on t...
Globalisation and World Politics
The module will look at the main issues and trends, concepts and definitions on globalisation within the discipline of international relations.
Historical Memory in Modern Latin America
History Dissertation
The dissertation is a key component of your degree; in it you have a chance to show the skills of analysis and research you have learned during the three years of your course.
How the Arts Work: A Practical Introduction to Cultural Economics
How are the arts getting back to work again after Covid-19? This is a critically important question for everyone who cares about them, artists and audiences alike. If you’re a student considering a career in the arts you’ll want to know where fresh opport...
Partisans, Public Opinion and Elections: Understanding the Political Mind
This course introduces key theories and models in the study of political behaviour and political psychology and seeks to encourage students to develop a critical appreciation of how people develop their political beliefs and preferences, and how this affe...
Politics and Protest
Politics is often about conflict, but sometimes that conflict takes place within legislative bodies and other times in the streets. Most of what we study in political science courses focuses on conflict within the electoral framework, but this course asks...
Politics of the Media
This module provides a theoretical and empirical overview of the role played by information, communication, and media within the politics of the modern state. Students are introduced to canonical as well as marginal and emerging perspectives on media poli...
Reading Histories
The culmination of your history degree at Southampton will be the completion of your final year independent research dissertation (HIST3021 for History programmes or HIST3210 for Ancient History programmes). In this module you will learn how to apply the ...
Reinventing Democracy: Innovation, Participation and Power
All over the world the ideal of democratic government has higher support than at almost any time in human history. Yet many citizens of democracies are very frustrated with the way the democracy they live in works. It is one thing to recognise the contemp...
Revolutions in Modern Iran Part 1
Revolution is a modern concept in Islamic countries. Prior to the 20th century, no social or political change was either perceived as or called “revolution”. However, the Iranian Revolution of 1979 was the biggest revolution of the 20th century after the ...
The Government Lab
Governments everywhere encounter several challenges in carrying out their responsibilities and appear to be "stuck" in their delivery. Both wealthy nations and those in the Global South have difficulty implementing policies and providing for their citizen...
The Holocaust 2
This module focuses on the implementation, experience and aftermath of the genocide of the Jews during the Second World War
The Russian Revolution, part 1
This module explores the Russian Revolution, assessing the 1880s up until the eve of the First World War. We will look closely at the old regime, considering the political culture of the autocracy and the dynamics behind tsarist rule. It will consider the...
The Russian Revolution, part 2
This module explores the Russian Revolution, following a chronology from 1914 until 1924. Part two explores the turmoil of the First World War, the Revolutions of 1917 and then the Civil War period (c. 1917-21). It will look closely at the First World War...
Learning and assessment
The learning activities for this course include the following:
- lectures
- classes and tutorials
- coursework
- individual and group projects
- independent learning (studying on your own)
Course time
How you'll spend your course time:
Year 1
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 1:
How we'll assess you
- dissertations
- essays
- individual and group projects
- written and practical exams
- written exams
Your assessment breakdown
Year 1:
Year 2
Study time
Your scheduled learning, teaching and independent study for year 2:
How we'll assess you
- dissertations
- essays
- individual and group projects
- written and practical exams
- written exams
Your assessment breakdown
Year 2:
Academic support
You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.
Course leader
Eleanor Quince is the course leader.
Careers
96% of our History graduates were in employment or further study within 15 months of graduating, according to the most recent Graduate Outcomes Survey, 2021/2022 (published in 2024).
You’ll graduate with a degree in history and politics, and a range of transferable skills including the ability to:
- assess evidence and arguments
- present your opinions clearly and concisely
- work independently or as part of a group
- manage your time and workload effectively
Our history and politics graduates have gone into a wide range of industries and professions, including:
- archivist
- heritage manager
- historic buildings inspector
- conservation officer
- museum education officer
- museum/gallery curator
- museum/gallery exhibitions officer
- secondary school teacher
- lawyer
Careers services at Southampton
We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you. This support includes:
- work experience schemes
- CV and interview skills and workshops
- networking events
- careers fairs attended by top employers
- a wealth of volunteering opportunities
- study abroad and summer school opportunities
We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.
Work in industry
You’ll have the opportunity to take a paid year in employment between your second and third year.
Fees, costs and funding
Tuition fees
Fees for a year's study:
- UK students pay £9,250.
- EU and international students pay £24,200.
The Government has recently announced changes to UK tuition fees from September 2025 onwards. We will update our website to reflect this shortly.
What your fees pay for
Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and standard exams.
Find out how to:
Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. There may also be extra costs for retake and professional exams.
Explore:
Bursaries, scholarships and other funding
If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £25,000 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.
If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.
Get in touch for advice about student money matters.
Scholarships and grants
You may be able to get a scholarship or grant to help fund your studies.
We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from under-represented backgrounds.
Support during your course
The Student Hub offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.
Funding for EU and international students
Find out about funding you could get as an international student.
How to apply
What happens after you apply?
We will assess your application on the strength of your:
- predicted grades
- academic achievements
- personal statement
- academic reference
We'll aim to process your application within 2 to 6 weeks, but this will depend on when it is submitted. Applications submitted in January, particularly near to the UCAS equal consideration deadline, might take substantially longer to be processed due to the high volume received at that time.
Equality and diversity
We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
Related courses
Modern History and Politics (BA) is a course in the History and Politics and international relations subject areas. Here are some other courses within these subject areas:
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Study
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- Every day I’m completely immersed in an environment that’s creative in all aspects
- Everything I learn feels so relevant, even If it’s a subject rooted in the past
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PhDs and research degrees
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Find a PhD project
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- Antibiotic resistance genes in chalk streams
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- British Black Lives Matter: The emergence of a modern civil rights movement
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- Building-resolved large-eddy simulations of wind and dispersion over a city scale urban area
- Business studies and management: accounting
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- Machine learning for multi-robot perception
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- Mechanical effects in the surf zone - in situ electrochemical sensing
- Microfluidic cell isolation systems for sepsis
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- Miniaturisation in fishes: evolutionary and ecological perspectives
- Modelling high-power fibre laser and amplifier stability
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- Modelling the evolution of adaptive responses to climate change across spatial landscapes
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- New perspectives on ocean photosynthesis
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- Novel technologies for cyber-physical security
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- Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal: Assessing the utility of coastal enhanced weathering
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- Quantifying the response and sensitivity of tropical forest carbon sinks to various drivers
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- Resilient and sustainable steel-framed building structures
- Resolving Antarctic meltwater events in Southern Ocean marine sediments and exploring their significance using climate models
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- The Mayflower Studentship: a prestigious fully funded PhD studentship in bioscience
- The calming effect of group living in social fishes
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- The oceanic fingerprints on changing monsoons over South and Southeast Asia
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- The role of singlet oxygen signaling in plant responses to heat and drought stress
- Time variability on turbulent mixing of heat around melting ice in the West Antarctic
- Triggers and Feedbacks of Climate Tipping Points
- Uncovering the drivers of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease progression using patient derived organoids
- Understanding recent land-use change in Snowdonia to plan a sustainable future for uplands: integrating palaeoecology and conservation practice
- Understanding the role of cell motility in resource acquisition by marine phytoplankton
- Understanding the structure and engagement of personal networks that support older people with complex care needs in marginalised communities and their ability to adapt to increasingly ‘digitalised’ health and social care
- Unpicking the Anthropocene in the Hawaiian Archipelago
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- Using acoustics to monitor how small cracks develop into bursts in pipelines
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- Funding your research degree
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Tuition fees and funding
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Scholarships
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Postgraduate scholarships for UK students
- Black Futures scholarship
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- Southampton UK Alumni Music Scholarship
- The National Institute for Health and care Research South Central INSIGHT Programme
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Ancient History
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