Year 1

The first year introduces you to major developments in medieval, early modern and modern history, European and global politics, and political ideas. You will also have the opportunity to choose modules exploring the histories and politics of different parts of the world.

Core modules

• Making History
• Medieval and Early Modern Europe: People, Power, Faith, and Culture
• The Shock of the Modern
• Introduction to Politics (double module)
• Comparative European Politics

Option modules

Choose one option module from:

• Political Concepts
• Order and Disorder: International Relations from 1989 to the Present

Then choose one option modules from:

• Global History: Connections and Cultures in a Changing World, 1750 to the present
• Modern Britain: c1700-Present

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year 2 (History dissertation)

Core modules will deepen your understanding of the disciplines of history and politics, enhancing your skills in critical thinking, independent research, and intellectual creativity. You’ll put these advanced skills into practice and shape your degree around your own interests in choosing the rest of your second year programme from a wide range of history, politics and international relations options.

If you plan to take the History History dissertation in your Final Year, you should take these modules:

Core modules

• Perceiving the Past
• Becoming the Historical Researcher

Option modules

You will then choose five option modules. You can choose:

• Either one History module from List 1 plus two Politics modules from List 2 plus two Politics modules from List 4.
• Or three Politics modules from List 2 plus one History module from List 3 plus one Politics module from List 4.

List 1: History modules

• A World Connected: Economy, Wellbeing and Sustainability since 1945
• The History of Alcohol in North America, 1650-1950
• Living with Dictatorship: European Societies, 1918-1941
• Global Cities
• Blood, Position and Power: The Nobility of Later Medieval England, 1066-1485
• Slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction in the United States
• Enter the Dragon: Modern Chinese History, 1839-1989
• Digital Histories

List 2: Politics modules

• Political Ideas
• Political Parties in Contemporary Britain
• The Curious Feminist: Gender in Global Politics

List 3: History modules

• The Latin World: Ancient, Medieval and Modern
• Madness, Monarchy and Politics from George III to Queen Victoria
• Domestic Revolutions: Women, Men, and the Family in American History
• History in the Classroom
• Heritage Field Project
• Imperialism and Decolonisation
• Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
• Fight the Power! Race, Rights and Protest in the USA
• World's End: Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Environmental Crises

List 4: Politics modules

• European Union Politics
• Contemporary Political Philosophy: Theories of Justice
• Foreign Policy Analysis
• Governing Societies in Conflict

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year 2 (Politics dissertation)

Core modules will deepen your understanding of the disciplines of history and politics, enhancing your skills in critical thinking, independent research, and intellectual creativity. You';ll put these advanced skills into practice and shape your degree around your own interests in choosing the rest of your second year programme from a wide range of history, politics and international relations options.

If you plan to take the Politics Dissertation in your Final Year, you should take these modules:

Core modules

• Perceiving the Past
• Preparing for your Dissertation

Option modules

You will then choose five option modules. You can choose:

• Either one History module from List 1 plus two Politics modules from List 2 plus two Politics modules from List 4.
• Or three Politics modules from List 2 plus one History module from List 3 plus one Politics module from List 4.

List 1: History modules

• A World Connected: Economy, Wellbeing and Sustainability since 1945
• The History of Alcohol in North America, 1650-1950
• Living with Dictatorship: European Societies, 1918-1941
• Global Cities
• Blood, Position and Power: The Nobility of Later Medieval England, 1066-1485
• Slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction in the United States
• Enter the Dragon: Modern Chinese History, 1839-1989
• Digital Histories

List 2: Politics modules

• Political Ideas
• Political Parties in Contemporary Britain
• The Curious Feminist: Gender in Global Politics

List 3: History modules

• The Latin World: Ancient, Medieval and Modern
• Madness, Monarchy and Politics from George III to Queen Victoria
• Domestic Revolutions: Women, Men, and the Family in American History
• History in the Classroom
• Heritage Field Project
• Imperialism and Decolonisation
• Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
• Fight the Power! Race, Rights and Protest in the USA
• World's End: Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Environmental Crises

List 4: Politics modules

• European Union Politics
• Contemporary Political Philosophy: Theories of Justice
• Foreign Policy Analysis
• Governing Societies in Conflict

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Year Abroad (optional)

We’ll make sure you have everything you need for your future career: not just by awarding you a high quality degree, but also by helping you to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence you need to make your mark in the world as a Citizen of Change. One way you can do this is by opting to take a Year Abroad between Years 2 and 3 of your degree.

Studying abroad is not just for people who are interested in travelling and meeting new people. It is about acquiring life skills that are becoming increasingly significant for a wide range of jobs in our modern globalised society. Whether you go on to a career in the private, public or third sector - or plough your own furrow as an entrepreneur – you will find the experience invaluable.

For more information, including a list of destinations, please visit our Study Abroad website.

Please note

• A year spent abroad still incurs a tuition fee, but this is much lower than for a normal year at Leicester. See the Fees and Funding tab of this page for details.
• You may be eligible for a travel grant from Student Finance England.
• Places are offered on a competitive basis, and eligibility is dependent on your academic performance in Years 1 and 2.
• Language courses, at beginners or advanced level, are available through our Languages at Leicester scheme.

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Final Year (History dissertation)

Your final year is shaped entirely by your preferred areas of interest and specialisation. You will research and write an original dissertation – an independent research project of your own design – with the support of an expert supervisor. You will also choose from a wide range of optional modules that reflect the cutting-edge research expertise of your tutors.

Core modules

• History dissertation

Option modules

You will choose five option modules:

List 1 (History modules)

• The Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
• The Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1968
• Gender, Crime and Deviance in Eighteenth Century Britain
• Abolitionists: Antislavery Activism in Britain and America, 1787-1865
• Apocalypse Then: The USA and the Vietnam War
• Crime and Punishment in African American History
• After Hitler: Society, Culture and The Politics of The Nazi Past in The Two Germanies, 1945-1990
• The Age of Bede and Alcuin: Anglo-Saxon Northumbria and Mercia in the 7th and 8th Centuries
• Cultures of Struggle and Liberation: Twentieth Century Southern Africa
• Fourteenth Century Crisis in England? Politics and Society 1297-1413
• Women in American Society from the Civil War to First World War
• Clothing and Fashion in Historical Perspective. Case Studies of Modern European History in Transnational Context
• The Holocaust in Europe, 1939-45
• Daring to be Free: The Women's Movement, 1850s to 1970s
• When Two Dragons Fight: China and Japan at War in the Twentieth Century
• Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, c1350-1650

List 2 (Politics modules)

• Feminism
• The American Presidency
• The Conservatives: Crisis and Recovery
• Parliamentary Studies
• The Politics of Contemporary British Foreign Policy
• International Migration in the Age of Securitisation
• Political Legacies of Conflict in Northern Ireland
• Emotions in Conflict and Cooperation
• Comparative Public Opinion
• Animals and the Environment
• Brexit and British Politics
• American Political Development
• Politics, Conflict and Statecraft in Africa
• Grenfell: Violence and the Possibility of Non-Violence
• The Political Theory of Disobedience and Protests
• Race, Caste and Political Theory

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.

Final Year (Politics dissertation)

Your final year is shaped entirely by your preferred areas of interest and specialisation. You will research and write an original dissertation – an independent research project of your own design – with the support of an expert supervisor. You will also choose from a wide range of optional modules that reflect the cutting-edge research expertise of your tutors.

Core module

• Dissertation

Option modules

You will choose five option modules:

List 1 (History modules)

• The Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
• The Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1968
• Gender, Crime and Deviance in Eighteenth Century Britain
• Abolitionists: Antislavery Activism in Britain and America, 1787-1865
• Apocalypse Then: The USA and the Vietnam War
• Crime and Punishment in African American History
• After Hitler: Society, Culture and The Politics of The Nazi Past in The Two Germanies, 1945-1990
• The Age of Bede and Alcuin: Anglo-Saxon Northumbria and Mercia in the 7th and 8th Centuries
• Cultures of Struggle and Liberation: Twentieth Century Southern Africa
• Fourteenth Century Crisis in England? Politics and Society 1297-1413
• Women in American Society from the Civil War to First World War
• Clothing and Fashion in Historical Perspective. Case Studies of Modern European History in Transnational Context
• The Holocaust in Europe, 1939-45
• Daring to be Free: The Women's Movement, 1850s to 1970s
• When Two Dragons Fight: China and Japan at War in the Twentieth Century
• Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, c1350-1650

List 2 (Politics modules)

• Feminism
• The American Presidency
• The Conservatives: Crisis and Recovery
• Parliamentary Studies
• The Politics of Contemporary British Foreign Policy
• International Migration in the Age of Securitisation
• Political Legacies of Conflict in Northern Ireland
• Emotions in Conflict and Cooperation
• Comparative Public Opinion
• Animals and the Environment
• Brexit and British Politics
• American Political Development
• Politics, Conflict and Statecraft in Africa
• Grenfell: Violence and the Possibility of Non-Violence
• The Political Theory of Disobedience and Protests
• Race, Caste and Political Theory

Modules shown represent choices available to current students. The range of modules available and the content of any individual module may change in future years.