History BA
3-4 years
Human history is fascinating, but to really appreciate it, we need to investigate the events, ideas and people that shaped our world, as well as the impact they still have today. This degree gets stuck into a wide range of historical periods to help you better grasp how history is made, viewed and discussed.
Start date:
Course information
Typical offer ABB-BBB
UK fee £9,535
UCAS code V100
International fee £19,700
Institute code L34
Taught by History
Top 10 in the UK for History (The Times Good University Guide 2025)
12th in the UK for student experience in History (The Times Good University Guide 2025)
Ranked 13th in subjects aligned to History for ‘overall positivity’ in the NSS 2024 (according to Times Higher Education NSS 2023 methodology applied to the NSS 2024 data).
Course description
Course description
At Leicester, you will be able to explore a wider range of periods, themes and approaches to history than you are likely to have encountered before. A high degree of flexibility and choice is built into the course from the first year onwards – our range of expertise will allow you to build your degree around your own areas of interest, and narrow your focus to the eras, events and figures that truly fascinate you.
We offer a large choice of subjects from the fifth century to the contemporary world, and from all parts of the world: Britain, Ireland and Europe; Eastern Europe and Russia; China, Japan and India; North America, Latin America and the Caribbean; parts of Africa and the Middle East; and Australia.
You will have access to library collections that date back to the 12th Century. And if you want to feel the history of another city beneath your feet, you have the option to spend a year studying overseas.
Political, cultural, intellectual, social, economic and international perspectives will all come into play as you explore the web of factors that contributes to our understanding of history.
The first year combines a strong foundation in the study of core skills and time periods with more focused modules on different geographical regions around the world. As your degree progresses, you will specialise increasingly in topics that inspire you as well as learning the essential elements of the historian’s craft. With experts in a plethora of topics, you will always be able to find modules that pique your curiosity and quench your thirst for knowledge – from Anglo-Saxon England to the history of Modern China.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
- A/AS-levels: ABB-BBB at A-Level. We prefer A-Level History, though this is not essential. Two AS-Levels considered in place of one A-Level. General Studies is accepted
- EPQ with A-levels: BBB-BBC at A-Level + EPQ at grade B. We prefer A-Level History, though this is not essential
- Access to HE Diploma: Pass relevant Diploma with 45 credits at level 3, 30 of which must be at distinction
- International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 30 points including 6 in one Higher Level subject
- BTEC Nationals: Pass Diploma with D*DD
Other official national and international qualifications considered from across the world. You can review some of the qualifications we accept on our countries page and English Language equivalencies.
If your qualification or country is not listed, please contact us for more information, including the name and result of the qualification you have studied.
Second year entry may be possible with suitable qualifications.
Contextual offers
The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.
Selection Process
When considering your application, we will look for evidence that you will be able to fulfil the objectives of the course and achieve the standards required. We will take into account a range of factors including previous exam results.
Applicants are not normally interviewed. If you receive an offer you will be invited to visit the School of History.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries listFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
Starting in 2025
The tuition fees that will be payable by you to the University for the 2025/26 academic year will be £9,535
- £9,535 in your first year. Tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation, subject to government regulations. The inflation rate used will be the Retail Price Index excluding mortgage payments (RPIX)
- Year Abroad: your fee will be £1,430 for that year
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
International Students
Starting in 2025
- £19,700 per year
- Year Abroad: £4,925, which is 25% of the full-time tuition fee
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £3,000 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
If you are an EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU settlement scheme, you may qualify for the UK fee (subject to criteria).
Find out more about scholarships and funding.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
We offer several practical or placement modules so that you can gain hands-on experience in your chosen career path. For instance, our 'History in the Classroom' module includes practical teaching experience by incorporating a placement in a local school and our 'Heritage Field Project' will give you hands on experience working in the heritage industry, offering you invaluable experience for the future.
We routinely develop paid internship opportunities for our students to gain additional, relevant work experience during their degrees. Roles such as research assistance, conference organiser, and editorial assistant have been offered in recent years.
Graduate destinations
Graduates from our History degrees have gone on to work for a wide range of employers including:
- Department of Education
- Troubadour Publishing
- British Standards Institution
- Nissan
Alex transferred to the University of Leicester in his second year, impressed by the range of academic modules available which meant he could study the area that he was interested in.
Careers and Employability Service
Get career-ready at Leicester with guidance from our award-winning Careers and Employability Service. We're here to give you a lifetime offer of support, even after graduation. Our team of specialist careers advisers and mentors will help you every step of the way. From supporting you with CVs and interviews, to volunteering opportunities and placements, we're here to help you reach your professional goals.
Related courses
Related courses
Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goals
We are committed to providing skills and knowledge to help prepare you tackle global challenges. We have mapped our undergraduate degrees for learning which aligns to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This degree includes learning which relates to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 5: Gender equality
- Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
What our students say
What our students say
Elvira, BA History
The School of History, Politics and International Relations was the most inspiring environment, both professionally and personally. I always felt welcome to share and discuss my ideas, and received help in various ways when I encountered challenges. I had the opportunity to choose from a range of modules and combine them according to my interests.
Radhika, BA History
I was really attracted to the History course at the university, especially because it offered exploration of global history. I spent most of my third year studying 'Paths to Independence: India and East Africa' and also 'Making of Modern India' - two subjects that have personal resonance with me, as well as being fascinating historical areas in and of themselves! The subjects are also very relevant to the demographic makeup of the city of Leicester, and so I thought it was a great fit for me. The city centre is minutes away from the campus and has a really enticing social scene. You'll love the academic fulfilment as well as the wider student experience!
Emma, BA International Relations and History
Curriculum highlights - History 
Barbarism and Civilisation: This module was the one that made me fall in love with Medieval History. We examined landscapes, medieval maps such as the Mappa Mundi.
Europe 1861-1991: Emancipation and Subjugation: In this module you will analyse the development of Europe, having a focus on countries such as Germany, Italy and Romania in the late nineteenth century. The most exciting part of this module was the first assessment, as this was not a traditional essay. For this assessment, we got the chance to select a question and then work in groups to create a podcast.
Becoming the Historical Researcher: This module was by far the most helpful. It is a module dedicated to students who want to write a history dissertation (just like me). What is a dissertation? What should we write? How can we pick our dissertation topic? The advice was helpful for essays for other modules too. I really liked the fact that we had to think about our dissertation early and write a dissertation, so that we have plenty of time to prepare for the real thing.
What Next?
I'm just about to start my year abroad in South Korea. This will be a great opportunity to start writing my dissertation, which is about Medieval Korea, to develop my Korean language skills (language that I studied at the University of Leicester) and experience a different learning style. My study abroad experience so far was great. I received all the help that I needed form the Study Abroad team as well as from the Year Abroad Coordinator. I am looking forward to spending a year in Korea to learn, and experience their tradition, culture and rich history.
Course structure
Year 1
Year 1
The core modules introduce important skills and key developments in medieval, early modern and modern history. You will also choose optional modules on either British, European, American or global history, and your People and Places option, an in-depth study of one historical person or place.
Core modules
- Making History
- Medieval and Early Modern Europe: People, Power, Faith, and Culture
- The Shock of the Modern
- People and Places
- Global History: Connections and Cultures in a Changing World, 1750 to the present
- Modern Britain: c1700-Present
- Europe 1861-1991: Emancipation and Subjugation
- With Liberty and Justice for All? US History since 1776
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
Year 2
In the second year you will start transforming from a student of history into a practising historian, through core modules which enhance your critical thinking, independent research skills and intellectual creativity. You'll explore even more new areas of history with a wide range of options to choose from.
Core modules
Option modules
Choose six option modules from:
- The History of Alcohol in North America, 1650-1950
- A World Connected: Economy, Wellbeing and Sustainability since 1945
- Living with Dictatorship: European Societies, 1918-1941
- Fight the Power! Race, Rights and Protest in the USA
- Digital Histories
- World's End: Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Environmental Crises
- 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
- Enter the Dragon: Modern Chinese History, 1839-1989
- History in the Classroom
- Heritage Field Project
- Global Cities
- Blood, Position and Power: The Nobility of Later Medieval England, 1066-1485
- Slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction in the United States
- Imperialism and Decolonisation
- Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
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)
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
Final Year
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.
Choose one option module from:
- 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
- The Presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt
Choose two option modules from:
- The Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1968
- Fourteenth Century Crisis in England? Politics and Society 1297-1413
- Women in American Society from the Civil War to First World War
- Gender, Crime and Deviance in Eighteenth Century Britain
- Abolitionists: Antislavery Activism in Britain and America, 1787-1865
- Clothing and Fashion in Historical Perspective. Case Studies of Modern European History in Transnational Context
- The Holocaust in Europe, 1939-45
Then choose one option module from:
- When Two Dragons Fight: China and Japan at War in the Twentieth Century
- Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, c1350-1650
- Apocalypse Then: The USA and the Vietnam War
- Crime and Punishment in African American History
- Daring to be Free: The Women's Movement, 1850s to 1970s
Plus your Dissertation (History)
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.
Why Leicester?
The David Wilson Library contains fascinating 'special collection' archives of old books and manuscripts, offering a direct connection with the past.
We have well-respected research centres covering Medieval History, Urban History, Local History and Genocide and Holocaust Studies.
The academic staff in the department have written or edited dozens of books and publish regularly in major national and international journals. Where other people only get to read what our experts think, you will be working directly with them, learning from them in lectures and questioning them in seminars.
Reading list
See the types of texts you might read, over the summer, to get a feel for the course and arrive prepared and ready to go.
Teaching and learning
We teach through a variety of methods, ranging from large lectures to seminars to individual tutorials. Lectures are used to provide historical narrative and to raise key historical questions and areas of debate; seminars are where you share your opinion about those debates and put forward your interpretation of history. The first year normally sees about ten contact hours per week, and greater emphasis is placed on small group teaching and independent study as you progress through the degree.
Assessment is through exams and coursework comprising long and short essays, source analyses, posters, podcasts, and both group and individual presentations. Approximately three quarters of your final degree mark will be based on your coursework; one quarter on your exams.
You will have regular meetings with your personal tutor to discuss progress in your studies. Your personal tutor will also provide a sympathetic ear for all matters of personal concern, whether academic, financial, housing, career or social.
Independent learning
When not attending lectures, seminars or other timetabled sessions you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. To help with your independent learning, you can access the Library and our social study spaces in halls of residence, and every module has its own Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard.
Your contact hours will depend on the option modules you select. You can see details of the contact hours on individual module pages.
Academic support
Our Centre for Academic Achievement provides help in the following areas:
- study and exam skills
- academic writing
- presentations
- dissertations
- numerical data skills
- referencing sources
Our AccessAbility Centre offers support and practical help for students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties, including physical, mental health or mobility difficulties, deafness, or visual impairment.
Teaching staff
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. PhD research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is informed by the research we do. You can learn more about our staff by visiting our staff profiles.
Apply now
| Course | Qualification | Duration | UCAS Code | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Course History | Qualification BA | Duration 3 years full-time | UCAS Code V100 | Availability How to apply |
| Course History with Year Abroad | Qualification BA | Duration 4 years full-time | UCAS Code V100 | Availability How to apply |
Data about this course
The wide variety of module choices has allowed me to develop my interest in specific areas of history, including urban history.