History and Politics
Entry requirements
A level
A Level General Studies, Citizenship Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted.
Access to HE Diploma
A typical offer for an Access applicant would be: Pass 60 credits overall including at least 45 at Level 3, with no less than 27 Level 3 credits at distinction and all remaining Level 3 credits no lower than merit. The Access qualification should be supplemented by a minimum of grade 4/C in each of GCSE mathematics and English language.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
A minimum of grade 4/C in each of GCSE English language and mathematics.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
29 points overall including a minimum of 5 in at least two Higher Level subjects. A minimum of 5 in SL Mathematics and English will be required.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
UCAS Tariff
112 UCAS tariff points from a combination of acceptable level 3 qualifications (eg. BTEC diploma and BTEC extended certificate) equivalent to three full A Levels.
About this course
The History and Politics joint degree will appeal to ambitious students interested in developing a deep understanding of politics and political processes rooted in both the past and the present.
Through a selection of modules from the City History and Politics programmes, and core seminars designed exclusively for the joint degree, you will examine key historical and political developments in a range of nations, societies and cultures.
You will benefit from this degree in the following ways:
- Work closely with world class academics to develop the tools and techniques of historical research
- Acquire an international and global perspective on politics and power
- Develop skills in independent research, critical analysis, communication, public speaking and policy writing
- Apply your skills to the real-world – work with digital information, engage in independent research projects of your own design, and practice developing policy positions on current events
- Prepare for your future career with an optional work placement and professional development opportunities embedded in the course
- Engage with contemporary politics and policymakers
- Gain a strong grounding in modern history, political theory, the history of ideas and the study of politics.
Modules
Year 1
Develop an expert understanding of global history, the principles and ideas that define the study of politics, key concepts and thinkers in political theory, and the foundations of comparative politics.
Core Modules: The Development of the Modern World
Introduction to Politics
Introduction to Political Theory
Puzzles of Comparative Politics
History in the Age of Digital Information
History Elective Modules:
Conflict, Conquest, and Cultural Encounter in World History
The Bigger Picture: History in Contemporary Politics and Culture
From ‘Rule Britannia’ to Brexit Britain: Britain and the World from the Nineteenth Century to
the Present
From Empires to Union: Europe in the Twentieth Century
Politics Elective Modules:
International Relations Theories
The Making of the Modern World Economy
Emerging Powers in a Changing World
Programme Stage
Year 2
Study the ideas and ideologies that have shaped the modern world, situate these ideas in their historical context, and develop an advanced understanding of comparative politics.
Core Modules:
Ideas in History: from the Enlightenment to Post-Colonialism
Advanced Topics in Comparative Politics
History and Policy: History and Politics Core Module Y2
History Elective Modules:
Fifty Shades of Red – Russia in the Twentieth Century
The American Century: The United States in the Twentieth Century
The Making of Modern South Asia
Slavery, Colonialism and Revolution in the Caribbean
Politics Elective Modules:
Transnational Social Movements
States and Markets in an Era of Globalisation
Comparative Political Economy
Politics of the USA
Comparative Asian Politics
Employability Elective Modules:
Work Placement
Micro-Placements
Year 3
Conduct a major piece of independent research, develop their analytical skills in a History and Politics Research Seminar, and choose from a wide variety of specialist modules.
Core Elective Modules:
History Dissertation
Dissertation Seminar
Final Year Dissertation Project
History Elective Modules:
Radicals and Reformers: Left-Wing Politics and Activism in Britain and the World since 1945
Revolution: Rebels and Riots in the Long Nineteenth Century
Comparative Empires in the Modern Era
Genocide and the Holocaust in History and Memory
The History of Things: Material and Cultural History in the Twentieth Century
Disruptive Divas: Riot Grrrls and Bad Sistas: A History of Women in Popular Music
Politics Elective Modules:
Global Governance
American Foreign Policy
Political Change in Europe
Governance in the Global Economy
The Theory and Practice of Conflict and Peace
Sexuality and Gender in World Politics
Employability Elective Modules:
Micro-Placements
Industry Projects
Integrated Professional Training
Modules are subject to change.
Assessment methods
The assessment weighting for year one is 10%, year two is 30% and year three is 60%.
You will be assessed through a variety of methods, which may include coursework, essays, reading reflections, unseen exams, oral presentations, group assignments, and a history dissertation.
Assessment will emphasise both intellectual rigour and skills that will be crucial in your subsequent professional life.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
City, University of London
Department of International Politics
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
History
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Politics
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Politics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
The numbers of people taking politics degrees fell sharply last year and we'll keep an eye on this one - it can't really be because of graduates getting poor outcomes as politics grads do about as well as graduates on average. Most politics or international relations graduates don't actually go into politics - although many do, as activists, fundraisers and researchers. Jobs in local and central government are also important. Other popular jobs include marketing and PR, youth and community work, finance roles, HR and academic research (you usually need a postgraduate degree to get into research). Because so many graduates get jobs in the civil service, a lot of graduates find themselves in London after graduating. Politics is a very popular postgraduate subject, and so about one in five politics graduates go on to take another course - usually a one-year Masters - after they finish their degrees.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Politics
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£24k
£29k
£36k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Explore these similar courses...
This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here