History and Sociology
UCAS Code: VL13
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Grades ABB to include Grade A in History or Sociology. Typical Contextual Offer: Grades BBB to include History or Sociology.
AS level results are not considered as part of the standard admissions process at The University of Manchester.
Access to HE Diploma
We require a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma (a minimum of 60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3), with merit or distinction in a subject area relevant to the chosen course. The specific course requirements are either GCSEs in both English and Mathematics (at Grade B/6 or higher), or achievement at Level 2 (GCSE-equivalent) by, for example, having six credits each in English and Maths. We also consider other factors such as additional educational achievements, life experience and skills on an individual basis. We also require a minimum of 30 credits with a Distinction grade, plus 15 credits with a Merit grade, all in a Humanities-related subject. 15 of the Distinction credits should be in the pre-requisite subject required for A-levels. You will be required to produce a piece of written work, for assessment by the admissions tutor. Once you have applied, the admissions administrator will contact you with a list of topics/questions. You will be asked to choose one and produce a piece (1,500 words) on that subject, for submission by the deadline given by the administrator.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
We consider applicants offering Pre-U Principal Subjects, or a mix of Pre-U and A Level subjects, provided a minimum of three distinct subjects overall is taken. Candidates taking Pre-U principal subjects in conjunction with A levels are expected to achieve a combination of D3,M2,M2 in the Pre-U and ABB at A level in three distinct subjects. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) you plan to apply to.
The University recognises the benefit of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview. For this programme, as well as the regular conditions of offer, we may make students who are currently taking or completed the EPQ an alternative offer.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C/4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language. Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
34 points overall. 6,5,5 in Higher Level subjects (including 6 in History or Sociology)
OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma
Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Diploma with Grades DM plus an A Level at Grade A in either History or Sociology.
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate
Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Extended Certificate with Grade D plus two A Levels at Grades AB; the Grade A should be in either History or Sociology.
OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma
Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Foundation Diploma with Grades DD plus an A-level at min. Grade A in either History or Sociology, plus an EPQ or AS at Grade B.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We require DM, plus one A-level at Grade A in either History or Sociology.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
We require a D, plus two A-levels at Grades AB (the Grade A must be in either History or Sociology.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We require DDM. We also require an A-level Grade A in either History or Sociology.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
We require a D, plus one A-level at min. Grade A in either History or Sociology, plus an EPQ or AS at Grade B.
Before reading this, please consult the A-level requirements for this programme and note any subject requirements. For applicants who have studied under the new Scottish qualification system, the following will apply. For programmes which have no particular pre-requisite subject, we require the following (in all cases, at least three Highers should be achieved by the end of S5): ABB at A-level: Highers of AAABBB or ABBB plus Advanced Higher at min. Grade B. For applicants who have studied under the old Scottish qualification system, Highers are welcomed but will not be accepted alone. The minimum requirement is three Advanced Highers, the grades of which will be the same as our stated A-level grades for the course in question. Any subjects (or other qualifications) required for A-level will also be required for the Advanced Highers, at the equivalent grade. All applicants must have achieved National 5 English at Grade B.
Before reading this, please consult the A-level requirements for this programme and note any subject requirements. For applicants who have studied under the new Scottish qualification system, the following will apply. For programmes which have no particular pre-requisite subject, we require the following (in all cases, at least three Highers should be achieved by the end of S5): ABB at A-level: Highers of AAABBB or ABBB plus Advanced Higher at min. Grade B. For applicants who have studied under the old Scottish qualification system, Highers are welcomed but will not be accepted alone. The minimum requirement is three Advanced Highers, the grades of which will be the same as our stated A-level grades for the course in question. Any subjects (or other qualifications) required for A-level will also be required for the Advanced Highers, at the equivalent grade. All applicants must have achieved National 5 English at Grade B.
The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma/Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate and usually requires two A Levels or equivalent to be included within this. The minimum grade required will normally be the same as the lowest grade listed in the A Level entry requirements. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
On this course you study past and present societies from both a historical and a sociological perspective, comparing and contrasting these two important ways of studying human society. You will have the opportunity to study a wide historical and geographical range of periods and cultures. You will gain a thorough sociological understanding of contemporary and practical social affairs and an understanding of their origins and development.
**Aims**
The History and Sociology degree is designed to give students a unique training in two academic disciplines. By combining the skills and insights of History and Sociology, students achieve a thorough induction into studying the past alongside the approaches and theoretical frameworks relating to the study of society. The dual disciplinary approach allows students to offer in depth analytical studies to understand the workings of societies and cultures across different chronological periods and geographical areas. The History and Sociology degree offers formal training in the skills, methodologies and theories relating to both disciplines. The degree is designed to develop students' knowledge of both of these disciplines, especially through core modules at level 1. In particular History in Practice equips students with the key intellectual tools for historical study at university level, and Researching Culture and Society develops student's understandings of a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Students are offered a wide range of modules to choose from, which develop their knowledge of both disciplines, enhance students' skills in analysis and critical reasoning and their understanding and application of theoretical approaches to the past and present.
Taught by Faculty members, who are both dedicated teachers and world-leading experts in their fields, and with whom students interact daily in lectures, seminars and one-to-one meetings, the course aims to develop a range of essential and transferable skills. By writing essays, projects and dissertations on both subjects, students learn how to develop their ability to write, present and discuss complex ideas and arguments. By engaging with an exciting and demanding course students also develop habits of self-management, independence and collaborative work. In addition,
History and Sociology students can develop further their interests by joining a wide range of student-led societies, including the Sociology and History Societies, as well as many others focused on politics, media or sport.
**Special Features**
Students may apply to spend one semester studying abroad during the second year of their degree. Exchange partners are offered through the Erasmus Exchange scheme (in Europe) and the Worldwide Exchange scheme (e.g. USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore).
Tuition fees
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Extra funding
The University is committed to supporting students from low-income households through our financial support packages detailed below. Full-time UK students do not need to apply for Manchester’s bursaries separately but should ensure that they consent to share their financial details with the University when making an application to Student Finance England. http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/student-finance/2019/
The Uni
University of Manchester
School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

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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
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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.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Sociology
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.
History
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
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?History is a very popular subject (although numbers have fallen of late) — in 2015, over 10,000 UK students graduated in a history-related course. Obviously, there aren't 11,000 jobs as historians available every year, but history is a good, flexible degree that allows graduates to go into a wide range of different jobs, and consequently history graduates have an unemployment rate comparable to the national graduate average. Many — probably most — jobs for graduates don't ask for a particular degree to go into them and history graduates are well set to take advantage. That's why so many go into jobs in the finance industry, human resources, marketing, PR and events management, as well as the more obvious roles in education, welfare and the arts. Around one in five history graduates went into further study last year. History and teaching were the most popular further study subjects for history graduates, but law, journalism, and politics were also popular postgraduate courses.
Sociology
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
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?We have quite a lot of sociology graduates, although numbers fell last year. But graduates still do pretty well. Most sociology graduates go straight into work when they complete their degrees, and a lot of graduates go into jobs in social professions such as recruitment, education, community and youth work, and housing. An important option for a sociology graduate is social work - and we're short of people willing to take this challenging but rewarding career. Sociology is a flexible degree and you can find graduates from the subject in pretty much every reasonable job — obviously, you don't find many doctors or engineers, but you do find them in finance, the media, healthcare, marketing and even IT. Sociology graduates taking further study often branch out into other qualifications, like teaching, law, psychology, HR and even maths, so don’t think a sociology degree restricts you to just one set of options.
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.
Sociology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£16k
£23k
£27k
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.
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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.
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Graduate field commentary:
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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?
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