HISTORY AT STRATHCLYDE
In the Strathclyde University BA Honours History programme, you will be taught by experts in their fields. The research-led teaching gives our students extensive and current knowledge of three main areas:
• International History
• Scottish & British History
• History of Science, Medicine and Technology
You will discover how and why complex changes in society have occurred.
You will undertake research and analyse different kinds of evidence.
You will learn how to write, debate and speak confidently about problems of historical interpretation.
And you will develop the transferable skills vital to the career prospects of all graduates.
History graduates undergo an intellectual training that makes them excellent candidates for management and other skilled professions where information-gathering and analytical abilities are paramount.
History at Strathclyde covers a wide range of political, social, economic, intellectual and cultural history, allowing you to gradually specialise and be taught in smaller groups in each successive year. We use a variety of assessment methods, including group-work, projects, dissertations, and document analysis, as well as traditional essays and examinations.
THE BA DEGREE
The full-time BA Honours degree lasts four years. All students are admitted as potential Honours students, but may exit with a BA Pass degree at the end of Year 3.
In Year 1, you would study History and two other subjects. In Year 2, you study History + one of your other Year 1 subjects. In Year 3 & 4, you could specialise in History, or keep that combination of two subjects going, if you wished.
In other words, History can be studied to Single Honours level, or Joint Honours, or as a Major or Minor in combination with another subject.
POSSIBLE SUBJECT COMBINATIONS WITH HISTORY
Economics*
English
French
Human Resource Management*
Italian
Journalism & Creative Writing
Law
Politics
Psychology
Spanish
*offered by Strathclyde Business School
THE HISTORY CURRICULUM AT STRATHCLYDE
YEAR 1
The first-year History Class examines the origins of modern British society and is taught over two semesters. It begins with the industrial revolution and the massive social and economic changes that followed, before examining the ways in which the political landscape and constitution of Britain were transformed during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
It looks at the impact of colonialism, warfare and protest movements (such as the Chartists and the suffragettes) and at the changing role of Britain in the modern world. The final part of the class examines the forces that have shaped Scotland and Britain since 1945.
The class gives you a chance to work with documents, and get used to researching essays in the library. It also helps you develop the habits of taking lecture notes and using the University’s online learning resource, Myplace, where your course materials will be organised.
YEAR 2
The second-year History classes build on the skills and understanding you have acquired in Year 1. All the classes are one semester long and allow you to study a range of national histories, or distinct themes, from social, political, economic and cultural perspectives. You will find that you are developing your communication skills through short presentations and discussions with other students in tutorials.
Second-year classes may include:
• The United States since 1877
• Disease and Society
• Scotland, 1715-1832
• Modern Europe since 1945
• Science, Technology & the Modern World
• Cultures of Empire: The British Experience
YEAR 3
Third year History classes are normally smaller and more specialised than those in Year 2. The approach to teaching and learning is more varied and may include group work, bibliographic search sessions in the University Library and more in-depth use of documentary material.
Oral History is a new strand in undergraduate teaching at Strathclyde, which is the home of the Scottish Oral History Centre. A special class in oral history is offered in Year 3.
This is the year when you will have to decide whether you want to graduate with an Honours degree in History. If you do, you must take the Historiography class, which introduces the interpretative skills and the research techniques needed to undertake the Honours special subjects and the dissertation.
If you decide to study abroad in Year 3, we will help you choose suitable History classes at your overseas host university.
Third-year classes may include:
• Historiography
• Oral History
• Slavery in World History
• Propaganda and War in the 20th Century
• Dangerous Drugs and Magic Bullets
• Cold War Europe, 1945-1991
• Communism in Practice: Czechoslovakia
• Bombers and Mash: Britain in World War Two
• Labour in Scottish Society since 1914
• Scotland and the Americas in the 17th Century
• Scotland’s ‘Highland Problem’ in the 16th Century
• The Covenanters and the British Civil Wars
• Conflict in the Middle East
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• Youth in Post-War Britain
• France at War, 1870-1962
YEAR 4 (HONOURS)
Entry to Honours is dependent on a satisfactory performance in Year 3.
The Honours programme encourages self-directed learning and hones your analytical skills through close critical reading of texts and the evaluation of historical controversies. Your Honours classes may include some modules from the third-year list. All Honours students take a Special Subject class in which the groups are small and the subjects match closely the research interests of the staff.
In addition, all Single Honours History students (and many Joint Honours students) complete a 10,000-word dissertation, in which they demonstrate their research skills on a narrowly-defined topic of their own choosing. The dissertation draws on scholarly literature and as much primary source material (i.e., documents) as students can acquire. Honours students often say that this is the most satisfying part of their History degree.
Special Subject classes may include:
• The USA between the Wars: 1920s & 1930s
• Twentieth-Century Czechoslovakia
• Imperialism, Politics and Society in 19th Century Britain
• The Union of 1707 in a British and European Context
• The Scramble for the Middle East
• The Social History of Work
• The Cost of Healthcare (in the UK, USA and Canada)
• Scandals and Ethics: the History of Pharmacy and Pharmaceuticals
CAREERS
The knowledge and skills acquired on a History degree make graduates well suited for management and other professions. Many History graduates progress to careers in education, social welfare, the Civil Service and the Scottish Government or in areas such as finance. Some graduates use History directly and work in teaching, museums or heritage, while others find satisfying careers in library and information science, arts management and administration or journalism. http://www.allaboutcareers.com/campaigns/what-can-i-do-with-a-history-degree?utm_source=Strathclyde%2B&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=What%2Bcan%2Bi%2Bdo%2Bwith%2Ba%2Bhistory%2Bdegree%2B
APPLYING
If you want to study History but are unsure about other subjects, you should apply under just “History:”
History (UCAS Code: V100 BA/His)
For History with another subject, you should use one of the codes below:
Economics (UCAS: LV11 BA/HisEc)
English (UCAS: QV31 BA/EHis)
French (UCAS: RV11 BA/FrHis)
Human Resource Management (UCAS: VN16 BA/HisHRM)
Italian (UCAS: VR13 BA/HisItal)
Journalism & Creative Writing (VP15 BA His/JCW)
Law (UCAS: VM11 BA/HisLaw)
Politics (UCAS: VL12 BA/HisPol)
Psychology (UCAS: VC18 BA/HisPsy)
Spanish (UCAS: VR14 BA/HisSpan)
CONTACTS
Enquiries regarding admissions should be made to:
Dr Tony Anderson
Admissions Selector
BA Arts & Social Sciences
t: 0141 548 2583
e: arts-admissions@strath.ac.uk
Specific enquiries about studying History should be directed to:
e: hass-courses-hum@strath.ac.uk
To find out more about the BA degree, visit
www.strath.ac.uk/humanities/courses/ba