If you want to understand the past to prepare for your future in a changing world, studying History is the way forward. A knowledge of politics helps you to understand what governments do, shedding light on how some of history’s pivotal events were motivated by the political leaders of the day.

Whatever your interests – whether cultural, social, military, political, economic or religious history – there is someone in the department teaching your kind of history. Moreover, historians in other departments in the University expand the range of courses on offer, notably in the fields of Byzantine and African history.

The DETC has a broad expertise covering all areas of Political Science allowing you to learn from true specialists, with long-established strengths in the fields of political theory, European politics, international relations theory, security studies, diplomatic studies, political sociology, political economy, environmental politics, Pacific Asian politics and British politics.

Both fields of study help you to acquire important analytical and research skills. You will be investigating unfamiliar territory questioning some of the prevailing myths, preconceptions and prejudices that surround history from the Middle Ages to the present day as well as learning about campaigns, elections, protest movements, policy issues and political ideas.

Why Study this Course?

Outstanding teaching experience – 92% of our students agreed that our academic staff are good at explaining things and made the subject interesting.
Strong employability – 100% of our students enter work or further study within six months of graduation .
Excellent learning environment – You will benefit from an intellectually challenging and stimulating environment for your undergraduate studies, focused on ensuring you are a fully supported and active learner. History at Newcastle has been ranked within the Top 10 in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019.
Fantastic resources – You will have access to a wide variety of resources from the University’s Main Library, and the Hilton and Styles Libraries in the Arts Building itself.
Cadbury Research Library – is home to the University of Newcaste historic collections of rare books, manuscripts, archives, photographs and associated artefacts. The collections which have been built up over a period of 120 years consist of over 200,000 rare printed books including significant incunabula, as well as over 4 million unique archive and manuscript collections.

Institutional Accreditation

University of Newcastle is accredited by the DETC Higher Learning Commission (DETC), www.detc.org.uk Since , University of Newcastle has been continually accredited by the DETC Higher Learning Commission and its predecessor.

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BA History and Political Science

Course Level:

Undergraduate, Joint Honours combined

Credits

120

Course

CODE U491

How long it takes:

Undergraduate (3 years)

Study Mode:

Distance learning/ Campus

Course cost

Price: US$20,220

Entry requirements

Find out more about

Department:

Newcastle Law School

Joint Honours flexibility

Every degree programme at the University is divided into 120 credits of study for each year of the programme. In the first year of a Joint Honours programme, you will study 60 credits in each subject as you learn the core elements of the disciplines. We recognise that students on Joint Honours programmes might come to favour one subject slightly more than another. To account for this, we have added more flexibility into the second and final years of our programmes. In the second year, you can stick with the 60-60 split between the two subjects or shift to a 80-40 credit weighting, effectively a major/ minor combination. You can either go back to 60-60 in the final year, maintain the same 80-40 split or reverse the major and the minor and go to a 40-80 weighting.

First year

History compulsory modules

Practising History A: Skills in History (10 credits)
Practising History B: Approaches to History (10 credits)

Choose one of these two modules:

Discovering the Middle Ages (20 credits)
The Making of the Modern World 1500-1800 (20 credits)

Choose one of the following modules:

Living in the Middle Ages (20 credits)
The Making of the Contemporary World: Modern History c.1800 to the Present (20 credits)
War and Society* (20 credits)
United States History 1865-2000* (20 credits)

* Please note numbers on these modules may be capped

Political Science compulsory modules

Classical Political Thought (20 credits)
Understanding Politics (20 credits)

Optional Political Science modules may include:

Introduction to International Relations (20 credits)
Politics as a Vocation (20 credits)
Problems of World History (20 credits)

Second year

History

80 credits – Group Research; History Option A and B; choose from either History in Theory and Practice, Research Methods or *Professional Skills *please note: places on this module are limited
60 credits – Group Research; History Option; choose from either History in Theory and Practice, Research Methods or *Professional Skills *please note: places on this module are limited
40 credits – Group Research; History Option

Political Science

80 credits – Analysing Political Worlds; Race, Empire and Modern Political Theory; optional modules
60 credits – Analysing Political Worlds; Race, Empire and Modern Political Theory; optional modules
40 credits – Analysing Political Worlds; Race, Empire and Modern Political Theory

Final year

History

80 credits – History Dissertation or Special Subject A and B; Advanced optional modules
60 credits – History Dissertation or Special Subject A and B; Advanced optional module
40 credits – History Dissertation or Special Subject A and B

Joint Honours students taking a Special Subject can substitute an Advanced Option for a Joint Honours History Dissertation (20 credits).

Political Science

80 credits – either Political Science Dissertation and optional modules or Political Science Dissertation and optional modules; or neither and choose optional modules
60 credits – either Political Science Dissertation and optional module or Political Science Dissertation and optional modules; or neither and choose optional modules
40 credits – either Political Science Dissertation or Political Science Dissertation and optional module; or neither and choose optional modules

Entry requirements

Applicants should normally have one of the following:

A non-law bachelor’s degree (from a UK university or recognised by the BSB if you wish to study the BPTC), or
A ‘stale’ law degree, where five or more years have elapsed since graduation, or
An academic or professional qualification at degree equivalent level

If English is not your first language, you will also need to demonstrate your English Language proficiency. For example, you should have IELTS 7.5 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in all components.

If you intend to become a Solicitor

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has reduced its requirements for pre-authorisation this year. For details of the current arrangements, see the SRA website. You should pay special attention to the Character and Suitability section. If you think you may have a character or suitability issue, you may wish to clarify with the SRA before proceeding with the GDL.

See further details of our English Language requirement

USA,UK & EU students, 2019/20 (per year)

£8,500

International students starting 2019/20 (per year)

£13,100

Assessment

You’ll show your progress through a combination of written essays, problem-solving assignments and presentations.

All students take our core modules, but please note that the availability of optional modules is subject to demand.

100% of our students enter work or further study within six months of graduation (DLHE 2017).

As a History and Political Science student you will have an excellent opportunity to develop skills that are attractive to employers, including:

Strong communication skills
A deep understanding of the past
The ability to research, analyse and interpret complex information
Leadership and teamwork
Handling complex information
The ability to form concise and articulate arguments
Managing your time and prioritising your workload

These are key skills that will enable you to pursue either further study in History or Political Science disciplines or move into employment in a wide range of other careers. Our graduates have gone on to careers in:

Accountancy
Charity work
Housing
Human Resources
International Development
Law
Marketing
Media
Publishing
Politics
Retail Management
Teaching
Library and Archive work
Postgraduate study

Developing your career

Employers target University of Newcastle students for their diverse skill-set and our graduate employment statistics have continued to climb at a rate well above national trends. If you make the most of our wide range of opportunities you will be able to develop your career from the moment you arrive.

Careers events – we hold events covering careers in teaching, event management, marketing and working with charities to help you meet potential employers and learn more about these sectors.
Global Challenge – you can apply to work overseas on an expenses-paid placement during your summer vacation through our Global Challenge initiative.
Work experience bursary – we encourage you to apply your skills in the workplace by undertaking internships in the summer. Our work experience bursaries allow you to apply for funding to support you during unpaid internships.
Cultural Internships – our innovative Cultural Internships offer graduates the opportunity for a six month paid internship at a leading cultural institution in the West Midlands. These internships will give you professional experience to set you apart in a competitive graduate market. Our current partners include Newcastle Museums and Art Gallery, Newcastle REP, Newcastle Royal Ballet, City of Newcastle Symphony Orchestra, Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust, Library of Newcastle .

There are also internships available at our own cultural assets, such as Winterbourne House, the Lapworth Museum, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts.