The School of
Historical Studies

History in the BA Combined Studies Degree

Y001 BA/CombA BBC/BCC (280/260 points) preferrably including C in GCE A Level History if you intend to study History, BCC at GCE A Level preferred, normally minimum 180 from two 6 unit GCE awards. General Studies accepted.
The First Year Programme Second/Third-year options Teaching and Assessment	Summary of Admissions Information University Prospectus entry History Staff Combined Studies Home Page

The Combined Studies Arts degree is one of the most popular degrees in the Faculty of Arts, and History continues to be a highly popular choice as a three-year subject. There is the obvious attraction of the subject itself, but also the opportunity to take advantage of the Combined Studies degree structure in two distinctive ways.

Firstly, History, as the core of a degree syllabus comprising two 3-year subjects and one 2-year subject, can be chosen in combination with other historically-related subjects. For instance, a combination of History with History of Art and Ancient History will give you both breadth and depth in your appreciation of the past and an introduction to differing ways of examining human experiences.

Secondly, History can be chosen as the 'base' subject that you have already studied at school or college, to be combined with a non-historical main subject like Geography or a language such as French or Italian. The two-year course might then be chosen from a 'non-school' subject deliberately designed to widen your experience and provide an extra dimension to your university studies. In an age of rapid social and technological change, employers are increasingly looking for flexible and adventurous minds and Combined Studies students who branch out will already have shown the ability to deal successfully with new challenges during their three years of study. Two-year courses, such as American Studies, Italian or Politics, may well provide you with the fresh subject and the new challenge you feel you need at university.

Training: The History course in the Combined Arts degree gives you training in traditional skills such as the use of language, independence of thought, a critical approach to arguments and theories, and the interpretation of evidence. It also gives you the opportunity to sample new methodologies based on the use of computers and information technology. These skills will prove valuable in future careers, even in jobs where you may not directly need a factual knowledge of a particular historical period.

SOCRATES: Combined Arts History students can also participate in one of the History Department's SOCRATES exchange schemes. The purpose of the SOCRATES programme is to develop in today's university students a greater awareness of their common European identity. To this end, the European Union has for nearly a decade funded a series of student exchange programmes, and students from the University of Leicester are therefore entitled to spend part of their undergraduate career studying in one of the other universities in Leicester's extensive SOCRATES network. The many students from the University of Leicester who have already taken advantage of this opportunity (150 or more every year) have reported on their experience with unanimous enthusiasm. Leicester historians are able to study in the History Departments of the following universities in 6 European countries: Rheims or Strasbourg (France), Regensburg or Berlin (Germany) or Pisa (Italy).

If you decide to take part in a SOCRATES exchange from within the School of Historical Studies, you will study at one of our partner universities for an academic year. Language training is provided at Leicester where necessary for all students participating in a SOCRATES exchange. We can often also pay for additional language training during the exchange. Marks awarded for your work while abroad will contribute to the final degree assessment at the end of your undergraduate career in Leicester.

First Year

Combined Arts students who have chosen to do History as one of their three first-year subjects will take 40 credits of modules from the Historical Studies programme: one 20-credit module in the first semester and one 20-credit module in the second semester.

First Year
First Semester	Second Semester
Monarchy and Society, 800-1300 or The Making of the Modern World, 1600-2000	Politics, Religion and Society in Early Modern Europe or Europe Reshaped 1814-1914

Second and Third Years

In the second and third years your choices are widened, reflecting a broad range of staff interests, and you also now have the opportunity of increased specialisation. In the second year you take one module in each semester, while in the third-year you will have the option of taking more than this if you wish. This is the current list of second-year modules and third-year modules offered by School of Historical Studies. Not all modules are necessarily available in any one year. Most courses can be taken in either the second or third year, with a few exceptions, notably the Special Subject double modules which can be taken in the third year only

The third year also presents the possibility of writing a dissertation in history, in place of two taught modules. The dissertation, which may draw on the wide range of source material in the University Library, provides you with an opportunity for independent study and for a method of assessment other than formal examinations and short essays. Members of staff will be pleased to advise you on viable dissertation topics and to undertake the supervision of your work. Students in the past have found dissertations a valuable means of developing their own interests in a wide variety of fields from military to social history and in periods ranging from the Middle Ages to the Vietnam War.

Teaching and Assessment

Teaching in the Department is conducted by means of a combination of lectures, small-group essay classes and seminars. It is worth remembering, however, that self-education is also a vital ingredient of university life: students are encouraged to read widely on their own, especially during vacations. When discussing topics in tutorials, researching essays and projects, or defending your views in seminars, you will be refining techniques of analysis and presentation that will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life. As a full member of the History Department you will often be sitting alongside Single Subject or Joint Honours History students and be able to make a wide range of new acquaintances as well as testing your skills and knowledge with students from other disciplines.

Assessment is by means of a mixture of coursework and examinations. The proportion of coursework is greater in some modules than others, and can consist of reviews, case studies, seminar papers or project reports, as well as traditional essays. The combination of coursework and examination varies in proportion according to the wishes and intentions of each tutor.

Career Prospects

Career prospects for Combined Studies History students are good. The Combined Studies degree is one of the most demanding in the Faculty of Arts and students who do well in it are much in demand by employers.

Course Enquiries

Please contact the Admissions Tutors via:

Linda Benson
Faculty of Arts
The University of Leicester
University Road
Leicester LE1 7RH

Tel: 0116 252 5009
Fax: 0116 252 5213
Email: combined.studies@le.ac.uk