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AM-100
An Introduction to American History and Politics
This module provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to American History and Politics; one that is designed to uncover the rich tapestry of U.S. history, society, and political systems.
The module offers an immersive exploration of the key events, ideologies, and forces that transformed what were British colonies into one of the world¿s most influential nations. From the sparks of the American Revolution to the rise of the U.S. as a global superpower, students will critically explore the sweeping political and social revolutions that underpin the story of the United States.
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AM-2016
America in a Nutshell: A History of Pennsylvania from William Penn to Donald Trump, 1631-2016
This module surveys the political, social, cultural and economic history of the State of Pennsylvania. It allows students to explore the rich history of America as it is researched and taught by American historians with the Unites States, that is, through the lens of `state¿ history. This module will allow students to explore the foundation of a key British colony in North America, to follow its trajectory of growth and interaction with other colonies before the American Revolution and its trajectory of growth and interaction with both other states and the United States Federal Government from 1776 to 2010. This module aims to help students capture the nature of `state identity¿ in America, so fundamental to American political and social history. Students will be encouraged to view America as most Americans see it, looking out from within a state context, with all of the historical and historiographical considerations that approach entails. Some core strands are political, social and cultural life against the backdrop of colonial life, revolution, civil war, industrialisation and deindustrialisation.
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FY-018
History, Memory and the Creation of Identity
In most human societies, history and memory are important in the creation of identity. For example, consider how recent political debates often involve debates about the relevance of particular strands of history (such as `empire¿) to modern society. This module explores these relationships from the ancient societies of Egypt, Greece, and Rome to the modern world. It is designed to provide Foundation Year students intending to pursue degrees in Classical Studies, Ancient History, Ancient History & Egyptology, American Studies, Medieval Studies, or History with an opportunity to reflect critically on what the past means and how we go about studying it.
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HI-M01
Historical Methods and Approaches
This module introduces you to a diverse range of methodological approaches that underpin the discipline of history at an advanced level. You will explore how historians construct knowledge about the past, examining key debates around evidence, interpretation, narrative, and the politics of history-writing. You will engage critically with a variety of methods, including archival research, oral history, microhistory, cultural and social history, postcolonial and decolonial approaches, gender analysis, and digital history.
Through seminar discussions and a series of mini projects, you will develop a sophisticated understanding of the strengths, limitations, and ethical implications of different historical methodologies. The module also supports the development of research design skills in preparation for independent dissertation work.
Finally, the module will encourage you to think reflexively about your own role as researchers and to consider how methodological choices shape historical narratives and their relevance to contemporary global challenges.
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HI-M2001
History and Heritage Postgraduate Study Trip
This module takes learning beyond the classroom and into direct engagement with heritage in situ. Centred on a tightly themed research focus, students will explore historical monuments and sites first-hand ¿ examining their physical form, spatial relationships, interpretation, and public presentation. You will also engage with local stakeholders and heritage professionals and gain experience in applying historical knowledge to real-world heritage contexts, enhancing skills in observation, interpretation, and critical evaluation.
Study-trip destinations may be international, within the UK, or local to Swansea. Details, including anticipated student costs, will be provided well in advance.
Example (2026): Medieval Poland, Prussia and the Crusading Order of the Teutonic Knights ¿ a week-long visit to key medieval and modern heritage sites in northern Poland, including UNESCO-listed Toru¿ and Malbork Castle, supported by preparatory lectures and seminars. Students will engage directly with sites, their interpretation, and their place within wider historical and cultural narratives.
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HIH117
Medieval Europe: An Introduction
The module is a basic introduction to the history of Europe c600-c1450, a period usually described as 'Medieval'. It outlines the political and economic structures of the period, and examines the medieval 'world view' by discussing attitudes to life, death and the afterlife. Its first theme, expansion, charts the growth of Europe as a major world power and includes topics such as the crusades against the Muslims and pagans, political and economic growth, and intellectual development in the foundation of the universities. Its second theme, crisis, focuses on the devastating impact of plague, famine and warfare, and the increasing persecution of heretics, lepers, homosexuals, and Jews.
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HIH2001
Ancient and Historic Places (Study-Trip/Field project: History)
Medieval Poland, Prussia and the Crusading Order of the Teutonic Knights. Students will visit a variety of medieval and more recent sites of historical significance over the course of a roughly week-long journey around northern Poland. Sites will include the medieval city of Toru¿, the home of Nicolaus Copernicus, and Malbork Castle, seat of the Grandmaster of the Teutonic order. A series of lectures will precede the trip itself, during the Easter break. During the trip, students will be expected to undertake collaborative interpretive work on site. Refer to departmental literature for details. This module allows students to visit a particular place or region and to investigate historical
problems in their original topographical context.
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HIH237
The Practice of History
The purpose of the module is to encourage you to think more deeply about how historians work and, in particular, about how we as historians can locate and use primary historical sources effectively as a means of interpreting and understanding the past. During the module we will learn about the survival of historical evidence, how it is organised and made accessible to historians to undertake their research, and how to effectively locate and interpret it in your studies. We will consider how the process of doing historical research changes over time, in particular with the impact of recent developments like digitization.
At the core of the module will be the work you undertake with others in your seminar group using a range of primary sources which your seminar tutor will introduce to you. As part of the module assessment you will also undertake your own primary source based research project using items from these collections. The module is designed strengthen your analytical skills and to help prepare you for the more extensive uses of primary evidence which you will encounter in final year special subjects and dissertation.
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HIH3300
History Dissertation
The History dissertation is a free-standing, 40-credit module that runs across both semesters of Level Three. Candidates conduct research upon a subject of their choice, devised in consultation with a member of staff teaching for the degrees in History, and concerning a topic that falls within staff research and teaching interests.
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HIMM00
Reading Medieval Manuscripts
Medieval manuscript sources are crucial to our understanding of the Middle Ages. Research across the disciplines of medieval studies is grounded in the study and use of medieval books and documentary sources. This module aims to give you the skills, knowledge and confidence to engage with original manuscript sources of various types, from early Anglo-Saxon Gospel books to medieval chronicles, from illustrated books of hours to critical legal documents. Students will engage with these sources via digital and printed images and full-scale printed facsimiles, learning to recognise and transcribe medieval hands from all periods. Students will be given the chance to read original manuscripts during a visit to the West Glamorgan Archive Service (Swansea), and other repositories such as the National Library of Wales (Aberystwyth) and Hereford Cathedral Library may also be visited. This module assumes no prior knowledge of medieval manuscripts, nor any prior knowledge of the medieval languages featured in the manuscript samples, including Latin, Old English and Middle English.
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HIMM01
Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies 1: Themes, Approaches and Sources
This module introduces you to current themes, approaches and sources in medieval studies, that is, the interdisciplinary study of medieval history and literature. It begins to develop the skills required to conduct MA-level study. Lectures outline general concepts, approaches and key sources with respect to essential themes in medieval studies, such as genre and gender.
Workshops are built around interacting collaboratively with students to develop the necessary skills to implement the approaches discussed within and beyond the module¿s focus themes. Special attention will be given to the discipline¿s increasing interest in historically underrepresented groups and the emergent concept of the `global Middle Ages¿.
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HIMM04
Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies 2: Themes, Approaches and Sources
This module builds on HIMM01 (Introduction to Advanced Medieval Studies I) to deepen your understanding of key themes, sources, and research approaches in the interdisciplinary study of the Middle Ages, in order to develop the research skills required to conduct MA-level research. Lectures and seminars refine your general concepts, approaches and key sources with respect to essential themes in medieval studies, such as identity and spirituality. Following on from HIMM01, this module progressively shifts its thematic focus in a more strongly methodological direction, considering themes such as quantitative methods and archaeology in medieval studies. It also familiarises you with the medieval heritage of South Wales and the surrounding region.
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HIMM08
Enmity and Entanglement: Cultural Encounters in Medieval Europe
In this module, you will explore cultural encounters in medieval Europe during a period of expansion, examining how dominant groups interacted with subaltern communities through conquest, colonization, religious missions, and state-building. Using case studies such as the Norman invasions, English and Germanic colonization of Wales, Ireland, Prussia, and Livonia, and the experiences of England¿s Jewish community, you will investigate patterns of contact, conflict, entanglement, and identity formation.
The module will develop your skills in analysing primary and secondary sources, constructing evidence-based arguments, and applying interdisciplinary perspectives. Through independent study and guided research, you will strengthen your analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities, preparing you for further research or professional work in history, heritage, or cultural analysis.
