History, BA (Hons)

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Course Overview

Put your fascination with the past to good use by studying History at Swansea University. You’ll build the skills valued by employers across a range of sectors, while exploring the human condition from the middle ages to the present.

In your first year you’ll gain a grounding in the approaches used by historians to understand and explain different aspects of the past across a wide range of periods. As your studies progress you’ll be able to focus more on the centuries, cultures, and kinds of historical change that interest you most.

Why History at Swansea?

Based at our stunning Singleton Park campus, in parkland overlooking Swansea Bay on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, our History course at Swansea University is highly regarded by students and employers.

You’ll be taught by staff with expertise in British, European, and American history, from the middle ages to the modern day, on topics including gender, sexuality, and inequalities; heritage and history in the workplace; medicine, health, and disability; and war, violence, and peace.

You can study the past outside of the lecture hall and the library, through field trips and study trip modules, and apply your knowledge in a work placement. You can choose to spend a semester abroad with one of our many partners in Asia or North America.

If you choose our four-year degree, you’ll spend the year between your second and fourth years abroad, developing your skills and acquiring new experiences in Europe, Asia, or North America.

History at Swansea University is ranked:
  • Top 15 in the UK for Student Experience (Times Good University Guide 2025)

Your History Experience

We offer an inclusive, student-focused learning environment and community. Modules are delivered and assessed in a variety of different ways and you will be encouraged to take responsibility for your own learning, to work independently as well as with others, to act professionally, and to master new skills.

Throughout your course you will have a Personal Tutor to support you in meeting your goals. The student-led History Society, which organises social events and cultural activities, is one of the many societies you’ll have access to as a Swansea student.

History Employment Opportunities

Studying History develops skills in critical thought, written and verbal communication, problem-solving, and information gathering and analysis.

Our graduates go on to work in a wide range of sectors including:

  • Education
  • Media and Public Relations
  • Heritage and Museums
  • Business and Management
  • Law and Public Services

Modules

In your first year, you’ll learn how to study the past at degree level in Making History and apply that knowledge in a range of other history modules. You can also choose to study modules in language, literature, and other disciplines relevant to the study of History.

In your second year, you can tailor your choice of modules to suit your interests more, while still giving yourself a broad base for your final year of study.

In your final year, you will write a dissertation on a topic you have chosen. You will also take a ‘Special Subject’, a module which reflects the particular expertise of one of the History staff, and choose from a wide range of other thematic and topical options.

History, BA (Hons)

History with a Year Abroad, BA (Hons)

History with a Year in Industry, BA (Hons)