- UCAS course code
- VR11
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Overview
- Degree awarded
- Bachelor of Arts (BA)
- Duration
- 4 years
- Typical A-level offer
-
AAB including A in History
- Typical contextual A-level offer
-
ABB including A in History
Find out more about contextual admissions. - Refugee/care-experienced offer
-
Applicants who have been in local authority care for more than three months or have refugee status may be eligible for an offer two grades below the standard requirements.Find out more about contextual admissions.
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer
-
35 points overall. 6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects (including 6 in History)
- How to apply
- Apply through UCAS
- UCAS course code
- VR11
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course overview
- Study a wide range of historical, literary, linguistic and cultural subjects and periods, in a world-famous and historically rich city.
- Perfect your expertise in French and spend your third year studying or working abroad in a French-speaking country.
Open days
We are pleased to announce that we are returning to hosting on-campus open days in the summer and autumn.
Please see open days for the dates, registration, and other information.
If you're a prospective student, you can also find out more about student life by chatting with our student ambassadors at a time that suits you, and ask any questions you may have about life at Manchester.
Please check our Coronavirus FAQs for the most up to date information regarding events.
You can also look at our virtual open day content to help you learn more about the University.
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2024 will be £9,250 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £25,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
- Telephone
- +44 (0)161 509 2871
- ug-hist@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- http://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: About us
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Compare this course
Entry requirements
A-level
AAB including A in History.
The University recognises the benefit of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview. For this programme, as well as the regular conditions of offer, we may make students who are currently taking or completed the EPQ an alternative offer. For this course it would be ABB with A in History plus the Extended Project at Grade A.
Contextual offer
ABB including A in History for applicants who meet our contextual offer criteria. For further information and to check eligibility visit our Contextual Offers page.
AS-level
Unit grade information
The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit information where available. Like all other information provided by applicants this may be taken into consideration when assessing your application. Unit grades will not normally form part of an offer conditions.
GCSE
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.
International Baccalaureate
35 points overall. 6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects (including 6 in History)
Other international entry requirements
Scottish requirements
Two Advanced Highers at AB, plus one additional Higher at A in relevant subject (see A-level subject requirements).
English Language and Mathematics not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (minimum National 5 grade C / Intermediate 2 grade C / Standard Grade Credit level grade 3).
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
Welsh Baccalaureate
The minimum grade required will normally be the same as the lowest grade listed in the A Level entry requirements.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.
European Baccalaureate
We normally require 80% overall to include a minimum of 8.0 in History.
AQA Baccalaureate
In making offers, the University will focus on the three A Levels taken within the AQA Baccalaureate. Students need to check the standard A Level requirements for their chosen course.
The units of broader study, enrichment activities and the Extended Project are considered to be valuable elements of the AQA Baccalaureate and we would therefore strongly encourage students to draw upon these experiences within their personal statement.
Foundation year
Applicants completing the INTO Manchester in partnership with The University of Manchester international foundation programme are required to achieve AAB in academic subjects and grade A in the EAP with writing, speaking, listening and reading grade B.
Applicants completing the NCUK International Foundation year are required to achieve AAB in academic subjects and A in the EAP with writing, speaking, listening and reading grade B.
Please read this in conjunction with our A-level requirements, noting any pre-requisite subjects.
For all other foundation programmes please see this list of approved UK foundation programmes .
Pearson BTEC qualifications
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: we consider the National Extended Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Diploma with grades Dist, Dist, Dist, plus one A-level at Grade A in History.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma: we consider the National Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus one A-level at Grade A in History.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma: we consider the National Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Foundation Diploma with a Distinction grade, PLUS one A-level at Grade A in History, PLUS an EPQ or AS at Grade B.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate: we consider the National Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Certificate with a Distinction grade, PLUS two A-levels at Grades AA; one of which must be in History.
The University of Manchester welcomes applications from students who have achieved legacy BTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the BTEC Extended Diploma, BTEC Diploma, BTEC Subsidiary Diploma, and BTEC Certificate. The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new BTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Diploma (CTEC): we do not consider the Technical Extended Diploma for entry to this course.
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level at grade A in History.
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Foundation Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Foundation Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level/A Level at min. Grade A in History, PLUS an EPQ or AS Level at grade B.
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Certificate (CTEC) : we consider the Technical Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Extended Certificate with grade Distinction, plus two additional Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels at grades AB, one of which must be in History.
The University of Manchester will consider applications from students who have achieved legacy CTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the CTEC Extended Diploma, CTEC Diploma, CTEC Subsidiary Diploma, and CTEC Certificate. The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new CTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
Access to HE Diploma
We require a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma (a minimum of 60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3), with merit or distinction in a subject area relevant to the chosen course.
The specific course requirements are a minimum of 39 credits with a Distinction grade, plus 6 credits with a Merit grade, all in a Humanities-related subject. Where possible, 15 of the Distinction credits should be in the pre-requisite subject required for A-levels.
Cambridge Pre-U
We consider applicants offering Pre-U Principal Subjects, or a mix of Pre-U and A Level subjects, provided a minimum of three distinct subjects overall is taken.
Candidates taking Pre-U principal subjects in conjunction with A levels are expected to achieve a combination of D3, D3, M2 in the Pre-U and AAB at A level in three distinct subjects.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) you plan to apply to.
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
The University recognises the benefit of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement and at interview. For this programme, as well as the regular conditions of offer, we may make students who are currently taking or completed the EPQ an alternative offer. For this course it would be ABB with A in History plus the Extended Project at Grade A.
Core Maths
The University recognises the value of Level 3 Core Mathematics qualifications. Core Mathematics is not a compulsory element of post-16 study and as a result we will not normally include it in the conditions of any offer we make. However, if a student chooses to undertake a core mathematics qualification this may be taken into account when we consider a student's application, particularly for courses with a distinct mathematical or statistical element that does not require A Level Mathematics. Academic Schools may also choose to take a student's performance in Core Mathematics into account should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.
Where a course requires applicants to have at least grade 6/B or higher in GCSE Mathematics we would be likely to consider a pass in Core Mathematics at a minimum grade C or B as an alternative way to fulfil this requirement. Where an A Level in Mathematics is required then Core Mathematics will not be accepted in lieu of an A Level.
A Level and GCSE Mathematics requirements for our courses vary according to subject so we advise students to contact the academic School, who will clarify whether a student's portfolio of qualifications is acceptable for entry onto the chosen course.
Home-schooled applicants
Non-standard educational routes
Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences. Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.
The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to. Further information for mature students can be found here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )
English language
All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:
- GCSE/iGCSE English Language grade C/4 or;
- IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in any one component, or;
- An acceptable equivalent qualification.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.
The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student from outside the UK and the EU must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language in order to be granted a UK visa (Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. This level is often referred to as the 'B2 level'.
Additionally, our individual Schools may ask for specific English Language proficiency levels that are necessary for their academic programmes. In most cases these requirements are likely to be higher than the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found here .
English language test validity
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
Mitigating circumstances may be personal or family illness, other family circumstances, change of teachers during a course, problems with school facilities or an unusual curriculum followed by your school or college.
We recommend that information on mitigating circumstances that have affected or are likely to affect your academic performance should be included in the referee's report.
We cannot usually consider information that is supplied after an adverse decision has been made on an application by the admitting School.
If you encounter mitigating circumstances after you have submitted your application, please inform the admissions staff in the School to which you applied as soon as possible.
Where mitigating circumstances have already been considered, for example by the relevant Exam Board, we will not be able to make further allowances.
How your application is considered
Decisions are made on the basis of the application as a whole with a particular focus on educational achievement and predicted grades.
Returning to education
We welcome applicants who are seeking a return to study. We may be able to make alternative offers in light of your experience but it is important that you have studied languages to an advanced level (please see entry requirements for subject specific criteria). We may interview you if you have not studied languages recently.
You will be required to produce a piece of written work, for assessment by the Admissions Tutor. Once you have applied, the Admissions Administrator will contact you with a list of topics/questions. You will be asked to choose one and produce a piece (1500 words) on that subject, for submission by the deadline given by the Administrator.
Deferrals
Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
BA History and French provides you with the opportunity to study aspects of history that interest you most, from ancient, medieval, modern, and economic and social history, to the history of science, technology and medicine.
You will also develop a comprehensive grounding in French language, literature, culture, history and linguistics, enabling you to become proficient enough in French to live and work effectively in a French-speaking environment.
History
- We offer one of the most diverse history courses in the UK, with course units covering almost all human history, including British, European, American, Asian and African history, and ranging from the classical era (Greece and Rome), through the medieval and modern periods, to the late 20th century.
- We offer a wide variety of approaches to history, from political and economic history, to gender, social, cultural, and colonial history.
- You will benefit from studying in the historically rich and multi-ethnic city of Manchester, itself a living history book - from Peterloo to the anti-slavery and suffragette movements, and from Roman and Anglo-Saxon forts to medieval monuments.
- You can draw on the abundant library, archive and museum holdings of the local area, including the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre, Chetham's Library, The Museum of Science and Industry, The People's History Museum and the Working-Class Movement Library.
- You will also have access to one of only five National Research Libraries, including the special collections of The John Rylands Library, as well as the exclusive holdings of Manchester Museum.
French
- Over two-thirds of our staff are native speakers, teaching you in French language classes as well as most culture classes.
- You will experience between 3 and 6 hours of French grammar and conversation every week (at post A-Level or beginners' level), in order to reach near-native precision and fluency. This will run in parallel with optional course units on French and Francophone history, politics, literature, popular culture and/or linguistics, from the Early Modern period to the present.
- You will benefit from our long-established partnership with the Alliance Francaise de Manchester with cultural events throughout the year, such as film screenings, talks, plays, concerts, exhibitions and intensive language classes.
- You will also benefit from our collaboration with the Institut de Touraine in the Loire Valley, which hosts Easter and Summer French language classes that are appropriate for complete beginners and finalists.
- Our range and quality of courses are regularly cited for praise by external examiners and three colleagues have won University and Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards.
The course unit details listed below are those you may choose to study as part of this programme and are referred to as optional units. These are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this programme. Although language units may show here as optional, they are a mandatory part of your modern languages degree and you will take the units relevant to your level of language in each year of study. It is compulsory to study language at all levels of your modern languages degree.
Special features
Study abroad
Your year abroad will offer the opportunity to gain first-hand experience of life in a French-speaking country, and further develop your language skills.
Connect with like-minded students
Join the History Society, which plays a key role in building a community among History students at Manchester by organising trips (in the UK and on the continent) and hosting social events, and get involved with the student magazine, The Manchester Historian .
You can also join The Francophone Society and benefit from French classes, discussion groups, cheese and wine nights, film screenings, themed socials, and a yearly trip to Paris.
Teaching and learning
Our courses take maximum advantage of our well-established areas of research expertise, including everything from modern British and European cultural history, to economic and social history from the later Middle Ages to the 20th century.
You will learn through:
- lectures;
- seminars;
- web-based seminars;
- small group tutorials;
- field trips.
We encourage you to study a diverse range of types of history and to develop your own original and imaginative approaches.
You will spend approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions. For every hour spent at University, you will be expected to complete a further two to three hours of independent study. You will also need to study during the holiday periods.
The individual study component could be spent reading, producing written work, revising for examinations or working in the University's Language Centre .
Coursework and assessment
You will be assessed in various ways, including:
- written and oral examinations;
- coursework essays;
- research reports;
- practical tests;
- learning logs;
- web contributions.
Many course units are assessed through a mixture of techniques.
In your final year, you will write a dissertation.
Course content for year 1
Your time will be split equally between History and French with 60 credits in each area.
History
- In History you will have broad range of options covering a variety of topics, thematically, temporally and geographically.
- All students take History in Practice, in which students learn important skills in research and writing to equip them for historical study at university level.
French
- The first year equips you with a range of important skills such as linguistic expertise, the ability to read and analyse material, skills in presentation, group work and independent language learning.
- Content courses are broad-based at this level and cover a wide range of topics from the medieval period to aspects of contemporary French and Francophone culture.
- Language courses are compulsory.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
History in Practice | HIST10101 | 20 | Mandatory |
From Reconstruction to Reagan: American History, 1877-1988 | AMER10002 | 20 | Optional |
Constructing Archaic Greek History | CAHE10011 | 20 | Optional |
From Republic to Empire: Introduction to Roman History, Society & Culture 218-31BC | CAHE10022 | 20 | Optional |
The Odyssey | CAHE10101 | 20 | Optional |
The Making of the Mediterranean | CAHE10132 | 20 | Optional |
Cities and Citizens | CAHE10232 | 20 | Optional |
Discoveries and Discoverers: Sights and Sites | CAHE10282 | 20 | Optional |
Introduction to the History and Culture of Pharaonic Egypt | CAHE10651 | 20 | Optional |
Decoding Inequality: Reimagining Digital Culture | DIGI10031 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 2
As you move into your second year you can choose to maintain an equal weighting between the two subjects or devote more time to either History or French Studies.
History
- You will write an individual independent research project with one-on-one supervision, as well as choosing from a range of courses.
- In History your work will build on knowledge and skills gained in your first year developing each subject area to provide a greater breadth and depth of experience. There is greater flexibility of choice than in your first year.
French
- This year's core language course develops that of the previous year and prepares you for the linguistic challenges of your year abroad, including dedicated sessions on writing CVs and cover letters for job applications in French.
- The other courses available in your second year are more numerous and specialised than in the first year. Several include a research component that encourages you develop your skills of analysis and information-gathering, working independently or in a group.
- Language courses are compulsory.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Independent Research Project | HIST20392 | 20 | Mandatory |
From Jamestown to James Brown: African-American History and Culture | AMER20141 | 20 | Optional |
The American Civil War | AMER21001 | 20 | Optional |
The Conquering Hero: The Life, Times and Legacy of Alexander The Great | CAHE20041 | 20 | Optional |
The Roman Empire 31BC - AD313 Rome's Golden Age | CAHE20051 | 20 | Optional |
Politics and Society in Classical Greece | CAHE20062 | 20 | Optional |
Roman Women in 22 Objects | CAHE20532 | 20 | Optional |
Art in France | FREN20271 | 20 | Optional |
Temptations of the Tragic: Love and Death in French Literature | FREN20682 | 20 | Optional |
Media, Performance, & Digital Culture in Contemporary France | FREN21212 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
Your third year of study is spent abroad under approved conditions.
For more information on the period of residence abroad please consult Residence abroad .
Course content for year 4
On your return to Manchester in your final year you will again have flexibility about how to weight your study time in each subject.
History
- You will undertake a more extensive personal research project resulting in a History dissertation, completed under personal academic supervision.
- Explore a huge variety of History course units to complete your degree.
French
- Continue with your core language course and choose additional units from a wide range of even more specialised courses, building effectively on Year 2 study.
- Language study is centred on essay writing, translation and oral work involving discussion of texts, debates and presentations.
- Also available in this year are course units that cover topics closely related to the research interests of individual members of staff. As part of your final-year work, you can write a dissertation on a theme of your choice related to one of your courses, which students find an especially rewarding experience.
- Language courses are compulsory.
Course units for year 4
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
French Language 6 | FREN51060 | 20 | Mandatory |
American Hauntings | AMER30811 | 20 | Optional |
The Roman Army and the North-West Frontiers | CAHE30882 | 20 | Optional |
Introduction to Interpreting: Context, Skills and Modes | ELAN30241 | 20 | Optional |
Art, Culture and Activism in France in the Age of Social Media | FREN30732 | 20 | Optional |
History and Memory in Francophone Cinema | FREN30832 | 20 | Optional |
Wild and Tamed: Nature in French Culture and Politics | FREN30841 | 20 | Optional |
Exoticism & Orientalism in C19th France: French Romantics and Local Colour | FREN30871 | 20 | Optional |
Culture and Society in Germany 1871-1918 | GERM30722 | 20 | Optional |
Empire, Gender and British Heroes, c.1885 - 1985 | HIST30622 | 20 | Optional |
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Facilities
The University of Manchester owns the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Museum and Tabley House, giving you unique access to outstanding cultural and historical resources.
As well as making use of the wider University library network, you will have access to the University Language Centre , a modern open learning facility where you can study independently and make use of a library and audio-visual resources. There are also language laboratories and multimedia facilities.
Learn more on the Facilities page.
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
Study History at Manchester and you will come away with a degree that is well-regarded by employers for the outstanding analysis and critical thinking skills you will develop.
A degree in Modern Languages and Cultures paves the way for a broad range of careers.
You'll develop intercultural awareness and enhanced communication skills - both highly valued by employers.
You'll also acquire transferable expertise at the very heart of language learning, including enhanced powers of perception and interpretation and advanced decision-making and multitasking skills.
The University of Manchester is the second most targeted university in the UK for top graduate employers (High Fliers Research, 2021).
Our graduates enjoy success in a wide range of careers, reflecting the high regard in which employers hold a History degree from Manchester, including the BBC - with whom we have well-established links - as well as KPMG, Deloitte, Marks and Spencer, Aviva, Accenture and Barclays. Typical professions for History graduates include:
- teaching and academia
- heritage and museums
- the Civil Service
- policy and thinktanks
- creative industries
- media and journalism
- marketing and public relations
- law and accountancy
- finance
- NGOs.
Employers who have taken on graduates of our French courses in the past include KPMG, Deloitte, L'Oréal, BT, Louis Vuitton, Rothschild, Hilton Hotels, British Council, Teach First, Barclays, and the BBC.
Many of our graduates go on to undertake further study such as master's and PhD degrees, PGCEs or law conversion courses before taking up their careers.