- UCAS course code
- VL13
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course description
The History and Sociology degree is designed to give students a unique training in two academic disciplines.
By combining the skills and insights of History and Sociology, students achieve a thorough induction into studying the past alongside the approaches and theoretical frameworks relating to the study of society.
This Joint Honours degree is designed to develop students knowledge of both disciplines, especially through core modules such as History in Practice, which equips students with the key intellectual tools for historical study at university level, and Researching Culture and Society, which develops student's understandings of a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Taught by Faculty members, who are both dedicated teachers and world-leading experts in their fields, and with whom students interact daily in lectures, seminars and one-to-one meetings, the course aims to develop a range of essential and transferable skills.
By writing essays, projects and dissertations on both subjects, students learn how to develop their ability to write, present and discuss complex ideas and arguments.
By engaging with an exciting and demanding course, students also develop habits of self-management, independence and collaborative work.
History and Sociology students can develop further their interests by joining a wide range of student-led societies, including the Sociology and History Societies, as well as many others focused on politics, media or sport.
Special features
Placement year option
Apply your subject-specific knowledge in a real-world context through a placement year in your third year of study, enabling you to enhance your employment prospects, clarify your career goals and build your external networks.
Study abroad
You can apply to spend one semester studying abroad during the second year of your degree. Exchange partners are offered through the Erasmus Exchange scheme (in Europe) and the Worldwide Exchange scheme (eg USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore).
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 .
Teaching and learning
Most course units feature formal lectures supported by smaller tutorials, seminars or web-based seminars, in which you will be able to explore the contents of lectures and recommended reading in greater depth.
Tutorials and seminars are also key elements in improving your written and oral communication skills through group discussions, essay-writing and presentations.
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.
A significant part of your study time will be spent reading, taking notes, preparing presentations and writing essays (which examine aspects of a subject in greater depth).
Classroom time is frequently supplemented by new media, such as the virtual learning environment, Blackboard.
You will also have access to other digital resources to support your learning.
For some course units you'll join in group work and other forms of collaborative learning.
Coursework and assessment
- 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 that constitutes 22% of your overall final mark.
Course content for year 1
Designed to assist students with the intellectual transition to university study, level 1 modules focus on introducing students to key conceptual and methodological issues in relation to History and Sociology.
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 and Researching Culture and Society that introduces students to the core issues of sociological methods and research.
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 |
Researching Culture and Society | SOCY10440 | 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 |
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Course content for year 2
Modules become increasingly specialist and the programme offers significant choice and flexibility.
Students get to choose between a History or a Sociology Independent Research Project, which is an extended piece of coursework supervised on a one-to-one basis on a topic of the student's choice.
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 |
Weimar Culture? Art, Film and Politics in Germany, 1918-33 | GERM20261 | 20 | Optional |
Making of the Modern Mind: European Intellectual History in a Global Context | HIST20181 | 20 | Optional |
Winds of Change: Politics, Society and Culture in Britain, 1899 -1990 | HIST20251 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
Students may specialise in the periods and subjects that they have found most interesting.
Students get to choose between a History or a Sociology Dissertation, which is an extended piece of coursework based on independent research and supervised on a one-to-one basis on a topic of the student's choice, which our students generally find to be the most enjoyable and fulfilling part of their studies.
Course units for year 3
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 |
---|---|---|---|
American Hauntings | AMER30811 | 20 | Optional |
The Roman Army and the North-West Frontiers | CAHE30882 | 20 | Optional |
Culture and Society in Germany 1871-1918 | GERM30722 | 20 | Optional |
Empire, Gender and British Heroes, c.1885 - 1985 | HIST30622 | 20 | Optional |
History Dissertation | HIST30970 | 40 | Optional |
Gender and Sexuality in Modern Africa | HIST31002 | 20 | Optional |
Wealth and Welfare: Reconceptualising British Economy and Society between 1832 and 1942 | HIST31051 | 20 | Optional |
China and the West: the Age of Empire and Beyond | HIST31202 | 20 | Optional |
Heroes and Holy Men: The Irish Sea World in the Viking Age, c. 780-1100 | HIST31362 | 20 | Optional |
The Holocaust: History, Historiography, Memory | HIST31491 | 20 | Optional |
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Facilities
The University of Manchester works in partnership with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre and owns the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Museum and Tabley House, giving you unique access to outstanding cultural and historical resources.
Find out more on the Facilities page for History.
Disability support
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants from the Disability Support Office. Email: disability@manchester.ac.uk