BA Politics and Modern History / Course details

BA Politics and Modern History is one of the longest established programmes of its kind in the country, combining an investigation of the historical development of the modern world with a study of its political machinery and an examination of its political thought in a historical setting. 

Broad course units in history, government institutions and political thought constitute the core of the degree in the first two years, with more specialist options in Year 3, including a 12,000-word thesis. 

Studying politics and modern history together aims to give you a unique insight into how societies work in both past and present. 

The course combines two complementary ways of looking at the world and will give you the tools to understand the workings and history of political systems, international relations, conflict and cooperation in Britain, Europe and around the world. 

The degree will take you through various stages, at each step developing both your background knowledge in politics and history and, crucially, the skills of critical analysis and logical argument. 

Throughout, you will engage with a broad range of themes in both subjects, ranging from globalisation in historical perspective to the politics of modern China.

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 may apply to spend one semester studying abroad during the second year of your degree. 

Exchange partners are offered in Europe, through the Erasmus Exchange scheme, or via the Worldwide Exchange scheme, in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong or Singapore. 

Connect with like-minded students  

Join the dedicated Politics and Modern History Society, which organises social events and invites a range of speakers to campus, or 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. 

You can also get involved with the student magazine, The Manchester Historian .

You will learn through:

• lectures;
• seminars;
• web-based seminars;
• small group tutorials.

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.

We will encourage you to undertake supervised, independent study and original research at every level of the course.

The individual study component could be spent reading, producing written work, or revising for examinations.

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 which provides 22% of the final mark.

Manchester is a living history book, from Peterloo to the anti-slavery and suffragette movements, from Roman and Anglo-Saxon forts to medieval monuments. 

As a student in this historically rich city, you'll have the opportunity to 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'll 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. 

The University of Manchester owns the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Museum and Tabley House, giving you unique access to outstanding cultural and historical resources. 

For more information, see Facilities .