BA History and Anthropology
A Joint Honours programme in History and Anthropology offers students the opportunity to study an innovative inter-disciplinary course that marries two of their favourite humanities subjects. Students will be able to shape their own degree path by selecting from a large range of topics covering both subject areas.
The History programme can offer a range of modules which cover broad sweeps of time (Medieval Europe, 1066-1452: Modern China, 1650-2000) allowing students to consider how societies alter and change, the long-term impact of war, economic upheaval and political radicalism, and the rise and fall of great powers. In addition the programme offers modules based on depth, drilling down into events and moments of seminal change (the Great War, Genocide in C20th, the Wars of the Roses, the Irish Question). This combination is extensive and covers all interests and preferences. It combines breadth and depth, thus providing students with an extensive knowledge of the past. Around this core of subject knowledge we root our teaching in documentary source materials, field trips, visits to archives and record offices. Students will also be introduced to new areas of study by investigating how the past is captured, made and communicated through visits to archives or museums or analyses of film, TV and other media. This all provides for a fully rounded programme of study which grounds students in the requisite methodologies and practices of the discipline of history.
Anthropology explores the fundamentals of what it means to be human. It takes the whole world as its point of interest and brings one face-to-face with the eye-opening variety of human behaviours both in the present and from the past. Anthropologists examine the daily and mundane, the rare and ‘exotic’, and the local alongside the global to help address the pressing social issues our world faces nowadays. Doing a degree in anthropology forces you to question ideas and assumptions about right and wrong, good and bad by giving ethically sophisticated consideration to the sustainability of human practices. This makes anthropology the most dynamic, challenging and rewarding discipline one can study in the humanities.
Typical modules include:
- Britain and the Great War
- An Introduction: from the French Revolution to the Holocaust
- Medieval Europe: from Charlemagne to the Hundred Years War
- Modern America, 1776-2009
- History and Theory of Genocide
- Modern China: Rise of a Superpower
- Medieval Documentary Source materials
- Wars of the Roses
- Anthropology in Context
- Approaches and Methods in Anthropology
- Material Worlds: Approaches to Economic Relations
- Reading Cultures
- The Body, Culture and Society
- Sacred Journeys and Holy Sites
- Water and Society
- Imagining the Other
- Philosophical Anthropology
- Political Anthropology: Power and Principles
- Kinship, Gender and Sexuality
- The Irish Question: from Parnell to the Troubles, 1885-1998
- Europe in the Age of Revolution, Nationalism & Democracy, 1789-1945
- The Bomb: a Nuclear History
- Medieval Monasticism: the Cistercians
- History and Theory of Warfare
Reasons to choose this course include:
- Small classes with interactive learning
- Opportunity to construct your own degree scheme based on your favourite subjects
- Training in historical research methods
- Use of local record office and museum resources
- Wide range of modules
- Dynamic classes exploring real world issues
- Transferable interpersonal skills
- Opportunity to develop independent research projects
- Opportunities to study abroad and to undertake volunteer work
- Taught by tutors who research and publish in their chosen fields
- Field trips and visits to archives and record offices
- Interdisciplinary approaches to study and understanding of the past
The programme is assessed in a variety of ways and will include several of the following type of assessment: essays of 1,000 to 4,000 words in length, document analysis, book/ journal reviews, short reports and reflective journals, time tests, seen and unseen exams, field journals, posters, group and individual presentations, dissertations of 10,000 words, wikis, commentaries and film evaluations.
Grades are important; however, our offers are not solely based on academic results. We are interested in creative people that demonstrate a strong commitment to their chosen subject area and therefore we welcome applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. To assess student suitability for their chosen course we normally arrange interviews for all applicants at which your skills, achievements and life experience will be considered as well as your qualifications.
You will develop powers of analysis, logical thought and argument within a supportive and encouraging environment. It will be these skills of communication, understanding, analysis and self-management that provide you with a passport into employment. Types of employment could include museum and archive work, journalism, law, banking, local politics, all types of administrative work, marketing and advertising, and teaching.
Employment and career opportunities include:
- Teaching/ education officer
- Local Government, community, local politics
- Law and advocacy
- Fundraising, management consultancy, research
- Race relations, community, social work, caring professions
- Heritage (library, archives, museum, tourism)
- Postgraduate research
- General administrative and management posts
- Civil service
Annual tuition fees for entry in the academic year 2017/18 are as follows:
Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3% for International students and at the capped fee rate as set by the UK Government for UK/EU students.
You can find further information on fees and how to pay on our Student Finance pages.
You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's Bursaries and Scholarships page
There is an optional two-day residential for our students studying degree combinations which include Medieval Studies and/or History. It is the annual student-led Conference in Gregynog, where students can visit local historical sites of interest and attend themed guest lectures from visiting academics. This residential costs £110.