History

Recent fiddling with the Joint Academic Classification of Subjects system used by the Higher Education Statistics Authority has left us with a problem. So far as the data is concerned, it is no longer possible to separate history' from history of art. So you all have to gather round and get along with each other for a while. More than ever, you've also got to use the advice and league tables in these pages as a starting point. We can tell you what to look for, but there's more work ahead of you.

To start with "straight" history: you may have noticed that the subject has undergone something of a makeover in the past few years with the likes of Simon Schama and David Starkey striding confidently across our TV screens, explaining events in their engaging way. Suddenly, that sort of earnest fascination with the past is rather cool.

The possibilities of studying the history of the world are so vast that most history degrees begin with general outline courses in the first year and become gradually more specialised from then on. The intention of such broad surveys is to acquaint students with as wide a range of materials and approaches to history as possible in order that they can make informed decisions when it comes to choosing options in subsequent years. Many degrees ensure, for example, that all students gain some experience of a period before 1485 and some familiarity with extra-European history during their first two years. Some students may find that a bit of a problem, but many will be pleasantly surprised.

The standard method of teaching is by a combination of lectures and small-group tutorials. Lectures will vary in number from between one to three per course per week, while tutorials will usually be weekly or fortnightly. The purpose of tutorials is the discussion of assigned reading and short student presentations may be encouraged.

Essays are required at regular intervals and these are included in an element of continuous assessment on some degree courses. Otherwise assessment generally remains weighted towards examinations, taken either at the end of a term/semester or at the end of the academic year.

In the final two years of a (three-year) degree, courses tend to become more specific and more narrowly focused on a particular place, period or theme. Those based around the study of foreign countries or earlier periods may encourage you to learn a language; those based around particular methodologies or historical approaches may draw on theories from other branches of the human and social sciences or may encourage a knowledge of statistics. History is becoming a much broader degree than it used to be.

Partly for that reason, a history degree is widely respected by employers as fostering the ability to read critically and think independently, to gather information and analyse data, and to present ideas both orally and on paper. History graduates go on to pursue a wide variety of careers, including t...

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