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Introduction
Why choose this course?
Key features
Specialise in distinctive areas such as photographic history, history of sport and leisure, war and conflict, migration, ethnicity and racism.
Develop a wide range of transferable skills by learning how to research and communicate complex information effectively. Our graduates use these skills to forge successful careers across a range of professions including teaching, the law, marketing and the heritage and museum sector.
Set yourself apart with a recognised competence in Mandarin. You will study Mandarin at a level and pace that really suits you and your needs, alongside developing your knowledge of the country, the society, the culture and the people.
You will receive expert teaching from our team of renowned academics, which is enhanced by lectures from visiting guest speakers.
Benefit from organised visits to archives and museums such as National Archives in London. You can also access DMU’s own historical collections, such as the Stephen Lawrence Papers, the Ski Club of GB archive and the Kodak collection, held at the Kimberlin Library.
Apply your skills to a real-world context through a placement. Previous students have gained professional experience at a large regional newspaper, Leicester’s award-winning King Richard III Visitor Centre, and taught at a school in Spain.
Benefit from Education 2030, where a simplified ‘block learning’ timetable means you will study one subject at a time and have more time to engage with your learning, receive faster feedback and enjoy a better study-life balance.
Overview
Our History programme is diverse, international in focus and innovative. Exploring primarily modern and contemporary history, this course will teach you the skills for effective research and analysis, helping to hone your ability to absorb, communicate and critically analyse complex information.
Reflecting the globalised world we live in, the curriculum covers British, South Asian, European and African and North and South American history and explores topics such as colonialism, decolonisation, immigration, ethnic minorities, gender, photographic history and the history of sport and leisure.
This course will hone your ability to absorb, communicate and critically analyse complex information. As you progress through the course, we’ll challenge you with more in-depth explorations and you can deepen your own historical interests. You’ll be supported by a passionate teaching team who are leading experts in their fields and provide a dynamic learning environment with a variety teaching and assessment methods.
Alongside your History curriculum, you will study Mandarin from either beginner level or post-beginner level. You will develop your linguistic skills and also gain an understanding of social, cultural, political, historical and artistic topics.
Modules
First year
Block 1: Modern Britain Since 1800
Block 2: Empire, Nation and Revolution in the 19th century
Block 3: Mandarin Beginner or Mandarin Post-Beginner
Block 4: Ideology, War and Society in the 20th Century
Second year
Block 1: Global Cold War
Block 2: Multicultural Societies in History
Block 3: Mandarin Post-Beginner or Mandarin Intermediate
Block 4: Investigating the Past
Third year
Block 1: Culture, Society and Conflict
Block 2: Independence Movements
Block 3: Mandarin Intermediate or Mandarin Advanced
Year long: Dissertation
Entry Criteria
ENTRY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Home Office Share Code
For EU students only.
IF no Qualification
Please provide CV with at least 2 years of work experience, and employee reference letter.
Entry criteria
Typical entry requirements
112 points from at least 2 A levels or
BTEC Extended Diploma DMM or
International Baccalaureate: 26+ Points or
T Levels Merit
Plus five GCSEs grades 9-4 including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above.
Pass Access with 30 level 3 credits at Merit and GCSE English (Language or Literature) at grade 4 or above.
We will normally require students to have had a break from education from full-time education before undertaking the Access course.
We also accept the BTEC First Diploma plus two GCSEs including English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above
Interview required: No
English language requirements
If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.
English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.
Assessment
ASSESSMENT METHODS
1. INTERNAL ENGLISH TEST if you don't have an English accredited certificate
2. Academic Interview
Teaching and assessments
Our teaching is interactive, informal and enjoyable. We encourage you to develop your own thoughts, ideas and viewpoints and you will build the skills you need to be effective in both historical study and the modern workplace.
The modules are all designed to improve your skills as an effective historian from analysis and research to reasoning and evaluation. They are also constructed to help you develop aptitudes and characteristics that will improve your employability for a wide range of careers.
You will be taught by experts in their field, the people who are writing the books you are reading. Our history staff are renowned nationally and internationally for the quality of their teaching and research. We work hard to ensure that the student experience is lively, dynamic and stimulating, and regular guest lecturers and speakers address both curriculum-related topics and topics of broader historical interest.
There is a varied mix of assessment including: work in pairs and in groups, primary source analysis, presentations, portfolios, podcasts and/ or videos, essay writing, timed essays, and individual project work culminating in a dissertation. The assessments are designed to build on each other as you progress in your studies and you will have opportunities to receive feedback on your work throughout. With a variety of different assessment methods, you can build on your individual strengths as well as develop a range of skills in creativity, project management, team work, verbal communication, writing for a variety of audiences and the use of different technologies. For the Mandarin language modules, assessment is focused on evaluating your competence in the four key skills of Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Hearing and your knowledge of the cultural, social, and historical context.
You will have Mandarin language classes throughout the year as this continuous approach is recognised as the best way to learn a language, with the majority of teaching taking place in Block 3.
Contact hours
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, group work and self-directed study. In your first year you will normally attend around 10 hours of timetabled taught sessions (lectures and tutorials) each week, and we expect you to undertake at least 27 further hours of independent study to complete project work and research.
Career Opportunities
Placements
During this course you will have the option to complete a paid placement year, an invaluable opportunity to put the skills developed during your degree into practice. This insight into the professional world will build on your knowledge in a real-world setting, preparing you to progress onto your chosen career.
Previous students have taken up placements in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, including some international posts. Students Kayleigh Cardy and Cory Hancock secured year-long placements as English language teaching assistants in Spain though DMU’s Erasmus+ programme.
Kayleigh said: “It’s been so much more than a placement. I’ve travelled, I’ve learned about a whole new culture and I’ve grown as a person. It’s highlighted what I can achieve when I set my mind to something and I feel better prepared for my final year of university as I’m more independent and confident.”
Our Careers Team can help to hone your professional skills with mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and an assigned personal tutor will support you throughout your placement.
DMU Global
Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons, helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.
Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.
History students have previously learned about Jewish immigrant life in New York, discovered Danish heritage in Copenhagen and explored the legacies of authoritarian rule in Berlin.
Graduate careers
Employability skills are embedded in the curriculum to prepare you for a range of careers both related to your subject and in wider industries. Our graduates have gone on to forge successful careers in various professions, such as in teaching, law, public relations, marketing, journalism, civil service and the heritage and museum sectors, including roles such as:
Deputy Manager at the National Waterways Museum
Communication and Marketing Executive at Cambridge University Press
Associate at multinational law firm Eversheds Sutherland
Head of History at a high school
Graduates also have the opportunity to undertake further studies such as Sports History and Culture MA at DMU.
Recent History graduate, Jessica, is now undertaking a PhD at DMU. She said: “The staff were clearly enthusiastic about their subjects and it felt like a vibrant department to be part of. I felt supported by my personal tutor and subject tutors; they were always there to ask about further reading or something I wasn't clear on, as well as individual support.”
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