Life in Leeds
Leeds is an exciting and vibrant student city, find out what it has to offer!
Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Undergraduate BA (Hons)
History and Politics
Combine modern history with politics to understand the roots of contemporary issues. Study ideologies and identities and think critically about policies and political institutions.
Course Overview
-
V1L2 -
L27 -
City Campus -
Full-Time -
3 Years -
19 Sep 2022
Explore pressing issues in contemporary politics, including Brexit, climate change and the resurgence of right-wing populism. You’ll gain an in-depth historical perspective including the rise of the nation-state, European imperialism, and the ideological conflicts of the 20th Century.
As part of this course, you’ll:
- Examine how historical events and processes have shaped the modern world, its ideologies and political institutions
- Understand how circumstances, chance and human agency have affected global events and processes
- Evaluate theories, methods and approaches relevant to both history and politics and apply these to your studies with confidence and creativity
- Analyse primary sources and the writings of historians and political scientists
- Be introduced to political theory and key issues around governance and international relations
This course blends skills in critical thinking from a historical perspective, evaluation of evidence and consideration of context. You’ll also learn to analyse the ideas, ideologies, policies and institutions that form the foundations of modern politics.
A series of optional modules reflecting the current research interests of staff across both subject teams will enable you to shape your own pathway through the degree.
Why study History & Politics at Leeds Beckett University...
- We offer distinctive and creative programmes that are responsive to the changes taking place in society
- Develop your flexible and critical thinking by combining two established subjects
- Benefit from strong and meaningful partnerships with community organisations
- Work on real-world projects such as the Leeds Blitz website
- Take assessments that build digital communication skills for the modern world
- Get advice from our expert careers service
School of Cultural Studies & Humanities The School of Cultural Studies & Humanities at Leeds Beckett celebrates student and staff with a true passion for the Arts and Humanities.
Everything you need to know
Discover all there is to know about the course, from entry requirements and fees to exploring the school you’ll be joining - we’ve got it covered.
Entry requirements
104
points required
If you're applying via UCAS, find out more about how your qualifications fit into the UCAS tariff.
We have now welcomed students from over 140 countries across the globe. If you are interested in studying with us you can find your country and get all the information you'll need about entry requirements and how to apply.
Entry requirements
104
points required
UCAS Tariff Points: 104 points required.
(Minimum Minimum 64 from two A Levels or equivalent, excluding General Studies).
If you're applying via UCAS, find out more about how your qualifications fit into the UCAS tariff.
GCSE English Language at Grade C or above (Grade 4 for those sitting their GCSE from 2017 onwards) or equivalent. Key Skills Level 2, Functional Skills Level 2 and the Certificate in Adult Literacy are accepted in place of GCSEs.
Access to HE Diploma:
Pass overall with a minimum of 104 UCAS tariff points.Scottish Awards:
Minimum of 5 subjects at Grade B at Higher Level.Irish Leaving Certificate:
Minimum of 5 subjects at Grade C1 or above at Higher Level of which at least 3 must be at B2.Selection Criteria
We may use selection criteria based on your personal attributes; experience and/or commitment to the area of study. This information will be derived from your personal statement and reference and will only be used if you have met the general entry requirements.
International baccalaureate
24 Points
IELTS
IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.
Mature applicants:
Our university welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. All students will be considered through the contextual admissions policy described above. If you do not meet the requirements through the contextual admissions policy, we may still be able to make you an offer if you have recent relevant work experience through our ‘Recognition of Prior Learning’ policy. Please ensure that you list both your qualifications and any relevant work experience in your application so that we can consider you under both schemes where applicable..
All applicants should meet our standard entry requirements of GCSE grade C in English language and, where specified, Maths. Alternative qualifications such as functional skills are accepted in lieu of GCSEs for most courses.
We have now welcomed students from over 140 countries across the globe. If you are interested in studying with us you can find your country and get all the information you'll need about entry requirements and how to apply.
If you're applying via UCAS, find out more about how your qualifications fit into the UCAS tariff.
Selection Criteria
We may use selection criteria based on your personal attributes; experience and/or commitment to the area of study. This information will be derived from your personal statement and reference and will only be used if you have met the general entry requirements.
International baccalaureate
24 Points
IELTS
IELTS 6.0 with no skills below 5.5, or an equivalent qualification. The University provides excellent support for any applicant who may be required to undertake additional English language courses.
Additional entry requirements:
Verify your qualifications
If you are an international student, we can help you to compare and verify your qualifications. Please contact our International Office on +44 (0)113 812 1111 09.00 to 17.00 Mon-Thurs / 09.00 to 16.30 Fri GMT or email internationaloffice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk.Need to improve your English Language skills?
Don't worry if you don't have the level of English required for your chosen course. We offer a wide range of courses which have been designed to help you to improve your qualifications and English language ability, most of which are accredited by the British Council. Check your English and find out more about our English courses.More questions?
No matter what your questions, we are here to answer them, visit our International website to get more information and find out about our online open days.Independent study is a crucial part of learning at university and you will be required to undertake many hours of self-directed research and reading, and preparation and writing of assessments. Your course is delivered through a number of modules, which will help you to plan your time and establish a study routine. Outside of your lectures, workshops and tutorials, a range of support is available to assist with your independent study. Our subject-specific librarians will be on hand to direct you to the specialist learning and study-skill resources. You’ll also be assigned an academic advisor to give you tailored feedback and support.
Our silver status in the latest Teaching Excellence Framework, reflects our commitment to deliver high-quality teaching, learning and outcomes for our students.
Teaching & Learning
What you'll learn
Understand the the nature and structure of the international system, and how modern states evolve and develop. Consider the evolution of the 20th Century States System, beginning with the decline of pax-Britannica, the inter-war crisis, the emergence of pax-Americana, the establishment and design of key international institutions, the Cold War, the end of the Cold War, rise of non-state actors, globalisation, the decline of the west and the rise of China, the ongoing economic crisis and democratisation.
Investigate some of the major developments considered to have shaped the modern European world. Your studies will take a thematic approach, looking at topics such as the Enlightenment, political and industrial revolutions, changing class structures and gender relations, and Europe?s often violent encounters with the wider world. You will establish a knowledge-base of key elements of European modernity and a chronological framework for further study.
Politics is fundamentally concerned with governance, which involves making and implementing collective decisions and rules. You will see how this involves a range of actors and institutions and is not just a matter for government or the state. UK governance will be the main focus but the United States will also be referred to in a comparative approach. You will also see how governance operates at multiple levels, not just within a national framework.
An opportunity to study the role of the public historian and others in creating and using historical knowledge in non-academic environments, such as heritage sites and on television.
Gain an introduction to the major political, social, and cultural developments in 20th-Century Europe. You will adopt thematic and comparative approaches to the study European societies to build a useful framework for understanding modernity to post-modernity during this period. You will study a number of key areas including World War One, interwar Europe, World War Two and the Holocaust, post-war European population movements, reconstruction and integration, Cold War Europe and the 'Atomic Age', European society and culture in the 'age of affluence'.
Political ideologies may be understood as frameworks of political understanding and commitment that are at the heart of political debate and have helped to shape the world we live in. You will explore the core ideas and beliefs of these major ideologies, to examine debates within and between ideologies, and to develop your own critical thinking in this area.
What you'll learn
Explores the UK's relationship with the EU, and investigate the application of appropriate theory in order to understand both the access of the UK and its decision to exit.
Investigate the nature, development and prospects of the state using a variety of theoretical approaches, and consider big questions about the state, such as: why should we obey the state? Who has power and how is political influence exercised? Does business exercise unrivalled influence? What are the arguments for `growing' or `shrinking' the state? Is globalisation forcing the state to retreat?
Your studies will be divided into two parts. In the first you will study the varied approaches historians use to study the past. In the second, you will be supported by a member of staff to develop a viable dissertation proposal.
Option modules may include
The Atlantic World was marked by a series of revolutionary transformations between the 1770s and 1848 - you'll explore how themes such as democracy, gender, race and violence ran across different revolutions.
Study how different media, including visual art, material culture and literary fiction, shaped and interpreted the modern British landscape. Reflecting recent trends in social and cultural history, you will look at the history of material forms, from water to electricity, and of the senses through which the environment has been apprehended. You will then consider the conservation and the place of landscape in contemporary policy-making.
Examine the origins, implementation and aftermaths of genocide by engaging extensively with historiography and contemporary debates about victims and perpetrators, the `grey zone? of resistance, collaboration and survival, and particularly the politics of remembrance. This module will also encourage you to critically examine why past genocides, such as the Nazi Holocaust, have assumed such importance in contemporary society. You will engage with debates about the politics of commemoration requiring the use of theory and empirical evidence and consider the language and history of remembrance in relation to genocide.
Explore the ideological challenges posed by communism and fascism to liberal democracy in the 20th century. In particular, you will focus on the `Age of Extremes' (1918-1991), in which authoritarian ideologies of the left and right embraced mass politics and offered alternative visions of social and political organisation that directly challenged the hegemony of the liberal-capitalist order. This module will enable you to question the usefulness of totalitarianism as a concept to understanding this era in history.
Develop an understanding of this moment in history and the contexts which gave rise to popular media forms of 60s' Britain. You'll gain familiarity with and assess the significance of approaches, frameworks and methods in historical explanation of this period. This will include key debates surrounding permissiveness, cultural revolution, and emergent identity politics.
Engage with historiographical debates which challenge long-held historical assumptions of an imperial/metropolitan divide. You will examine the role of the empire in British social, political, cultural and material life and how the relation between metropole and colony was experienced and expressed in everyday practices, such as consumer culture and popular entertainment. You will use a wide range of primary sources including visual, media and literary material. This module will explore and problematise how the empire is presented and preserved today by encouraging you to reflect critically on how histories, objects and perceptions of empire are presented in the 21st century in institutions where collections of empire are displayed.
This module will cover themes of change in European history during the `Age of Revolutions', namely the period between the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789 to the completion of national unifications in Italy and Germany by 1871. You will focus on the development of new political ideologies, the impact of economic and social and economic change, the advance of communications technology, cultural conflict, and reflections of all of these themes through the art and architecture of the period.
This module covers the key movements for political change in the British Isles over the period from the Wilkesite protests of the 1760s to the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Your studies will encompass movements such as those mounted by Christopher Wyvill?s Yorkshire Association, radical movements for universal suffrage such as Chartism and violent action against the state and its functionaries such as the Despard Conspiracy, and revolutionary movements, including Irish Republicanism.
Understand the way that humanities disciplines and skills intersect with a range of professional working contexts. You will complete 36 hours of live-brief learning to gain first-hand experience of planning, delivery and evaluating a professional working brief set by an industry partner organisation. You will work as a group across 10 weeks alongside a tutor to design, deliver, present and evaluate the brief to industry standards. As well as conducting a reflective case study of your brief, you will complete a CV, cover letter, LinkedIn profile and undertake a recorded mock interview.
Gain an insight into the key concepts, methods and debates within Marxism and develop your capacity to reflect upon the political relevance of Marxism today. The module will be geared towards a critical understanding of capitalism and its evolution as a historically specific mode of production.
Gain an overview of contemporary environmental debates, with a particular focus on climate change and its consequences. You'll critically assess the evidence for global environmental crisis, and efforts at global cooperation to address the issues. This module will consider issues such as responsibility, and the role of environmental movements and alternative models of development.
What you'll learn
You'll demonstrate a full range of skills, knowledge, and competencies developed over three years of study. This module provides an opportunity for you to choose and explore a field of study that has particularly engaged your interest.
Explore the operation, practice and context of contemporary policy making at the national level. Examine the actors, mechanisms and practice of policy making, and the drivers of policy change, via a focus on specific case studies. You will engage with key decision making theories and models of the policy process, exploring how institutional analyses and other theoretical approaches help to understand the complexity of the policy process.
Option modules may include
Consider the question of what constitutes `national identity? and the relationship between cultural identities and the political questions of the day. This module will place the debate in historical context, exploring the emergence of a `United Kingdom? from the acts of union with Scotland and Ireland in 1707 and 1801 respectively to the partial disintegration of this union with the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922, to the triumph of devolution under Tony Blair?s New Labour government in 1999 and the EU referendum of 2016. You will have the opportunity to develop your presentation and leadership skills by designing and running one of your seminar sessions as part of a group exercise.
Study the complex and contested history of 20th-century South Africa by focusing on the development, implementation, and aftermaths of the apartheid system of racial segregation and discrimination. You will study key themes including the aftermath of the 1899-1902 South African (`Boer') War, the development of a distinctive Afrikaner identity during the 1920s and 30s, changing ideas about race and class, and the formal establishment of apartheid in 1948. Your studies will also consider aspects of social and cultural life under apartheid, for example the so-called `Drum' decade of the 1950s, and the roles and experiences of women, underpinned by a critical consideration of the historiography of gender in South Africa. You will also consider opposition to apartheid, and the formal end of apartheid and white minority rule in 1994. The module will conclude by considering developments in South Africa post-1994, focusing on political transformation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the construction of `new nationalisms' and the writing of new histories.
Study the initial spread of communism after 1945 to the collapse of communism in the revolutions of 1989/90. You will explore the onset of the Cold War that led to the division of Europe into `West? and `East? by the `iron curtain?. Your studies will look at the communist monopoly of power and Soviet control over Eastern Europe, and the numerous challenges, upheavals and compromises it underwent between 1945 and 1989. In addition to high-profile popular challenges to the ruling authorities such as the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the Prague Spring of 1968, this module will also see you consider the various reforms adopted, the increasing role of dissent, and some of the ways that people reacted to, reshaped and resisted communism in their everyday lives.
Focus on the British Home Front during the Second World War and consider the extent to which the conflict should be regarded as ‘The People’s War’. Taking a thematic approach based on primary sources and artefacts, you'll trace the impact of the Second World War on British civilians. You'll consider its social, cultural and political legacies. Particular attention will be paid to everyday experiences of the war and the ways that these were presented through a range of different media. This module will end with a conference led by you and your peers, comprised of group presentations.
Gain hands-on experience of making public history by working in a small group on a discrete local history project commissioned by an external group or member of academic staff. Training workshops and tutorials will help guide you through the research process and the final outcome will be determined by each group in consultation with their sponsor. This module will reflect a growing interest in local communities about the places where they live, and will provide you with the opportunity to critically reflect on the skills you have developed and the public role of the historian.
This module will trace the history of British holidaymaking abroad by considering motives for and experiences of travel. You will evaluate changes in how travellers journeyed across two centuries, and explore notions including national identity, racial inequality, coming of age, gender and pilgrimage, which are enabled and challenged by foreign holidaying. Drawing on diaries, travel ephemera, journalism and instructive literature, you will study documents replete with accounts of Britishness, how to behave, what to see and do, the value of empire and the unpredictable nature of foreigners. You will also consider the ways in which encounters with other cultures and peoples are recorded, understood, and justified and in so doing understand how travel documents can reveal as much about British prejudices and perceptions as they reveal about the locations being visited.
Consider the social, political and cultural histories of Paris in the 19th century. Starting with Napoleon's demise in 1815, you will trace the rise and fall of the many political dynasties and systems which came and went in this period. You will then move on to looking at social and cultural change, as well as the developments in urban planning and infrastructure, all of which caused many to consider Paris the `Capital of the 19th Century.'
Explore the ways in which history and media can be brought together to enhance our understanding of both the past and the present. Using cities such as Paris or London as case studies, you'll learn about how the idea of modernity evolved as people began to contend with the experience of urbanisation.
Examine the history of the sea, the seaside and the humans who have lived upon them since the beginning of modern globalisation in the mid-to-late-eighteenth century. You will also have the opportunity to consider the changing representation and imagination of the sea and sealife in popular culture and art.
Study the role that the street has played since the mid-19th century in shaping our lives and identities. This module is concerned with the everyday lives of urban dwellers who used streets for work, leisure, travel, and living in its many legal and illegal ways. You will examine the different users of the street, and the changing representation of the street across our period. In addition to lectures and seminars, you will attend classes off-campus - on the streets and in the arcades with walking tours, in the city's public libraries and in museums. You will be introduced to the variety of primary sources that reveal the personality of a city's streets and activities, around which you will write assignments: photographs, film, maps, newspapers, testimonies, and the buildings and public spaces themselves.
By reflecting on learning acquired through work placements, this module will focus on promoting self-awareness of your ‘career story’. You will look at how you evaluate your current skills, explore the future possibilities in your career development and navigate pathways through those chosen possibilities. This module will enable you to become ‘cartographer’ of your own future experience. You will embark upon a minimum of 80 hours work placement, supported by reflective exercises, and build expertise and confidence through a range of assessments designed by the course team and employer partners. Conceptualised and designed by digital specialists, the module is purposefully created to be delivered and experienced online – reflecting the increasingly distributed nature of work communications and embracing digital environments as an integral aspect of how employees and the self-employed progress their careers.
Get an introduction to the ideas of global governance and globalisation and the intersection between them. You will begin to think critically about future patterns of world order and their institutionalisation.
This module will provide an advanced introduction to current debates about the persisting relevance of colonialism to thinking about politics today. It will introduce you to the critical theoretical literature around ‘coloniality’ and race from post-colonial and decolonial perspectives and applies these ideas to contemporary political issues.
Examine the history of Italy from the beginning of the country's national resurgence during the late 18th century to the present day. You will study the major political, economic, social and cultural developments of this history with a particular focus upon the themes of `continuity' and `change' from one period to another.
Explore the longer history of civil rights in the United States and Canada from the Civil War until today by studying a broad range of people including marginalised populations such as indigenous groups, women, children, and the LGBTQ community. You will study major themes in the history of race, ethnicity, and culture in North America, covering such topics as suffrage, eugenics, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Black Zionism, Red Power, urban ghettos, music, Idle No More, and politics.
Fees & Funding
The tuition fees for the 2022/23 academic year are not yet confirmed.
The tuition fees for the 2022/23 academic year are not yet confirmed.
Fees & Funding
The tuition fees for the 2022/23 academic year are not yet confirmed.
Additional course costs
Tuition Fees
Your tuition fees cover the cost of registration, tuition, academic supervision, assessments and examinations.
The following are also included in the cost of your course:
- 24/7 Library and student IT support
- Free wifi via eduroam
- Skills workshops and resources
- Library membership, giving access to more than 500,000 printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to software, including five free copies of Microsoft Office 365 to install on your PC,laptop and MAC, and access to free high-end software via the Leeds Beckett remote app
- Loan of high-end media equipment to support your studies
Other study-related expenses to consider: materials that you will need to complete your course such as books (whilst the library provides access to readings recommended for your modules, you may wish to purchase your own copies of some books); you can also make suggestions for books to be added to Library stock; placement costs (these may include travel expenses and living costs); student visas (international students only); printing, photocopying and stationery (you may need to pay for multiple copies of your dissertation or final project to be printed and bound); events associated with your course such as field trips; study abroad opportunities (travel costs and accommodation, visas and immunisations). Other costs could include academic conferences (travel costs) and professional-body membership (where applicable). The costs you will need to cover for graduation will include gown hire and guest tickets, and optional extras such as professional photography.
As well as your mobile phone, you will also need access to a desktop computer and/or laptop to complete assignments and access university online services such as MyBeckett, your virtual learning environment. You can book and borrow AV equipment through the media equipment service accessed online via the student hub and located in the library at each campus. Equipment includes: 360 Cameras, iPads, GoPros, MacBooks, portable data projectors, portable projection screens, flipchart stands, remote presenters, digital cameras and camcorders, SLR cameras, speakers, microphones, headphones, headsets, tripods, digital audio recorders and PC/laptops (a laptop loans service is provided on campus in the library on both campuses). Student laptops are also available from the laptop lockers located in the libraries.
This list is not exhaustive, costs are approximate and will vary depending on the choices you make during your course. Any rental, travel or living costs are also in addition to your course fees. If you choose to study via distance learning, you may not be able to access all of the facilities listed if you are not able to visit us on campus.
Additional information
For further information on financing your studies or information about whether you may qualify for one of our bursaries and scholarships, follow the links below:
The tuition fees for the 2022/23 academic year are not yet confirmed.
Additional course costs
Tuition Fees
Your tuition fees cover the cost of registration, tuition, academic supervision, assessments and examinations.
The following are also included in the cost of your course:
- 24/7 Library and student IT support
- Free wifi via eduroam
- Skills workshops and resources
- Library membership, giving access to more than 500,000 printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to software, including five free copies of Microsoft Office 365 to install on your PC,laptop and MAC, and access to free high-end software via the Leeds Beckett remote app
- Loan of high-end media equipment to support your studies
In many cases, costs associated with your course will be included in your course fee. However, in some cases there are ‘essential’ additional costs (those that you will be required to meet in addition to your course fee), and/or ‘optional’ additional costs (costs that are not required, but that you might choose to pay). We have included those essential or optional additional costs that relate to your course, below.
Other study-related expenses to consider: materials that you will need to complete your course such as books (whilst the library provides access to readings recommended for your modules, you may wish to purchase your own copies of some books); you can also make suggestions for books to be added to Library stock; placement costs (these may include travel expenses and living costs); student visas (international students only); printing, photocopying and stationery (you may need to pay for multiple copies of your dissertation or final project to be printed and bound); events associated with your course such as field trips; study abroad opportunities (travel costs and accommodation, visas and immunisations). Other costs could include academic conferences (travel costs) and professional-body membership (where applicable). The costs you will need to cover for graduation will include gown hire and guest tickets, and optional extras such as professional photography.
As well as your mobile phone, you will also need access to a desktop computer and/or laptop to complete assignments and access university online services such as MyBeckett, your virtual learning environment. You can book and borrow AV equipment through the media equipment service accessed online via the student hub and located in the library at each campus. Equipment includes: 360 Cameras, iPads, GoPros, MacBooks, portable data projectors, portable projection screens, flipchart stands, remote presenters, digital cameras and camcorders, SLR cameras, speakers, microphones, headphones, headsets, tripods, digital audio recorders and PC/laptops (a laptop loans service is provided on campus in the library on both campuses). Student laptops are also available from the laptop lockers located in the libraries.
This list is not exhaustive, costs are approximate and will vary depending on the choices you make during your course. Any rental, travel or living costs are also in addition to your course fees. If you choose to study via distance learning, you may not be able to access all of the facilities listed if you are not able to visit us on campus.
Additional information
For further information on financing your studies or information about whether you may qualify for one of our bursaries and scholarships, follow the links below:
BA (Hons) History - Student view Student Sophia Lambert shares how the history of Leeds inspires her study at Leeds Beckett University
BA (Hons) History & Politics combines two well-established academic disciplines to produce resilient and adaptable graduates who are ready for the challenges of a changing world. Our research-informed modules will develop your awareness of modern politics while grounding that awareness in a deeper historical understanding of the roots of contemporary issues, ideologies and identities.”
Dr Simon Morgan
Head of Subject
Leeds Beckett Being Human Festival On 19 November 2016 academics and students worked together from the School of Cultural Studies & Humanities to run ran a free interactive session Urban Dreams (and Nightmares) as part of the Being Human Festival.
Your future in our hands
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a course. Take a look at the team you’ll be working with, employability statistics and career prospects to help make up your mind.
Your Beckett experience
At Leeds Beckett your experience is important to us, find out more about what to expect from your time on this course and life at uni.
Experience Leeds Beckett
Our state-of-the-art facilities and learning environments give you everything you need to succeed.
Similar courses
OPEN DAY
Join us for our Open Day and experience what student life at Leeds Beckett is all about.