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*The Sunday Times Best Places to Live Guide, 2026
Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Pre-register for Clearing
This course is available in Clearing. Apply now if you've got your results via 0113 812 3113, or pre-register before Results Day.
Undergraduate BA (Hons)
Available in clearingHistory and Politics
History explains the past. Politics shapes the future. Combine both to explore the events, ideas, and institutions influencing today’s world.
Course overview
-
V1L2 -
L27 -
City Campus -
Full-Time -
3 Years -
21 Sep 2026
How do past events shape today’s political decisions?
Explore pressing issues in contemporary politics on this BA History & Politics degree, including geopolitical rivalry, the impact of misinformation and social media, and the resurgence of right-wing populism. You’ll uncover the historical roots of today’s challenges by studying the rise of the nation-state, European imperialism, and the ideological conflicts of the 20th century.
Together, these perspectives will help you to understand the forces shaping our society today — and the ideas that will define tomorrow.
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 key concepts, methods, and approaches in both history and politics, then apply these to your studies with confidence and creativity
- Learn to analyse primary sources and the writings of historians and political scientists
- Investigate political theory and key issues around governance and international relations
Understand today’s world through the lens of history and politics
By combining history and politics, you’ll develop the ability to analyse evidence, evaluate competing perspectives, and understand the historical context behind today’s political debates. You’ll explore the ideas, ideologies, institutions, and policies that shape societies while building the research, communication, and critical thinking skills valued across a wide range of sectors.
Building your future potential
As a student in the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, you’ll be encouraged to think about your future career right from the start of your learning journey. Information and advice about relevant future career options is built into the first year of your degree.
During your second and third years, you’ll be able to choose modules with live brief challenges – real projects designed by employers – and work placement opportunities.
Why study the BA History & Politics course at Leeds Beckett University?
- Explore contemporary political issues through the lens of history, from conflict and climate change to democracy and global power
- Bring your learning to life by contributing to real-world heritage and digital history projects, including initiatives such as the Leeds Blitz website
- Develop transferable digital, communication, research, and analytical skills through a range of innovative assessments like podcasting, museum reports, and blog writing
- Benefit from our strong partnerships with community organisations and opportunities to apply your learning beyond the classroom
- Learn from expert academics whose teaching connects historical insight with modern political debate
Explore videos and blogs
8th
Leeds Beckett University history courses ranked 8th in England
History and Politics at Leeds Beckett | Course Overview Interested in exploring the past and understanding political systems? Our staff and students share insights into our history and politics course. Discover key topics and learn how this degree can lead to a range of careers.
Top 20
Leeds Beckett University politics courses rank in the top 20 in England
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
72
points required
If you’re unsure how to work out your UCAS points we have a UCAS Tariff Calculator which will do it for you. All you need to do is enter your qualifications and let the UCAS Tariff Calculator do the maths.
We have welcomed students from over 140 countries to study at Leeds Beckett University. If you are interested in studying with us you can find all the information you need about entry requirements and how to apply on our country specific pages.
Entry requirements
72
points required
48 from two A Levels or equivalent, excluding General Studies.
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 4 in English language and, where specified, Maths. Alternative qualifications such as functional skills are accepted in lieu of GCSEs for most courses.We have welcomed students from over 140 countries to study at Leeds Beckett University. If you are interested in studying with us you can find all the information you need about entry requirements and how to apply on our country specific pages.
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.
Modules, teaching and learning
What you'll learn
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.
Understand 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.
Gain an introduction to the major political, social, and cultural developments in 20th-Century Europe. You'll adopt thematic and comparative approaches to the study of European societies to build a useful framework for understanding modernity to post-modernity during this period. You'll study a number of key areas including the impact of the two world wars upon Europe, the rise of totalitarian dictatorships and the efforts at peace-making across the continent.
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.
What you'll learn
Review the recent history of British foreign policy starting in 1945. You'll explore contemporary debates regarding Britain's place in the world following Brexit. This module will cover topics such as the British empire and its legacy, the development of the Commonwealth, the UK's key strategic relationships with the United States and the European Union, and Britain's role in systems of global governance. During your study, you'll investigate key decision-points in post-war British foreign policy including the Suez crisis, entry into the European Community, the Falklands War, negotiations over the status of Hong Kong, the Iraq War and Brexit.
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.
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.
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.
Develop your historical research skill set through online lab sessions in which you will apply your learning from lectures. You will explore how to create a website using a content management system, how to use digital libraries such as JSTOR, how to use apps to understand specific landscapes of enquiry over time and the possibilities presented by virtual reality for research and research communication.
This module will consider how current health anxieties are historically represented in a range of written communications about medicine and the body. You'll investigate how other topical and pressing health agendas on issues such as mental health, disability, addiction and sexual health have been constituted and experienced in the past.
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.
Study how labour in the British empire was extracted by coercive means through four main case studies: slave societies in the Caribbean, colonial Indian indentureship, slavery at the Cape between the 17th and 19th centuries and forced labour in West Africa during the interwar and World War II period. You will examine the development of slave systems and other mechanisms to compel colonised people to work, the economic and ideological rationale behind transitions to enslaved labour, the ways in which slaveholders, planters and overseers controlled workers and the many ways in which workers resisted their bondage. This module also considers the creation of new identities and cultures amongst slaves and other unfree labourers, the different experiences of men and women, and the rise of British anti-slavery from the 18th up to the mid-20th century.
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.
Gain an understanding of late 20th century Britain by exploring some of the key themes in its social and cultural history during the period c.1979-1990. You'll develop skills in working with primary and secondary sources, and the ability to communicate ideas effectively.
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.
Explore the historical evolution of international human rights law at the United Nations. You will explore what rights are covered by the conventions and how the UN and human rights advocates use these legal mechanisms to promote and protect human rights internationally.
Understand and examine the way communities, states, organisations and institutions tackle violent conflicts (or potentially violent conflict situations). Using a range of theoretical models, case studies from around the world, and by relating this to your own experience, you'll learn about your own conflict styles, how to analyse conflicts and the different roles played by the UN and local communities in peacebuilding. You'll also become familiar with current debates in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
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?
Gain an overview of contemporary security issues, encompassing different perspectives from the state to the individual, and how security threats have changed over time and continue to change.
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.
Working independently with guidance from a supervisor, you'll produce an original piece of primary source research. This could be a digital or public history output which will enable you to develop and showcase key employability skills.
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.
Recent years have seen British politics navigating multiple seismic and systemic events, from the 2008 financial crisis and the following period of austerity, to Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic. This module will help you to make sense of British politics in these era-defining moments by charting its most significant developments over the last century. You'll examine the current condition of Britain and consider the key issues and challenges faced in British politics today, as well as how British politics might develop in the future. In covering the past, present, and future of British politics, you'll gain a detailed understanding of its key actors, institutions, processes and ideologies. You'll also build techniques for critical analysis and develop your own evidence-based arguments about the subject.
Option modules may include
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.'
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.
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.
Investigate the related issues of terrorism, security and human rights. You will explore the synthesis between the fear of terrorism which is a pervasive threat felt by both states and individuals, the response to these threats that states adopt in creating security policy, and the impact upon human and civil rights.
There are currently more than 280 million migrants on the move in the world. Millions of refugees and other people have been displaced from their homes due to violence, economic desperation, climate change, conflict and persecution. Although this is not a new problem, this level of displacement and forced and voluntary mobility is unprecedented and is increasingly framed as a crisis. This module will give you a strong understanding of how the social and political geographies of displacement and migration are produced, experienced and governed at various scales. You'll also examine how local communities are responding to the complex issues experienced by displaced people and migrant communities.
Explore the operation, practice and context of contemporary diplomacy and international relations. You'll study the traditional forms of and approaches to diplomacy. And you'll analyse the impact of changes in the international system on the practice and operation of international relations.
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.
Fees and funding
£9,790
UK
The annual tuition fee for students entering in the 2026/27 academic year is anticipated to be £9790 (the maximum annual tuition fee cap announced by the UK Government, which is subject to parliamentary approval).
For each subsequent year of study, the University may charge up to the maximum annual tuition fee cap set by the UK Government, which may increase in line with any uplift determined by the UK Government by law or government policy (such increases are expected to be linked to inflation).
£16,840
International 2026
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2026/27 is £16840.
Fees and funding
£9,790
For students entering in 2026
The annual tuition fee for students entering in the 2026/27 academic year is anticipated to be £9790 (the maximum annual tuition fee cap announced by the UK Government, which is subject to parliamentary approval).
For each subsequent year of study, the University may charge up to the maximum annual tuition fee cap set by the UK Government, which may increase in line with any uplift determined by the UK Government by law or government policy (such increases are expected to be linked to inflation).
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.
Optional Costs
- Educational visit costs will vary and will be dependent on details and location. Costs you'll need to pay could include travel, accommodation and subsistence.
- Work experience, placements, study related to live brief projects and/or any additional course experiences may involve travel. You'll need to pay for any additional travel or dual accommodation costs. You'll also be encouraged to make use of contacts in Leeds or your hometown to minimise these costs.
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.
£16,840
For students entering in 2026
The tuition fee for the year for students entering in 2026/27 is £16840.
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.
Optional Costs
- Educational visit costs will vary and will be dependent on details and location. Costs you'll need to pay could include travel, accommodation and subsistence.
- Work experience, placements, study related to live brief projects and/or any additional course experiences may involve travel. You'll need to pay for any additional travel or dual accommodation costs. You'll also be encouraged to make use of contacts in Leeds or your hometown to minimise these costs.
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.
Scholarships and bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that an education at Leeds Beckett University is open to all. If you're thinking of joining us for undergraduate study, you may be eligible for a non-repayable scholarship or bursary to help with the cost of university. To find out if you are be eligible visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
We also offer a range of non-repayable scholarships for international students. To find out if you may be eligible visit our scholarships for international students page and select your home country from the drop-down list.
Career prospects
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.
Career Prospects
The ability to understand complex issues, analyse evidence, communicate ideas clearly, and think critically is valued across a wide range of industries. Throughout your degree, you’ll develop these transferable skills while gaining a deeper understanding of history, politics, and global affairs.
You’ll become an informed and engaged citizen, able to participate thoughtfully in political debate, reflect on contemporary issues, and evaluate the ideas and decisions that shape society.
Whether you want to influence public policy, preserve historical knowledge, work in the media, or continue your studies, you’ll graduate with the confidence and adaptability to pursue a range of rewarding careers. You’ll be primed to enter a variety of sectors, such as:
- Civil service
- Local government
- Journalism and media
- Public policy
- Heritage and museums
- Teaching
- Research
- Financial services
- Charity and third sector organisations
- International organisations
The history course was interesting, and I loved learning the different topics and units it offered. The layout of the course in terms of exams and coursework was also really appealing to me as I thought it was manageable and had a good variety of assessments.
Ben Emmerson
BA (Hons) History
Students connect with employers at Humanities Careers Day At our annual careers day, students were able to meet and network with employers, attend interactive workshops from industry professionals and get bespoke feedback on their CV.
Dr Grainne Goodwin
Course Director / School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Dr Gráinne Goodwin is Senior Lecturer in Wider World History and is Course Director for the undergraduate Politics and International Relations degrees. With a background in colonial encounters, travel studies and book history, her research and teaching reflect her interdisciplinary approach with a focus on narratives of leisure, tourism, photographic cultures and identity politics. Having previously worked on the intersections between colonial encounters (specifically in British India), cultural production and gendered experience in the late-nineteenth century, Gráinne's current research focuses on histories of travel and tourism. She is finishing off a monograph of the Victorian guidebook series Murray's Handbook for Travellers, which considers the production and use of such guides and how they were constitutive of the modern traveller. Her next project uses “found” holiday albums to explore tourist behaviours, mobilities, self-presentation and identities in non-British settings from the 1920s to the 1960s.
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.”
Professor Simon Morgan
Head of Subject
Our Graduate Promise
We have a dedicated team of people who will support you with all aspects of your career planning, from day one until 18 months after you graduate.
Getting you career ready is an integral part of your university life and this is embedded throughout your lectures and seminars. Outside of your course there is a wide range of support available to help you achieve your career goals, including:
- Getting ready to apply for jobs
- Working on your CV
- Interview skills and assessment centres
- Connecting with employers and organisations
We’re ranked in the Top 10 universities in the UK for job prospects
(Student Crowd, 2025 - the only awards based entirely on student reviews).
Find out why...
Student life
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.
Explore Leeds Beckett
Step inside our immersive 360° virtual tour and discover cutting-edge facilities, dynamic learning spaces, and everything our campus has to offer.
Thinking of staying at home for your studies?
It’s a great option for lots of our local students
Public History Projects
Examples of recent public history research projects undertaken by students as part of this course.
Still thinking about your uni choices? Discover Uni has official information to help you decide. They provide statistics for courses taken from national surveys and data collected from universities about their students.
