BA History (V100)

2024 entry | view 2025 entry

Course summary

At Bristol you will become part of our community of historians. As well as reading history, you will do history through a mix of broad survey units, specialist option units, and independent research projects. As a large department we are able to offer a broad-ranging and diverse curriculum. With a large number of optional units at every level, we encourage our students to find and pursue their own passions. Original research inspires all our teaching and the degree programme culminates with students producing a substantial final-year dissertation on a topic of their choice.

Across your degree you will be introduced to major themes in medieval, early modern and modern history. Our department includes historians of Britain and Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australasia, and even Antarctica. Small-group seminars are embedded at every stage of the degree to encourage deep analysis and debate around key sources, themes, and questions. Students will also attend lectures, workshops, and tutorials, where they can draw upon the rich expertise of our academic staff.

In recent years, first year optional topics have included:

  • Slavery
  • Modern Revolutions
  • Gender in the Modern World
  • Twentieth-century America
  • War and Society.

Whether you are interested in cultural history or political history, the very recent past or the pre-modern world, you will be able to explore the topics that inspire you and fire your imagination.

Course structure

Full details about the course structure and units for this course can be viewed in the programme catalogue.

Go to programme catalogue

Entry requirements

We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Below is a guide to the typical offers for this course.

AAA including History
DDD in any Applied General BTEC National Level 3 Extended Diploma and A in A-level History (or equivalent)

Find out more about BTEC entry requirements
36 points overall with 18 at Higher Level, including 6 at Higher Level in History
32 points overall with 16 at Higher Level, including 6 at Higher Level in History

Find out if you are eligible for a contextual offer
85% overall, with 8.5 in History
Advanced Higher: AA including History, and Standard Higher: AAAAB
Access to HE Diploma in Humanities, Social Sciences, Law or History (or similar titles). The 45 graded Level 3 credits must include at least 30 credits at Distinction (including 12 from History units) and 15 at Merit or above

More about Access to HE entry requirements
Requirements are as for A-levels, where you can substitute a non-subject specific grade for the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate at that grade.
Requirements for principal subjects are as for A-level, where D1/D2 is A*, D3 is A, M1/M2 is B, and M3 is C.
The University of Bristol welcomes applications from international students, and we accept a wide range of qualifications for undergraduate and postgraduate study.

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More about UK qualifications.