History

The University of Hertfordshire has an international reputation for the quality of its research in history. History is one of the largest subject areas on the Humanities Programme. This means we can offer you a very wide choice of modules, focusing on the political, social and cultural history of the period since 1500. From the outset you are taught how to analyse historical text and to engage with the wide variety of interpretations historians offer us of the past. These are the historian’s central skills and the modules you undertake in your second and third years are designed to develop these further. The wide choice of modules available to you in these years allows you to concentrate on those areas that you find especially interesting; you might focus on a particular region, such as Europe, or a particular period, such as the twentieth century.

Film

The academic study of film involves examining cinematic works from historical, critical and theoretical perspectives. Films from around the world and across the decades will be explored alongside a wealth of research material. Particular attention is paid to the close critical analysis of film, and the medium's stylistic possibilities. Achievements in film stem from the filmmakers' decision-making process, and happen within a constantly changing industrial system. Such real-world concerns are paramount to our studies. Film theory and film practice are considered together. As well as studies in classical and contemporary works, inquiries into the future of film are equally crucial. We consider film's place in the global age and in relation to emergent technologies.