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BA (Hons) History and Journalism

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Key information

Typical offer:
Entry requirements
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UCAS code: V1P9
Institute code: H36
Study abroad option
Work placement option
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Entry requirements

UCAS points A Level BTEC IB
112-120 BBC-BBB DMM-DDM 112-120

Additional requirements

GCSE: Grade 4/C in English Language and 4/D Mathematics
Access course tariff: An overall merit profile in 45 credits at Level 3.
All students from non-majority English speaking countries require proof of English language proficiency, equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each band.
If you do not have the required IELTS or equivalent for direct entry on to your degree programme, our Pre-sessional English and International Foundation courses can help you to achieve this level.
For more details on the University of Hertfordshire's entry requirements, please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page.
Find out more about International Entry Requirements.
The University of Hertfordshire is committed to welcoming students with a wide range of qualifications and levels of experience. The entry requirements listed on the course pages provide a guide to the minimum level of qualifications needed to study each course. However, we have a flexible approach to admissions and each application will be considered on an individual basis.
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UCAS points	A Level	BTEC	IB
112-120	BBC-BBB	DMM-DDM	112-120

Why choose this course?

Continual updating of content to reflect sought after skills
Join our award-winning Oral History Team, featured on BBC R4
Focus on your interests - All History modules optional after 1st year

Ever wondered how past events shape the current world? You’ll learn how the past affects today’s world, how people learn (or don’t learn) from these events. You’ll see patterns and parallels between the past and present. You’ll critically analyse how events are told by different people.

The famous war reporter, Kate Adie, described journalism as “a ringside seat at history” and by studying both subjects together you’ll get the chance to think both about how past events were covered and how current news stories and features can help us understand both past and present better. You’ll start to learn to write and broadcast using journalism conventions while building confidence and communication skills through learning to write articles, blogs and broadcast. You’ll even take a module looking at some of the journalistic stories that have changed History alongside learning to be critical of what you read and how to avoid disseminating or being taken in by fake news.

The University uses a variety of teaching methods. For Journalism and History, you'll have interactive workshops with the occasional lecture. This course is about much more than sitting in a classroom. It’s about doing practical work to get you ready for a career, with employability skills built into all modules. It’s no wonder that 80% of graduates are in work or doing further study 15 months after the course (Graduate Outcomes, 2019/2020). History and Journalism graduates have in the past gone into areas such as journalism, marketing, PR and the civil service.

You’ll study at the University that has contributed to ‘Harry Potter: A History of Magic,’ part of a British Library exhibition. You’ll learn about national and international history, from Europe to Africa and America. Our course focuses on the connection between past and present, linking people’s history and everyday lives.

Your Journalism lecturers are practising journalists and journalism theorists who are experienced in a range of platforms and you will learn to both write and broadcast. There are also ample opportunities to get involved in extracurricular activities, such as clubs and societies. As part of the Oral History team, some of our students produced interviews for a BBC Radio 4 programme, which was commended for the Public History Prize by the Royal Historical Society. Many journalism students take part in our Journalism Society, or come to the Media Matters series where you can meet industry practitioners ranging from people running features agencies looking for new talent to owners of their own media companies.

Herts is one of the few universities in the UK with an active Oral History team. This is all about recording people’s stories before they are lost forever. This can be on topical issues, such as immigration and retirement. You could set up your very own project. For example, we've run projects with Watford and Stevenage Football Clubs, local charities, and groups from the wider community, on projects ranging from migrant experiences to the de Havilland Aircraft Company. This optional co-curricular is great for your CV. It helps you develop project management, research and even networking skills, that employers' value. In journalism, you can opt to take a work experience module, build your own portfolio, liaise with international journalists on our international module or even take a placement year in an area related to media or journalism. Our nearness to London means there are a great many opportunities to get a taste of the thriving world-renowned media industry and previous students have had internships ranging from Hello magazine to local radio.

History was ranked in the top 25% of UK universities for research impact. (Research Excellence Framework, 2021).

What's the course about?

In your first year, you’ll learn the foundations of Journalism and History. You can explore faith, magic and medicine and campaigns for freedom and equality. You’ll learn essential journalistic skills, learn about the media industry and think about the importance of behaving ethically.

In your second year, you’ll study news, features and radio in more depth alongside the history of journalism. You’ll be able to choose all your History modules. These include family life in the 18th century, crime and society in the 16th century and British imperialism. It’s totally up to you.

Work placement/study abroad option: Between your second and final year, you’ll have the option to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. If you’d rather go straight to your final year, that’s absolutely fine too. You’ll decide in your second year with us, so there is still plenty of time to think about this.

In your final year, you’ll do a final year History project known as a dissertation. You’ll do your own research on a topic of your choosing. You can even do an oral history project if you prefer this – a unique opportunity to combine your Journalism and History knowledge. For Journalism, you can specialise in online Journalism, global news reporting or make your own Journalism portfolio. This will give you the chance to gain work experience in a real news setting, such as a newspaper, magazine or newsroom.

Your main campus is de Havilland

You’ll share this campus with students from business, law, sport, education, and humanities subjects. The student housing is close to our Sports Village which includes a gym, swimming pool and climbing wall. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner in our on-campus restaurant or bar (in the newly built Enterprise Hub) on days you don’t feel like cooking. You can also use the common room to play pool, video games or just to hang out with friends.  Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.  

What will I study?

Degree programmes are structured into levels, 4, 5 and 6.  These correspond to your first, second and third/final year of study.  Below you can see what modules you’ll be studying in each.  

Level 4

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Journalism, Law and Ethics	15 Credits	Compulsory
In this module, students will be introduced to key laws impacting on journalists, including defamation, copyright and Freedom of Information. They will also explore the Human Rights Act as it affects journalists and compare defamation law across different countries. Students will also investigate the ethical dilemmas that may impact on journalists in any Western liberal democracy and look at the codes of conduct that have been put in place to encourage ethical behaviour.
Journalism Skills: Multiplatform	15 Credits	Compulsory

Journalism and Government	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module will prepare you for the dealings you will have with national and local government. Audiences expect journalists to be abreast of current events and to have information explained to them in a clear and concise fashion, by commentators who are familiar with and who understand the UK political landscape. Local and national government are major sources of information and key players in events which shape the news. The information government provides willingly, by means of the press release for example, has to be treated with caution; it is the role of the journalist to extract salient information. Through a series of workshops in which you will take a hands-on approach to your own learning, you will learn the fundamentals of public affairs in the UK, which will prove crucial not only for your careers but also for the production of breaking news stories, features and documentaries.
The Fight for Rights: Freedom and Oppression, 1790s-1990s	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module takes you through 200 years of national and global conflicts over people's rights, and the complex history of the recognition of human rights. Taking a 'history from below' approach, this module will give you critical thinking skills in understanding how global change affects individuals and different communities, and how different social movements fought for rights, including women, sexuality, race and disability. You will investigate the impact of revolutions and new ideas in inspiring different groups across the world to challenge and defend their social, political and economic rights.
Historians' Toolkit	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module provides you with the 'toolkit' of the historical profession. It supports the transition from secondary education, and those returning to education, by teaching you the history skills needed at university, in a hands-on and relevant way. You will learn about the historical development of the discipline, explore the ways historians interpret a wide range of sources, and develop your essay writing skills.
Africa and the World, 1450-1850	15 Credits	Compulsory
The history of Africa is rich and varied but has all too often been viewed through European lenses of prejudice and self-interest; such perspectives shaped by the experiences of Africa's slave trades and of colonisation. This module explores the history of Africa and its peoples from early settlement to the mid-nineteenth century, and, taking an African perspective, how Africa and Africans encountered and engaged with the people, culture and religions of the wider world. The module will explore how contact with the nations and peoples of Europe, Asia and America forged new political institutions and global trade networks, changed religious practices and social conventions, and drew Africans – willingly and unwillingly – into a global diaspora.
Belief and Disbelief: Faith, Magic and Medicine, 1500 - 1800	15 Credits	Optional
Many of the debates that define the making of our modern era were concerned with the relationships between religion, science, magic, and medicine. This module begins by exploring the early modern ideas and practices that shaped people's understanding of the natural and supernatural world in Protestant England and Catholic Europe, and also how these influenced European colonial views of the religions and rituals of other cultures. The module will question how events like the witch trials affected peoples' medical, magical, and theological 'world view', and challenge students to consider the extent to which the Reformation and Enlightenment transformed health, faith, and beliefs in everyday life.
Cashing In: Traders and Consumers, 1600 - 2001	15 Credits	Optional
International trade has a significant impact on the way we live. The food we eat, the clothes we wear, the gadgets we use and the services we rely on are often created in distant places and delivered to us through complex trading networks. This module will introduce you to the long history of global trade and consumption. We will consider how the desire for foreign commodities helped transform economies, polities and cultures around the world. We will explore the lives of the traders who supplied the goods and seek to understand the desires of the consumers who demanded foreign luxuries. We will also see the impact that consumption in one country has on lives in other places acknowledging the Africans who, as enslaved people, were turned into commodities, the farmers forced into the production of cash crops, and the workers expected to toil in sweatshops to produce cheap goods for multinational corporations.
Introduction to Public History	15 Credits	Optional
From food packaging, to video game characters, to national celebrations and commiserations: history is everywhere. The past is the source of inspiration for societies around the world. Writers use it as the setting for their stories; governments use it to justify their policies; businesses use it to sell their products or services. This module explores how societies use history, and provides students with an understanding of the ways historians can take their skills out into the world, with an emphasis on employability skills. We will use a wide array of examples from around the world and from different contexts to build our understanding of where, when, why, and how the past is applied, as well as the opportunities and challenges that result.
The Heritage Industry in Britain	15 Credits	Optional
This module explores the historical origins of the modern heritage industry and offers a general introduction to its principles and practices. You will investigate the way in which key people, places and events in English history have been preserved, interpreted and presented to the public since the twentieth century. The work of leading heritage bodies in Britain, such as Historic England and the National Trust, will be set in an international context and you will also be introduced to theoretical critiques that have arisen in response to the development of the heritage industry. Topics may include natural heritage, local heritage, icons in English heritage, dark tourism and difficult heritage, and industrial heritage.
Leisure and Lifestyle: 20th Century American Music, Sport and Entertainment	15 Credits	Optional
The influence of the American lifestyle extends far beyond the country's borders, and this module encourages you to reflect on the historical roots of often-familiar elements of American culture. By focussing on selected moments in twentieth century American music, sport and entertainment, we will consider the historical processes that shaped the continent's social and cultural history. Building on this, we will also examine how and why the country's cultural identity has been internationally transmitted and how it has been received. Each week you will learn to connect a specific individual, event or movement to broader historical issues through the use of video, texts, images, and song.
Introduction to Journalism	15 Credits	Optional
In this module you will learn about the exciting world of journalism, both within the UK and internationally. You'll learn about the key skills such as research and writing within specific structures., start to identify what makes news newsworthy and learn about the key roles within a journalism organisation that work together to create journalism products. You'll explore a wide range of articles and will learn the skills of writing and accurate researching as a journalist to create your first article.

Level 5

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Radio Journalism	15 Credits	Compulsory
In this module, you will source original stories specifically suitable for radio and learn how to write, interview and structure reports for this media type. You will learn how to tell stories with the aid of audio techniques. All teaching will take place in workshops and you will acquire knowledge and understanding of radio journalism and the technical skills needed to produce effective radio broadcasts. Moreover, this module will introduce you to terminology used in broadcast environments; it will expand your critical understanding of news values and agendas; legal and ethical requirements specific to broadcast journalism (balanced and impartial reporting, compliance, etc.); and your awareness of the converging media landscape. By the end of the module, you will be able to tell stories with the aid of audio techniques; have gained confidence in presentational skills; demonstrate knowledge of the technical skills required to edit audio files; and work effectively in a team to produce a radio programme.
Graduate Skills	0 Credits	Compulsory
You will be offered a variety of employment enhancing workshops and online activities such as interview skills workshops, personality profiling and career planning in order to improve your employment prospects after graduation and make you aware of current areas of strength and weakness in relation to employability. You will also have the opportunity to learn about self-employment options, graduate schemes and will attend speaker sessions with successful professionals in areas of employment appropriate for Humanities graduates so you can learn about the skills and attributes required for these areas and how to enhance your prospects of entering such areas. You will be required to undertake a certain number of activities chosen by you from a career "menu" and to reflect on what they have learnt in order to complete the module successfully.
Journalism Skills: Features	15 Credits	Compulsory
In this module students will be introduced to researching and reporting techniques for writing features and will be developing and extending the skills in writing acquired at Level 4. Workshop sessions will enable students to gain hands-on practise of writing features in a simulated magazine or supplement environment.
Journalism Skills News	15 Credits	Compulsory
In this module you will develop your research and writing techniques for news reports, developing and extending the skills in writing news that you acquired at level 4. Workshop sessions will enable you to gain hands-on practice in writing news reports in a simulated newsroom environment. In addition you will model professional newsroom practice though "News Days" in which you will contribute original ideas and follow through to published stories within a single day. There will be an emphasis on your use of ICT to research stories and you will be encouraged to use the Internet and social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, and other advanced sites, for research and seeking comment. You will write four news stories and select the best for submission to assessment as well as writing a reflecting essay to consolidate your learning
How Journalism Changed the World: from Watergate to Social Media and Fake News	15 Credits	Compulsory
This module will examine how journalism has emerged as a force for positive social change though use of research tools and major investigations, using historic and recent case histories. It will also examine the role played by different technologies in the late twentieth and early twenty first century to inform journalism whether through the use of sources or social media. This module will enable students to practice the various research techniques employed by successful journalists within a supported setting, whether traditional or cutting edge, how they can verify sources and avoid creating "fake" news.
Propaganda in 20th century War and Politics A	15 Credits	Optional
This broad survey module will encourage students to connect the development of mass communications with domestic and international politics in the twentieth century. Time will be spent on defining public opinion, censorship and propaganda; on examining propaganda channels and techniques; and, on analysing and measuring propaganda effects. Emphasis will be placed on Britain's pioneering role in the new world communications network via its empire, and on the importance attached to the First World War in changing the face of propaganda. A variety of sources, including film, will be used to assess the increasing sophistication of political persuasion thereafter. Particular attention will be paid to Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russia and the international conflicts in Vietnam in the 1960s and the Middle East in the 1990s. Seminars will involve group work centred on core interpretative texts.
Hearth & Heart: Family Life in the Long Eighteenth-Century	15 Credits	Optional
This module examines the history of the family in Britain and Ireland over the long eighteenth-century. It will introduce you to the methodological approaches and historiographical debates in the history of the family, and will cover a wide variety of topics, from family size and structure, to representations of ideal families in literature and art, family relationships, deviant sexuality, and the regulation of the family by church and state. Questions it will consider include: What was family life like in this period? Did parents really love their children? How widespread was pre-marital sexual intercourse? And, in what ways did the family change over time? Close attention will be paid to the role that gender and social class played in shaping family life over the period. The module will make use of a rich array of source materials including, letters and diaries, church court minutes, art and census material.
Nation & Identity: Newly Independent States in Interwar Europe, 1918-1939	15 Credits	Optional
This module explores a fascinating period in European history when empires crumbled and new nation-states emerged. The process of state building is investigated in detail. Through an analysis of the settlements that gave birth to the new states, the module seeks to establish the extent to which they influenced and, in some cases, hindered the states' development. The various political, economic, social, religious and cultural forces that shaped the states will also be examined and evaluated. Close attention will be paid to the various efforts to create national identity through a range of diverse range of forums, including membership of international bodies, major sporting occasions, state-sponsored art and religious events. Building on these themes, the module will subsequently address why some states survived and others collapsed with the outbreak of a second world war.
Making a Historical Documentary	15 Credits	Optional
Historical documentaries are one of the key ways that the public learn about the past. The most successful documentaries take complex issues and communicate them in a straightforward and engaging manner. This practical module will guide you through the various stages of television documentary-making, from generating an idea to actually producing your own short twelve-minute documentary. Archive research, scripting, filming and interviewing, and editing are among the basic techniques that will be covered. You will also develop the ability to critically assess documentaries, learning to detect strengths and weaknesses. Over the course of the semester, you will gain and expand a range of practical transferable skills.
Making Histories: Public History Work Experience	15 Credits	Optional
This module is designed to give you a deep exposure to history and heritage in the workplace and in the world-at-large. Are you interested in getting recognition for volunteer work in a museum or archive? Have you thought of participating in a historical memory project in your local community? Do you have plans to work with history after you graduate? Working closely with the module tutor, you will tailor a heritage-related placement to your specific interests and aspirations. This module helps you develop your knowledge of history beyond a university context. It aims to provide a stimulating programme of activities so that you gain hands-on, practical experience and a glimpse behind-the-scenes of the work done by heritage organisations. The module is also geared towards enhancing your employability skills in a supportive environment, which includes contributions from heritage professionals.
Postcards from the Empire: Experiences of British Imperialism	15 Credits	Optional
At the empire's height, Queen Victoria claimed sovereignty over nearly one in four of the planet's human inhabitants. The lives and experiences of each were sculpted by international, national, and local dynamics. This module explores the stories of these everyday lives through snapshots of life in the British Empire up to 1914. Case studies may draw from places including Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand, Africa, India, Ireland, Canada, America, and the Caribbean. Themes may include race, gender, class, religion, economics, and adventure. A particular emphasis will be placed on exploring the histories of racialized and colonized peoples, with attention to the historical approaches developed over the past several decades that have changed the ability of historians to identify and engage with these voices.
Maladies and Medicine in Early Modern Europe	15 Credits	Optional
This module explores the nature of medical knowledge and treatment between c. 1550- 1750. We will look at a range of illnesses including mental illness and disability and disfigurement. The course will investigate the treatments offered to patients and who they were treated by. A series of lectures will form the spine of the module introducing the key themes and historiographical debates in this field. The seminars will then consider specific examples and particular historiographical issues in greater depth. The module will move through three main areas; medical knowledge and learning, disease and death, and medical provision in the period.
Crime and Society in England, 1550-1750	15 Credits	Optional
One way of understanding early-modern English society is to examine the nature of criminal activity, and the perception and response to crime in the period. In this module you will be introduced to a wide variety of criminal activities and behaviours, ranging from the pattern and nature of 'petty' crimes, such as poaching and defamation, to more 'serious' crimes, such as murder and treason. You will be encouraged to reflect on the motives for crime and what such activities can tell us about early modern society. Considerable emphasis will be place on understanding the system of justice and the nature of law enforcement in the period. To this end, you will identify, consult and undertake qualitative and quantitative analyses of online historical datasets and databases, such as The Proceedings of the Old Bailey, and will be encouraged to reflect on the ethical implications of using such resources for historical research.
The Age of the Cold War, 1945-1991	15 Credits	Optional
This broad survey module will examine the origins, nature and end of the Cold War in a global context between 1945 and 1991. The first section of the module assesses the nature of the Cold War in comparative historical context, before investigating the origins of the Cold War, the nature of superpower conflict, and the global expansion of the Cold War. The module then adopts a thematic approach, concentrating on the ideological, diplomatic, economic, political, military and cultural dimensions of the Cold War of the 1950s through to the 1980s. The module will consider the conflict between the superpowers, but also the effect of the Cold War on the periphery and unaligned nations. The final section of the module deals with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the People's Democracies in Europe following Gorbachev's rise to power in 1985, and the diplomacy and events that brought the Cold War to an end.
Doing History: Investigating the Historians' Craft	15 Credits	Optional
This module aims to equip students with the skills required to understand and undertake scholarly historical enquiry and to feed effectively into their Level 6 dissertations and/or extended essays. The workshop format provides time and space to do hands-on activities. It also gives the chance to foster compassionate and collaborative group work with the intention of supporting individual students in developing their historical skills and confidence. Particular attention will be paid to ensuring students develop confidence with the digital tools required for independent historical enquiry, and that they receive guidance and support in the consideration of the ethics of their historical research and engagement with inclusivity and diversity.
Employability Skills	15 Credits	Optional
Producing graduates who are highly employable is a key aim of the University of Hertfordshire. This module aims to help you bridge gaps between your specialist academic studies and the world of graduate employment. As well as allowing you to reflect on and further develop your employability skills we will explore the changing nature of employers' needs. Using case studies, we will consider a range of issues (legal, gender, equality) that can arise in recruitment and the workplace. The module will also focus on career planning and job searching, as well as recruitment and selection processes including the work of assessment centres and pyschometric testing. Overall the intention is that you will be able to develop your job-market awareness and identify and explore potential career pathways. The module is worth 15 credits and may be chosen in place of a 15-credit subject module at Level 5, or as an additional module at Level 6, alongside 120 credits of modules in your subject(s).

Level 6

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Year Abroad	0 Credits	Compulsory
A Study Abroad year is an optional additional year that increases the length of the Honours degree award to a four-year full-time degree. The additional year comprises an agreed programme of study in a partner institution abroad with whom the University of Hertfordshire has an institutional agreement. The programme of study will support, supplement and extend the more usual three-year programme. Success in the third year will be recognised in the title of the award, but does not carry additional credit towards the Honours programme. A student would normally confirm the intention to study abroad during the first ten weeks of study at Level 5. This will enable a place to be negotiated at a host institution and the Study Programme and learning contract to be arranged and agreed.
The Humanities Placement Year	0 Credits	Compulsory
The Placement Year provides you with the opportunity to set your academic studies in a broader context and to utilise the intellectual skills you have gained through your degree in the work place. You will also strengthen your time management, organisational and communication skills as well as develop employability skills. You will gain experience of applying for jobs and of working within a commercial, business or professional environment prior to graduating thus increasing employability skills such as teamwork, communication skills and commercial awareness. You will gain experience in a field that is often a destination for Humanities students such as PR, marketing, management and research. You will have developed valuable industry skills and experience as well as being able to apply many of the intellectual skills you have learnt through your degree to a real world situation.
Online Journalism	15 Credits	Compulsory
The course will consist of 12, two-hour workshops in which students will - through a mix of, demonstrations, discussion and practical tasks - learn the basics of Online Journalism. This will include an appreciation of the massive impact that digital communications technologies have had on the publishing industry, as well as a detailed understanding of how writing for the internet differs from so-called 'off-line' Journalism. Students will also learn, through the use of a Content Management System (CMS), how to upload and format content – both written and multimedia – which is suitable for publication.
Journalism Skills Portfolio	30 Credits	Compulsory
This module content enables you to practise your journalism skills in real world settings, enhancing your employability and developing an awareness of the variety of uses for those skills. You spend at least five days, generally more, in the first semester either working for a relevant company e.g. a newspaper, magazine, PR company or freelancing and gain an understanding of the media world from that perspective. You also create a varied portfolio of journalism pieces including a news piece, feature and interview to showcase the skills you have learnt.
International Politics and Reporting Global News	15 Credits	Compulsory

Bodies and Sexuality in the Early Modern Period A	15 Credits	Optional
This course will explore popular and medical ideas about the body and sexuality in the early modern period. The body was fundamental to gender roles, social relationships and experiencing everyday life. Through a series of extended seminars you will examine a diverse range of primary source material and supporting historiography in order to evaluate the assumptions that underpinned early modern notions of normal and abnormal bodies. The course will then move on to consider the importance of sexuality and sexual behaviours to early modern life. Again the course will consider what was considered to be normal and abnormal behaviours and will think about how these activities were monitored and policed. The module will provide experience of researching and using a range of unusual source materials including medical treatises, portraits, jokes and erotic literature.
Italy and Fascism	15 Credits	Optional
In this module you will get to study the history of Fascism in Italy using a variety of primary and secondary sources. All the text-based primary sources – including diary entries, speeches, and policy documents - will be available in English translation. Other sources will include Fascist films, songs and artistic images. The focus of the module will be on understanding Fascist experience in the context of Italy and topics covered will include the legacy of the Risorgimento, the experience of the First World War, the collapse of the Liberal State, the rise of Fascism, the relationship between Duce, Party and Government, the creation of the corporative state, Fascist Ideology economic, social and cultural policy under the regime, racial and colonial policy, public opinion under Fascism, anti-Fascism and resistance, and the enduring influence of Italy's Fascist heritage.
Popular Protest, Riot and Reform in Britain, 1760-1848 B	15 Credits	Optional
Britain experienced a period of tumultuous social and political upheaval in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This module will examine the development of social and political protest movements, and survey the causes and consequences of popular unrest in Britain, 1760-1848. You will engage with the secondary literature of the subject and with a wide range of primary sources, visual,written and digital. Topics may include the development of ideas of democratic rights through the influence of the American and French revolutions, radical political and social movements in Britain; Luddites and trade unions; Swing rioters and rural unrest; Chartism; anti-New Poor Law Riots.
Everyday Lives: An Intimate History of Twentieth Century Women	15 Credits	Optional
This module offers an intimate history of the everyday lives of women in America, Britain and Ireland. We will explore the lives, roles, experiences and perceptions of ordinary women during the twentieth century will be explored. Students will be introduced to an array of sources – including popular and visual culture, objects and digital sources, oral testimony and literature (fiction and memoir) – and to what they reveal about the manner in which women were perceived and represented; how women viewed themselves; and how women of different generations experienced, negotiated and reacted to social change. Fashion, consumerism, courtship, sexuality, and advertising are among the areas considered for what they reveal about women and the world around them. Such themes will be analysed within the context of continuity and change across the twentieth century and three geographical perspectives. The module will conclude by questioning the extent to which women's movements were representative of ordinary women.
Final Year History Dissertation	30 Credits	Optional
With the dissertation, students have the chance to select their own topic to research, subject to approval. Albeit under supervision, this module requires largely independent study and research based partly on primary sources, with students expected to address historical problems in depth by gathering, sifting, reading, analysing and reflecting critically upon historical sources and advanced secondary literature. Students present their research in a poster or presentation format, and submit a draft chapter followed by a dissertation of c.10,000 words.
Witch-Bottles to Wishing-Wells: The Material Culture of Everyday Ritual	15 Credits	Optional
If a picture can say a thousand words then what can a physical object tell us? This module will consider this question by engaging with the material culture (the physical objects and spaces that shape cultures) of everyday and calendar rituals, from 1650-present. Few people in Britain, both today and in the early modern period, would claim to regularly participate in rituals. However, ritual activities are in fact a large part of everyday domestic and private lives, ranging from the use of bottles in the 18th century to counteract bewitchment, to the blowing out of birthday candles today. Through a series of extended, interactive workshops we will examine a diverse range of objects. These will be analysed and interpreted as primary source material, in order to consider the prevalence of everyday rituals and the value of material culture.. Artefacts will vary but may include early modern protective charms; votives and offerings; ritual foods; and contemporary seasonal objects.
Boom Cities and New Towns in the 20th Century A	15 Credits	Optional
This module explores the rise of 'boom cities' and new towns in Britain and across the world in the 20th century. Hertfordshire was the central county of experiments in urban planning, from garden cities to new towns. You will study the utopian visions of urban planners and postwar governments, and how these ideas were exchanged in new towns across the world, including Poland, India, the USA and Australia. The module also examines the social history of planned settlements. Who moved to new towns and what was everyday life like there? Did 'new town blues' really exist? You will develop your skills in analysis of a wide range of primary sources, including plans, correspondence and oral histories from planned settlements in Britain.
Pacific Histories: Colonisation, Conflict and Connections	15 Credits	Optional
What is the Pacific? Whose histories does it encompass? How have the places and peoples of this vast region been connected since the 18th century? This module embraces recent transnational, global and oceanic approaches to examine histories of the Pacific. We'll go beyond the tourist image to trace key themes including navigation, colonialism, collecting, migration, trade, the rushes for gold, conflict and resistance throughout the long 19th and early 20th century. Pacific histories connect Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, the Americas and Russia, and empires including the French, British, Spanish and Dutch. It is a region where 'worlds meet and pulse together' and where a rich source base awaits the curious historian.
Sinners, Scoundrels & Deviants: Non-Conformity in the Atlantic World A	15 Credits	Optional
How do societies decide what constitutes 'deviant' behaviour, and who is responsible for making that distinction? This module challenges students to rethink societal definitions of 'deviant' behaviour. It will explore why certain groups and certain behaviours were deemed to be deviant at particular points in time. Focusing on the Atlantic World, the module charts changing perceptions of deviant and traditional behaviour amidst a period of immense social, cultural and political change. Drawing on a diverse range of primary source materials, we will explore how the church, state and community responded to differences in sexuality, lifestyle, religion and race, to create acceptable standards of behaviour. Possible 'deviant' behaviours to be explored include incest, alcohol misuse, bigamy, fist-fights, same-sex and inter-racial relationships.
Cold War Film and Propaganda	15 Credits	Optional
The Cold War between 1945 and 1991 saw one of the most intense propaganda conflicts in history. Popular culture played a vital role in the icy stand-off between the East and West. Through media such as popular film, each side promoted the virtues of their respective systems, while simultaneously demonising their opponents. This module uses feature films and documentaries to analyse different aspects of the battle for hearts and minds in the Cold War. Some films will be used to help illustrate the key propaganda themes of the Cold War; others will be viewed as primary source documents--i.e. they will be discussed and analysed in the context of when they were produced and what they tell us about the mindset of Americans and Russians at the time. Combined with in-class discussion and analysis of primary documents, examining Cold War films provides students with an engaging way of exploring the relationship between history, propaganda and entertainment.
The Middle East in turmoil: The Arab-Israeli conflict since 1948	15 Credits	Optional
The Arab-Israeli conflict stands as one of the most enduring and, some claim, most intractable political issues in the modern Middle East, if not the whole world. This module offers a detailed examination of this ongoing conflict from its beginnings in the First World War until the present day. It explores the growth of the Zionist movement, the emergence of Palestinian nationalism, the impact of the critical years of 1948 and 1967 that saw the birth and consolidation of the state of Israel and the continuing dispossession of the Palestinians, and the ongoing attempts of forging a political solution since that time. The module is broadly chronological in shape, but uses primary and secondary sources to explore a range of issues including Israeli state and society, European and American intervention in the Middle East, terrorism and war, religion, and efforts to bring peace.

Study abroad

An opportunity for an amazing experience, which will help make you stand out from the crowd. With more and more companies working internationally, experience of living in another country can make a great impression on future employers.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a sandwich year abroad. The University has partnerships with over 150 universities around the world, including the USA, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and closer to home in Europe.

If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee to the partner university and no tuition fee to us either. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about Study abroad opportunities

Please note Erasmus+ funding is only available until May 2023. For students starting their course in September 2022 and wishing to study abroad in 2023-24 or 2024-25, please refer to the Turing Scheme.
Work placement

Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.

This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought after professional skills.

Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process.

If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study, at the University of Hertfordshire you’ll pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.

Find out more about work placements
What if I need support?

You’ll get a personal tutor to guide you through your course, all the way to graduation.
You might also want or need extra support during your time with us. Rest assured, no matter what you study, we’ve got you covered. For help with study skills, including referencing, essay writing and presentations, you’ll have access to our academic support services. You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions, and online tutorials. Both our LRCs (Learning Resources Centres) run drop-in study skills sessions. And the best thing is, it’s all free.

Check out our student blogs

Alumni Stories

Eleanor Pilcher

Meet Eleanor Pilcher who since graduating in 2016 has taken the publishing industry by storm. Eleanor currently works as a Marketing Manager at Avon, HarperCollins Publisher.

Read more stories Find out more about this course

Current job role	Marketing Manager
Year of graduation	2016
Course of study	BA (Hons) History and Creative Writing

University experience and employability

Eleanor is a keen writer with great creative ambitions. During her degree she undertook a six-month internship at a literary agency in her final academic year. In 2016, shortly after her studies, Eleanor landed a placement at Penguin before getting a job in publishing recruitment. After developing her skills within the industry and amassing and impressive amount of knowledge and experience, Eleanor began her current role at HarperCollins Publishers.

Eleanor's degree encompassed a broad spectrum of critical, analytical and evaluative skills and helped shape her as a writer. Throughout her studies she had been writing a novel, which she submitted to literary agencies after being encouraged by her tutor to do so. It was Eleanor's passion for writing that uncovered her interest in working for a literary agency. Due to the fantastic lecturers on her course and the invaluable industry networks available to students, Eleanor managed to secure impressive opportunities in her chosen industry that have informed her career.

Sher recognises the impact the University has had on getting her to where she is today. 'For me the advice and feedback I received on both my History essays and Creative Writing finals was incredibly useful to my academic and professional development. I learnt to take criticism and to harness it and also write more because of it.'

Ambitions for the future

Eleanor has established herself in her chosen industry yet still has ambition to continue pursuing new goals. On her hopes for the future, she says: 'I hope to run a marketing department within a publishing company, possibly the one I'm at now. I hope to publish a novel and continue my freelance writing and public speaking on the side.'

Alumni Stories

Alex Olney

Meet Alex Olney who has applied his skills in communication to the gaming industry. He is currently a Senior Video Producer at Nintendo Life.

Read more stories Find out more about this course

Current job role	Senior Video Producer
Year of graduation	2015
Course of study	BA(Hons) English Language and Communication

University experience

While not his first choice of university, Alex is grateful that he applied to the University of Hertfordshire through Clearing as whilst at the University he discovered and explored his passion for everything linguistic. This passion has had a profound impact on his life since graduating.

He says, ‘Studying a language gave me confidence and a deeper understanding of human and non-human communication and has allowed me to create a distinct idiolect that identifies me as a creator and, more importantly, entertains tens of thousands of people every day.’

He credits his success to the support he received from his lecturers who encouraged him throughout his studies: ‘The lecturers were not only well informed about the subject matter but had a genuine passion for language.’ He states that they pushed him to explore languages so much so that ‘it became a driving force in my everyday life.’

Alex also believes that the transferable skills he learnt while at the University have helped him throughout his professional life including time management. He states that he learnt effective time management skills to ensure that he never leaves projects and deadlines to the last minute and plans out in advance what is required.

The future

Alex really enjoys his current role at Nintendo Life as he likes the hands on nature of producing content but would eventually like to manage and become a head of the video editing department.

View our Alumni profiles

Eleanor Pilcher Alex Olney

Course fact sheets
BA (Hons) History	Download

Programme specifications
BA (Hons) Journalism	Download
BA (Hons) History	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	Optional
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes
Course length	Full Time, 3 Years Sandwich, 4 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

Apply using the links below:

2023

Start Date	End Date	Link
23/09/2023	31/05/2024	Apply online (Full Time)
23/09/2023	31/05/2024	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
23/09/2023	31/05/2024	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

2024

Start Date	End Date	Link
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time)
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)
23/09/2024	31/05/2025	Apply online (Full Time/Sandwich)

Fees and funding
Fees 2023
UK Students

Full time
- £9250 for the 2023/2024 academic year
EU Students

Full time
- £14750 for the 2023/2024 academic year
International Students

Full time
- £14750 for the 2023/2024 academic year
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University’s Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed “When tuition fees change”), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Read more about additional fees in the course fact sheet

Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

BA (Hons) History and Journalism

Key information

Typical offer:

Fees:

UCAS code: V1P9

Institute code: H36

Study abroad option

Work placement option

Additional requirements

Why choose this course?

What's the course about?

Your main campus is de Havilland

What will I study?

Check out our student blogs

Student Blogs

My week at a glance

Student Blogs

Things you need to know before studying History at Herts

Student Blogs

What I love most about my course

Student Blogs

Alumni Stories

Meet Eleanor Pilcher who since graduating in 2016 has taken the publishing industry by storm. Eleanor currently works as a Marketing Manager at Avon, HarperCollins Publisher.

University experience and employability

Ambitions for the future

Alumni Stories

Meet Alex Olney who has applied his skills in communication to the gaming industry. He is currently a Senior Video Producer at Nintendo Life.

University experience

The future

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2023

2024

Fees 2023

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Other financial support

Living costs / accommodation

Your main campus is de Havilland