BA (Hons) History Bachelor's degree at Keele University

Were there 'defining moments' in the past? You will debate this question through exploring a series of 'moments' in the last 1000 years of world history, encountering different History staff at Keele and learning about different types of History. As you encounter a range of scholarly writing and primary sources and develop the core skills you will need to study History at university, you will consider the relevance of this History to the world we live in today.

In this module you will explore key developments in global societies and the interactions between them in the medieval and early modern world. The value of different approaches to the past is a core part of this module, so you will encounter social, political, religious, economic, and cultural History. You will develop skills in academic reading, learn to communicate to varied audiences, and begin to explore pre-modern primary source material, which will prepare you for later years of your degre

As you encounter key ideas, individuals and events in modern history around the world, you will discover how societies changed over time and across place from c.1750 to the present. You will develop fundamental skills including communicating to academic and non-academic audiences, and an awareness of core concepts in modern history. You will also encounter a wide range of primary sources and learn how to analyse them effectively in preparation for your next two years of study.

History is ever-present outside of the academic setting in places such as heritage sites, museums, schools, advocacy organizations, newsfeeds and social media. In this module you will grapple with how history is communicated to different groups for different purposes. A field trip will serve as a case study to complement your teaching programme, and you will put your skills into practice by producing and reflecting on your own public history intervention, with guidance from staff.

The past is presented in many different ways, including in contemporary film and media. In this module you will consider 'public history', examine representations of the past in visual culture, and discuss the importance of these representations to collective memory, constructions of identity, and contemporary politics. Working with students from different subjects, you will begin to develop key skills for Humanities students, including how to evaluate and interpret sources and communicate your

There are many varied approaches to studying History. This module will consolidate your understanding of these approaches through a lecture series, and you will choose a strand of theme-based seminars. You will be guided to produce your own research project through group workshops and individual supervisions, developing the key research and analytical skills that will be essential for the individual research project that you will embark on in your final year.

This second-year module explores the reporting of history in the news across the twenty-first century world. Each week will take a different theme and examine it in a practical workshop: headlines reporting sales or repatriation of national treasures might be examined alongside published criteria for exporting historical artefacts and reports of thefts from the British Museum, for example. Building on your first year, you will further develop skills in evaluating the presentation of history in p

During this module you will make a personal contribution to the world beyond the University, developing and sharing your research, powers of analysis, and communication skills. After initial guidance in composing your CV and talking to employers, you will respond to either an industry brief developed with a partner organization, such as the V&A, or a series of smaller micro-briefs. You will develop a portfolio celebrating your contribution, and learn how to present your skills effectively in the

This module offers you the chance to contribute to the world outside the university through completing a work placement, a project for a client (or a series of projects for different clients), or working as a team to deliver a successful festival or event. You will be trained to showcase your creative and collaborative skills and abilities effectively before applying for an opportunity advertised through the module (or you can source your own, subject to it meeting the module's requirements).

Take a journey through the so-called 'age of extremes' (1900-1989), marked by whirlwind change but also crisis, conflict, and violence. Explore a world of war and revolution; of competing utopian visions - like socialism and fascism – challenging democracy; of hopes for peace and freedom frustrated, only to rise again. Building on knowledge gained in your first year, you will further develop skills in engaging with key concepts that shaped past and present, analysing documents, and communicating

How were Britain and America created? How does the past shape the political and cultural world we now live in? Consolidating the historical skills you began to develop in your first year, you will learn how modern Britain and America were formed, and explore historic reactions to the process of their creation. While studying this module you will enhance your critical thinking, begin to develop independent research skills, and move towards becoming a practising historian.

Modern Britain has been shaped and developed by its empire. This module explores the impact of Britain's colonial legacy on the lives of individuals, families, and communities since the nineteenth century. This is a history that contradicts conventional, textbook accounts, as you will discover through oral history testimonies, memoirs, life writing, and digital archives. You will also learn about the 'archival silences' that mask these histories. This second-year module will enhance your critica

Between 1000-1300, minority groups including Jews, heretics, lepers, the disabled, homosexuals and prostitutes faced increasing restrictions, persecution and even death. Building on the skills you developed at Level 4, you will explore how these groups were depicted in text and image and assess the reasons for their increasing marginalisation. Through seminar discussions, you will evaluate debates about whether the treatment of minority groups were independent phenomena or whether Medieval Europ

The United States has a powerful mythology of abundance and independent landownership. But throughout its history, clashes over land use, dispossession, and environmental degradation have undermined access to this dream for many. This module explores clashes over African American and Native American rights, land use, and environmentalism. In this module, you will continue to hone both public-facing and academic writing and communication skills.

Are you interested in learning how to display artefacts online and archive them digitally in order to capture and reveal their historical significance? Taught by historians, digital media specialists, and curators, this module develops your skills in historical interpretation and presentation for public and professional audiences. You'll acquire techniques for collecting, organising, and preserving information; you'll experiment with the best formats for storing and retrieving data; and you'll a

Study Southern US culture on location! The American South is a distinctive but difficult to define geographical and cultural entity, and attitudes to the South range from celebration to derision. Studying with others from a range of disciplines, you will think through historical and current constructions of the US South through its history, literature, film, and wider culture. You spend four weeks at one of our partner universities taught by Keele staff, shaping your own research project with th

Through this final-year independent research project you will showcase the skills that you have developed over the course of your degree, and consolidate the type of Historian you have become. Through group workshops and individual supervision you will develop your own research project.