BA (Hons) History Bachelor's degree at Loughborough University
BA (Hons) History at Loughborough University. Rather than surveying all history, this course zeroes in on a specific timeframe, allowing you to develop genuine depth.
About this course
Our BA (Hons) History degree gives you opportunity to learn about the period from 1600 to the present day, focusing mostly on the modern era. Discover more. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) History is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Loughborough University. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For History graduates from this provider, 92% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 75% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £30,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for History, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 92% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 12 modules
- Academic Foundations in International Relations, Politics and HistoryCompulsory
Module details
Introduces students to academic integrity. Allows students to development their academic skills for successful study in Politics, International Relations, Philosophy and/or History. Allows students to develop, recognise and better articulate their skills, attributes and self-awareness.
- The Atlantic World: The Americas, Europe and Africa since the 15th CenturyCompulsory
Module details
This module introduces students to the concept of the 'Atlantic World', surveys the early modern history of Africa, the Americas and Western Europe, and explores the key historical themes of this period including race, religion and empire.
- What is History?Compulsory20 credits
Module details
This module establishes a foundation about the nature of History - including public history - as a subject area.
- Art and Visual Culture Since 1850Compulsory
Module details
Introduce central developments within European and American art and visual culture during the 19th century and up to the present day, mapping these onto historical events, themes, and discourses. Examine how European and American art and visual culture engages with that of countries and cultures beyond the west, including indigenous cultures. Critically assess examples of modern and contemporary art and visual culture within both art historical and historical contexts. Develop key art historical
- The Global Cold WarCompulsory
Module details
This module examines the Cold War as a global system of international rivalry. It explores how competition between the United States and the Soviet Union played out across different regions of the world using a series of thematic perspectives to examine patterns of conflict, cooperation, and control, and considers the relevance of these dynamics for contemporary global affairs.
- Power, Politics & Ideology in Modern EuropeOptional10 credits
Module details
This module provides an introduction to modern European history from c.1750 to European integration and the major ideological families that have defined, and continue to shape, European political, cultural, and intellectual life. It encourages students to evaluate the impact of the 'dual revolution' on the emergence of the key political ideologies - including liberalism, conservatism, Marxism, and feminism - and to assess the relevance of these ideologies to contemporary politics.
- The Making and Unmaking of the World OrderOptional10 credits
Module details
This module introduces students to the main currents of world history and to the shifting structure of the international order in the modern period. It aims to cover both the mainstream narratives and those critical of Eurocentrism, thereby stimulating an appreciation of cultural diversity.
- Introduction to FilmOptional
Module details
This module provides an opportunity to explore key concepts, approaches, and areas of interest in film studies through offering a critical introduction to the discipline. As well as considering key aspects of film form and style (setting, props, costume, lighting, actor performance, cinematography, editing, and sound and music), you will explore such topics as narrative, genre, the role of the director, star studies, and geographies of film consumption, through detailed study of a number of Amer
- Slavery to Black Lives Matter: African American Culture 1840 - presentOptional
Module details
This module gives you the opportunity to engage with a wide range of African American cultural production (written, cinematic and musical) from 1840 to the present day and to explore the complex social and political questions raised by these primary materials, studying a variety of texts from nineteenth-century slave narratives to contemporary hip-hop lyrics.
- International Political TheoryOptional
Module details
This module aims to introduce students to a selection of theories, concepts and theorists of International Politics. Students will learn to critically evaluate the strengths, weaknesses and limits of each approach.
- Politics and GovernmentOptional10 credits
Module details
This module introduces students to key concepts and theories used in the study of advanced democracies. Taking the United Kingdom as its starting point, it provides an overview of key historical and contemporary debates and draws on quantitative and qualitative research traditions in Comparative Politics.
- University-wide Language ProgrammeOptional10 credits
Module details
One 10-credit module from a list supplied by the Language Centre, levels dependent on candidates' previous qualifications. Languages offered are: French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish.
Year 2 4 modules
- Nation and Empire: Sources of British HistoryCompulsory
Module details
This module serves two purposes. The first purpose is to place twentieth-century British history within a global context, surveying both its domestic social, cultural, economic and political development and its transformation from an imperial to a post-imperial nation. The second purpose is to introduce students to the different types of sources available to study the recent past and the techniques required to analyse them.
- Research DesignCompulsory
Module details
The aim of this module is to develop skills in research design, involving selecting of topic and viable research questions, appropriate research methodologies for the research questions selected, sourcing research data and learning how to complete a coherent research proposal.
- History of Political ThoughtOptional10 credits
Module details
The aim of this module is to examine the development of the political thought by looking at key concepts, thinkers and movements in the history of ideas.
- Modern China in a Global PerspectiveOptional
Module details
This course provides an overview of modern Chinese history
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This degree gives you the opportunity to study the period from 1600 to the present day, with emphasis on the modern era. You'll usually start with foundations in historical sources, archives and how historical arguments are built, alongside broad surveys spanning medieval, early modern and modern world history. In Year 2, a course like this typically moves into focused study through primary sources, historiography and methods, and the practice of public history in museums and heritage contexts. By Year 3, you'll undertake advanced document-led work and choose from specialist options such as modern history, medieval studies, global & imperial history, social & cultural history, public history & heritage, or archival research. You'll conclude with an original dissertation research project.
Who it's for
You're drawn to asking why things happened and how people's worlds changed over time. You enjoy wrestling with competing interpretations and aren't afraid to challenge received wisdom. You're probably a strong reader and writer, comfortable synthesizing complex arguments and articulating your own. This course will suit you if you want to develop research skills and learn how historians actually work, not just absorb facts. You should be prepared for rigorous seminars and independent study, where you'll shape your learning around your own curiosities. If you're considering academia, professional heritage work, policy research, or roles demanding analytical rigour and clarity of communication, this degree offers genuine grounding.
Careers & job market
Across History graduates nationally, 85% are in work or further study fifteen months after graduating. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. National earnings (Graduate Outcomes Survey) show: £23,500–£31,000 starting salary, £20,400–£28,800 after three years, and £25,500–£36,000 after five years. These figures reflect the broad outcome for History graduates; your own path will depend on the work you seek and roles you secure. Many history graduates move into education, archive work, heritage management, public history, law, and policy research, though outcomes vary.
University & format
This BA (Hons) degree is studied full-time over 3 years at Loughborough University, a public university founded in 1909 and based in Loughborough. Taught and assessed in English, the course is delivered by a recognised UK degree-awarding body whose degrees are nationally recognised. The university holds a Gold award for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and is.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Access Loughborough Contextual Offer. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Names detected beside accreditation or recognition copy on the provider course page; verify the route and intake.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 100% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at Loughborough University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What History graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £30,000 | £25,000 – £33,000 | 30 |
| 3 years after | £27,500 | £22,500 – £33,500 | 70 |
| 5 years after | £35,000 | £29,000 – £48,000 | 70 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in history · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs History nationally
National figures for History graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 30; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with History courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,423 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Media ProfessionalsSOC 2020 249 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £40,895
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 100; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How History graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where History graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Museums & archives
- Heritage bodies
- Schools
- Civil service & media
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit History graduates.
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
92% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £30,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.3 out of 10: NSS 92.1% · in work or study 92% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Loughborough University
Historical, philosophical and religious studies across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Loughborough University
1,024 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is History right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Loughborough University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Loughborough University; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Loughborough University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Loughborough University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Loughborough University
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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