final year students with outstanding academic performance
Check eligibility →BA (Hons) History (with Foundation Year) Bachelor's degree at Northampton
BA (Hons) History (with Foundation Year) at Northampton. The foundation year ensures you develop essential study and analytical skills before progressing to honours-level work.
About this course
Our BA History degree combines academic study and field trips, with opportunities for placements at local museums and other relevant employers. Apply... From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) History (with Foundation Year) is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Northampton, based in Waterside Campus, University of Northampton. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For History graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 45% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £25,500. (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)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 70% (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 8 modules
- Doing HistoryCompulsory20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the study of academic History at undergraduate level. It introduces them to some of the many types of History that are practised today. It also shows how evidential and referencing standards are maintained within the discipline.
- Health and Healers: Histories of Disease and DisabilityOptional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to explore and contextualise the history of the body, health and healing and its contemporary parallels and relevance. The module will investigate how ideas about body and healing interacted with, and were embedded within, historical understandings of gender, society and culture.
- The Medieval World, 1200 - 1500Optional20 credits
Module details
This module focuses on the high and late Middle Ages in global context. Taking a thematic approach, students study politics, society, culture and religion to gain an understanding of the events and cultural mindset of the period. Using historiography, primary documents and material culture students examine medieval institutions and systems, but also learn about women and men at all social levels, including marginalised groups such as queer people and immigrants who are excluded from some histori
- United States: War & Society, 1610-2020Optional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to explore the history of the United States through the interaction of war and society. The student will thus gain an understanding of the interplay between conflict, ideologies, and societal development prior to, during, and after the foundation of the Republic. This will be executed in a series of segments in chronological sequence.
- The Early Modern World, 1500-1800Optional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to introduce students to the key cultural, religious, economic and political developments which occurred in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth-centuries. Students will engage with ongoing historiographical debates about the early modern period and will investigate various forms of surviving textual and visual evidence.
- The Holocaust and the Politics of RaceOptional20 credits
Module details
This module will introduce students to the main developments of the Holocaust, and will allow them to contextualise genocide in a wider historical awareness of race and politics in Europe. It will explore the ways the Holocaust unfolded in different parts of the continent, and will critically examine how forms of genocide impacted on a range of target communities. It develops a critical understanding of important historiographical debates, and source analysis skills.
- Politics and Society in Britain since 1945Optional20 credits
Module details
This module will introduce students to how British politics and society developed after the end of the Second World War, and the historical debates surrounding these developments. It will explore how and why ideas and experiences of class, gender, sexuality and race altered in relation to the broader political and social changes in Britain during this period. Students will develop the ability to engage critically with important historiographical debates, and to analyse both diverse kinds of prim
- Catastrophe: Europe, 1890-1914Optional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to explore, through conventional and experiential learning, the causes of the First World War. This process will also facilitate a deeper understanding of how historical causation can be analysed and how academic historiographies evolve.
Year 2 9 modules
- Dissertation Research SkillsCompulsory10 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to facilitate and promote students' on-going development of their professional research skills through undertaking personal development plans and skills reflections.
- Communicating HistoryCompulsory10 credits
Module details
This module provides students with opportunities to develop research and analysis skills by undertaking a problem-solving project for a specific partner. Using traditional and digital media, students will be required to communicate their findings to non-historians, demonstrating transferable skills of use in various graduate-level careers and postgraduate study.
- Crime, Policing and Punishment in England, 1700-1900Optional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is explore the fundamental changes that occurred in attitudes to, and policies towards crime, policing and punishment in Britain during a period of fundamental economic and social change.
- First World WarOptional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to explore the First World War through the conceptual framework of Total War. It examines the military operations as well as the diplomatic, political, social and economic dimensions of the conflict. Using a mixture of chronological and thematic studies, the module provides the student with an understanding of this seminal war.
- Family and Life-Cycle in Early Modern EnglandOptional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to explore how intimate relationships forged by ties of blood and marriage shaped the lives of women and men, rich and poor, from infancy to old age in England between the end of the Middle Ages and the start of the Industrial Revolution.
- Medieval Chivalry and its AfterlivesOptional20 credits
Module details
Chivalry: more than just knights in shining armour jousting for the love of fair ladies. Chivalry was in fact the overarching cultural ethos of the medieval world. From the twelfth to fifteenth centuries, chivalric values profoundly shaped medieval political, literary and artistic cultures, while also influencing how people framed wider social values.
- Life on the Margins? Poverty and the Poor in Britain, 1660-1834Optional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to explore the lives, and perceptions, of poorer people during a critical period of substantial social and cultural change. Using a digital microhistory approach, this module investigates why, and how, people experienced poverty. Student will learn how to approach the subjects of poverty and socio-economic deprivation, marginalization and health inequalities.
- Shadows of Empire: Movements and MigrationsOptional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to help students understand the nature of global and international history and to build an awareness of the contours and contexts of imperialism and colonialism both in history and in the way they shape contemporary society and culture.
- Terror and Terrorism from 1789Optional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to survey examples of terror used for political purposes. It examines both state terror from 1789, and terrorist movements and organisations in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It encourages students to develop an understanding of how extreme emotions have been used to influence politics.
Year 3 6 modules
- Using HistoryCompulsory20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to develop the employability of our History graduates. It uses the student's dissertation process – the compulsory culmination of their UG intellectual and personal developmental journey – as a vehicle for enhancing their communication skills towards non-academic audiences. It also provides an opportunity to engage in reflection upon prior experiential learning.
- Citizenship and Gender in Britain 1760-1918Optional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to explore what it meant to be a citizen in a context where this question was commonly negotiated in terms of what it meant to be a man or a woman. How did Georgians, Victorians and Edwardians conceptualise the duties and attributes of the citizen, and who did they seek to exclude?
- Witchcraft and Heresy in Early Modern EuropeOptional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to examine why from the late Middle Ages the crime of demonic witchcraft became a widely held belief that led to the death of more than 50,000 individuals. During this period, witches were believed to be in league with the Devil to undermine the Christian world. Students will explore why this belief came about, how it was rationalised and ultimately how witches were prosecuted. The module will explore these themes from the perspective of both learned and common peop
- Secret State: British Intelligence, 1558-1945Optional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to explore intelligence history, specifically the contribution of the intelligence services to Britain's security from the early modern period through to the mid-Twentieth Century. It examines foreign intelligence, military intelligence, and security intelligence in both peace and war. Using mostly chronological case studies, the module provides the student with an understanding of how and why intelligence has affected British history.
- The English Country House c. 1660-1850Optional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to develop a high level of understanding of the English Country House during the long eighteenth century through historiography and primary sources.
- Gender and Work in Early Modern EnglandOptional20 credits
Module details
The purpose of this module is to examine the working lives of women and men in England between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.
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 course combines academic study with field work, museum placements and hands-on engagement with heritage sites. You'll usually start with foundational modules on historical sources, archives and how historical arguments are built, alongside broad surveys of medieval, early modern and modern world history. From Year 2 onwards, a course like this normally moves towards specialist depth, with focused studies through primary documents, historiography and public history practice in museums and heritage organisations. In your final year, you'll typically pursue advanced special subjects in areas such as modern history, medieval studies, global and imperial history, social and cultural history, public history and heritage, or archival research, culminating in an original research dissertation based on primary evidence.
Who it's for
You'll thrive on this course if you're curious about how the past shapes the present, comfortable with close reading and evidence-based argument, and keen to develop real-world experience in heritage and cultural sectors. You might be returning to study after a break, or simply want a strong foundation before diving into university-level History. The blend of lectures, seminars, field trips and practical placements means you'll learn by doing, not just reading, expect active engagement throughout.
Careers & job market
Across History graduates nationally, 85% are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Starting salaries typically range from £23,500 to £31,000; after five years, this rises to £25,500–£36,000 (Graduate Outcomes and LEO data). Around 55% of working History graduates enter highly skilled roles. Placements and independent projects during your degree can lead into careers in museums, archives, cultural heritage, education, and research, pathways you'll explore and build during your studies.
University & format
The University of Northampton is a UK degree-awarding university located at Waterside Campus. This is a full-time, four-year degree with a foundation year, taught in English. The university holds Silver for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. The degree is nationally recognised.
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.
Work placement. 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 | 95% |
| an Access course | 5% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
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
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Northampton →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
Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.
Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.
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 | £25,500 | £23,000 – £29,000 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £22,500 | £19,500 – £26,000 | 50 |
| 5 years after | £28,000 | £23,000 – £32,000 | 60 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. 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. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. 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.
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Teaching and Childcare Support OccupationDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
- Secretarial and related occupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
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: 45; response rate: 60%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BA (Hons) History (with Foundation Year) worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BA (Hons) History (with Foundation Year) earn close to non-graduate pay, so on cost alone the course is slow to pay off.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 4 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 37.3. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 4 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
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
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. 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
95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £25,500. 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 8.4 out of 10: NSS 87% · in work or study 95% · continued 70%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Northampton
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 Waterside Campus, University of Northampton
2,220 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 Northampton from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £17,000 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). 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 Northampton’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 Northampton and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Northampton
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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