Program Overview

On our Modern History programme with Year Abroad, you study the great sweep of history in Britain and around the world from the time of the Reformation to the present day, and covering a wide range of themes such as the Age of Revolutions, the rise and fall of empires; the creation of new-nation states, the history of anti-slavery, environmental and civil right movements, and much more.

You will have opportunities to study a diverse range of historical periods and events, and the past experience of key individuals and communities in Britain, the rest of Europe, the Americas (North and South), Asia, and Africa. Examples include: the Global Age of Napoleon, the British Raj, the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust, the United States and the Cold War, the Modern Global Hispanic World, Japan at War and under Occupation, Borderlands and Commodities in History, Minorities in the Past, and Everyday Life in Post-war Britain.

In Year 1, you are introduced to the study of history at degree level. We help you to gain a good grounding in historical periods and cultures from around the globe, including Asia, Europe and the Americas. You will explore the nature of history as a discipline, its changing assumptions, methods and definitions, and the current concerns of historians.

In Year 2, you will take core modules that deepen your understanding of the study of history, including Practising History, and modules focused primarily on the modern world. You either concentrate on how to use original sources (in translated and printed form where appropriate) or explore, through thematic approaches, social continuity and change over long periods. Optional modules allow you to explore the history of past localities, to take a work placement, engage in a group project or learn through a substantial field trip about the past in the present through actively engaging with it on site.

In Year 3, you spend a year studying at one of our partner universities in Europe, USA, or Canada, gaining a valuable experience, broadening your horizons by learning about another culture first-hand, and boosting your CV.

In Year 4, modules take the form of Depth Study and the Dissertation where you carry out detailed research into your own area of interest. An understanding of methodology is developed by the Depth Study, building comprehensive knowledge of a particular period by evaluating the use of primary and secondary sources. Optional modules include Comparative Studies which look at an area of historical concern across more than one country and culture.

Our degrees, combined with inspiring extracurricular activities, such as field trips both in the UK and abroad, offer a wide and deep experience that opens up numerous career paths. Winchester students have secured work placement opportunities at leading historic, cultural and entrepreneurial venues such as the Mary Rose and British Museum. Many Winchester graduates carry on to teaching and heritage roles but our alumni can also be found in political think-tanks, the Civil Service, the BBC, automobile and insurance companies, publishing houses, NGOs and charities to mention just a few destinations.