American History (including Year Abroad)

Description

Our BA American History (including Year Abroad) enables you to specialise in the history of the USA and Latin America, and spend your third year abroad. There is only a compulsory full-year module taken in your first year: The Making of the Modern World 1776-1989, and a compulsory half-year module taken in your second year: Making Histories: Concepts, Themes and Sources. In your final year you need to take a Special Subject and write a dissertation on a subject in the history of the USA or South America.
In addition to these few mandatory modules, you choose from a range of relevant options centred on the history of the Americas.

Why study BA American History (Including Year Abroad) at Essex?

Our Department of History has developed a strong research and teaching profile, coming joint second in the UK in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE, December 2008) and a 95 per cent satisfaction rating in the 2010 National Student Survey. Our staff are amongst world leaders in their fields and we have strong links with the Essex Record Office, which is one of the best county record offices in the UK.
Our teaching and research concentrates on the period from 1500 to the present and covers a wide geographical area that includes British and European history, as well as Latin America, the USA, China, Russia and Africa.

Why study this subject?

Apart from being extremely enjoyable and enabling you to learn about the past and come to a better understanding of the present, a course in history provides you with important skills that will be of value after leaving university. In learning to absorb, analyse and assess a wide variety of information and viewpoints, in learning to express your arguments in oral and written form, and in learning to think and work both independently and in co-operation with others, history students acquire skills which employers in all fields value.

Detailed Course Facts

• GBP 9000 Year (EEA)
• GBP 11950 Year (Non-EEA)

• English

Course Content

The special characteristics of our courses are choice and flexibility.
We operate a credit framework for our awards, which is based on principles widely used across the UK university sector. Each module has a credit rating attached and our standard three-year course consists of 360 credits (120 credits in each year). Each year you take a number of compulsory core credits which give you the necessary training in the discipline; around this core you are free to choose the modules you want to do. Each year there is a wide range of optional modules to choose from.
You can do as much History as you want, but we also encourage you in your first year to choose at least one module in another subject (an A-level subject you really enjoy, or a completely new subject you would like to try out!)This means that if you successfully complete your first year, then you may be qualified to enter the second year of a different course if you wanted to do so: for example, politics, philosophy or sociology, or a joint honours degree, combining History with another subject (providing places are available). It is also possible for you to continue your interest in a subject other than History in your second year, where you have the option of doing a 30-credit module in a different department.
Please note that module information on our course finder provides a guide to course content and may be subject to review on an annual basis.

Year 1

• The Making of the Modern World 1776-1989
• History Workshop
• And choose 75 credits from a range of History options or outside options.

Year 2

• Making Histories: Concepts, Themes and Sources
• And choose from a range of History options and one optional outside option.

Year 3

Year abroad

Year 4

• Special Subject
• Independent Research Project
• And choose from a range of History options.

English Language Requirements

IELTS band : 6

To study at this university, you have to speak English. We advice you to

Requirements

• A-levels: ABB-BBB
• GCSE English: C
• IB: 32-30 points (we consider IB certificates at the Higher level on a case-by-case basis)
• Achievement of the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 6 level three credits at distinction and the remainder at merit (or above).
• We welcome applications from students whose A-levels do not include History.

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall with minimum 5.5 in each component (or equivalent). Different requirements apply for second year entry.

Work Experience

No work experience is required.

Related Scholarships*

• Academic Excellence Scholarship

  "The Academic Excellence Scholarship can provide up to a 50 % reduction in tuition per semester. These scholarships will be renewed if the student maintains superior academic performance during each semester of their 3-year Bachelor programme. The scholarship will be directly applied to the student’s tuition fees."

• Access Bursary

  Bursary for UK students all subjects where the variable tuition fee rate is payable.

• Alumni Bursary

  Alumni Bursary for UK Undergraduate students

* The scholarships shown on this page are suggestions first and foremost. They could be offered by other organisations than University of Essex.

Funding

For up-to-date information on funding opportunities at Essex, please visit: www.essex.ac.uk/studentfinance.