History and Drama

History and Drama at the University of Kent offers a unique interdisciplinary programme that combines the study of historical events, cultural developments, and theatrical arts to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of past societies and their representations. This degree is designed for students who are passionate about exploring how history shapes the world we live in today and how drama and performance reflect and influence social change. Throughout the course, students engage with a wide range of methodological approaches, including historical analysis, theatrical theory, and practical skills in performance and scriptwriting. The programme covers various historical periods, from ancient civilizations to contemporary times, allowing students to develop a nuanced understanding of different cultural contexts and historical processes. Alongside historical studies, students explore the evolution of drama as an art form, examining classical theatre, modern drama, and performance practices across different cultures. The curriculum includes modules that focus on critical analysis of texts, performance skills, and the socio-political contexts of theatrical works. Students also benefit from opportunities to participate in performances, workshops, and internships, fostering practical skills alongside academic knowledge. The programme aims to cultivate critical thinking, effective communication, and creative expression, preparing graduates for careers in education, archival work, theatre production, cultural management, journalism, or further academic research. With experienced faculty members who are specialists in their fields, students receive personalized support and guidance, encouraging intellectual curiosity and professional development. The University of Kent's vibrant campus life and strong links with cultural institutions provide additional opportunities for immersive learning and networking. Overall, the History and Drama programme offers a compelling combination of historical scholarship and theatrical practice, equipping students with the skills and knowledge to analyze the past and creatively engage with contemporary issues through performance.

Detailed Course Facts

• GBP 9000 Year (EEA)
• GBP 12450 Year (Non-EEA)

• Total Kent credits: 360
• Total ECTS credits: 180

• Total Kent credits: 360
• Total ECTS credits: 180

• English

Course Content

The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules, you may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.

Possible modules may include:

• DR315 - Modern Theatre: A Theoretical Landscape
• DR337 - The Empty Space
• HI426 - Making History: Theory and Practice
• HI430 - Modern British History (Part Two)
• HI431 - The English Renaissance: Society, Politics and Culture 1400-1600
• HI433 - Early Modern History: The Age of Enlightenment c. 1600-1750
• HI436 - A Global History of Empires: 1850-1960
• HI353 - Britain and the Second World War: The Home Front
• HI359 - Empire and Africa
• HI366 - Britain in the Age of Industrialisation 1700-1830
• HI385 - Introduction to the History of Medicine
• HI391 - The Rise of the United States Since 1880
• HI397 - Cinema and Society, 1930 - 1960
• HI411 - Later Medieval Europe
• HI419 - England in the Age of Chivalry: c1200-1400
• HI425 - Revolutionary Europe 1700-1850

You have the opportunity to select wild modules in this stage

Possible modules may include:

• HI5013 - Popular Religion and Heresy, 1100-1300
• HI5023 - The American Civil War Era 1848-1877
• HI5031 - African History since 1800
• HI5035 - History of Modern Medicine and Medical Ethics,1800-2000
• HI5041 - Gothic Art: Image and Imagination in Europe, c.1140-1500
• HI5055 - Russia: 1855-1945 Reform, Revolution and War
• HI5065 - British History c. 1480-1620
• HI5075 - Marvels, Monsters and Freaks 1780-1920
• HI5092 - Armies at War 1914-1918
• HI5094 - Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies: The British and French Experienc
• HI566 - History Dissertation
• HI6002 - The British Army and Empire c1750-1920
• HI6009 - Europe and the Islamic World, c 1450-1750
• HI6018 - Victorian Science
• HI6025 - Everyday Life in Early Modern Europe
• HI6036 - Science Satirised
• HI6042 - The British Empire: Sunrise to Sunset
• HI6032 - Persecution, Repression and Resistance
• HI6034 - Anglo-French Relations 1904 - 1945
• HI6047 - Communist Eastern Europe, 1945-89
• HI613 - Conflict in Seventeenth Century Britain
• HI632 - The Tools of Empire 1760-1920
• HI707 - Britain and The Falklands War
• HI742 - The Cold War, 1941-1991
• HI783 - Anglo-Saxon England
• HI789 - The Art of Death
• HI795 - Inviting Doomsday: US Environmental
• HI763 - How the West was Won (or lost): The American West in the Nineteenth Cen
• DR549 - Acting
• DR575 - Victorian and Edwardian Theatre
• DR594 - Popular Performance
• DR609 - European Naturalist Theatre & Its Legacy
• DR612 - Shakespeare's Theatre
• DR663 - Physical Theatre 1
• DR667 - Site Specific Performance
• DR669 - European Theatre from 1945
• DR671 - Puppet and Object Theatre
• DR673 - Theatres of the Past 1: the Classics
• DR674 - Performance and Art: Intermediality from Wagner to the Virtuals
• DR681 - Theatres of the Past 2: The Moderns
• DR682 - Theatre and Music

You have the opportunity to select wild modules in this stage

Possible modules may include:

• HI770 - From Blitzkrieg to Baghdad: Armoured Warfare in Theory, Practise and Im
• HI796 - Inviting Doomsday: US Environmental
• HI747 - The Cold War, 1941 - 1991
• HI6049 - The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the Atlantic World, c. 1500 - 1900
• HI605 - Independent Documentary Study in History
• HI6035 - Anglo-French Relations 1904 - 1945
• HI6044 - British Politics 1625-1642
• HI6045 - Origins of the Second World War
• HI6046 - Wolves, Walruses and the Wild
• HI6037 - Science Satirised
• HI6039 - The Rights Revolution: The 20th Century US Supreme Court & Society
• HI6040 - The Discovery of the World c.1450 - 1800
• HI6041 - The Crusades in the Thirteenth Century
• HI6029 - The Great War: British Memory, History and Culture
• HI6030 - Empires of Religion
• HI6021 - Famine in Pre-Industrial Societies
• HI6024 - Napoleon and Europe, 1799 - 1815
• HI6012 - From Crisis to Revolution: France 1774-1799
• HI6014 - Riders on the Storm
• HI6016 - The English Reformation and the Invention of the Middle Ages
• HI5095 - Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies: The British and French Experienc
• HI5099 - The Wars of the Roses
• HI5093 - Armies at War 1914-1918
• HI5068 - War and Modern Medicine 1850-1950
• HI5072 - The American Revolution
• HI5024 - The American Civil War Era 1848-1877

Requirements

The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.

A level

• ABB including History grade B excluding General Studies and Critical Thinking

• The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above.

• The university will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF;OCR) on a case by case basis please contact us via the enquiries tab for further advice on your individual circumstances.

• 34 points overall or 16 points at HL including History 5 at HL or 6 at SL

The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.

Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.

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 Kent.

Funding

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Our 2015 financial support package includes a £6,000 cash bursary spread over the duration of your course. For Ts&Cs and to find out more, visit our Scholarships site.

General scholarships

Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence, which will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our funding pages. Please note that details of the scholarship for 2015 entry have not yet been finalised and are subject to change.

The History and Drama undergraduate program at the University of Kent offers students a unique interdisciplinary education that combines the study of historical events, themes, and contexts with the practical and theoretical aspects of drama and performance. This program is designed for students who are passionate about understanding the past while exploring its influence on contemporary culture through theatrical expression. Throughout the course, students will engage with a wide range of topics including medieval history, modern history, theatrical history, performance techniques, and dramatic theory.

The curriculum integrates rigorous historical analysis with practical drama skills, enabling students to develop critical thinking, cultural awareness, and creative abilities. Students have the opportunity to participate in theatrical productions, workshops, and simulations that enhance their understanding of historical contexts through performance. They will also learn to conduct primary and secondary research, analyze historical sources, and develop documentary scripts or performative presentations rooted in historical material.

The program is designed to develop transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and critical analysis, which are highly valued in a variety of careers including education, theatre, media, heritage management, and cultural consultancy. Students benefit from the university’s strong links with local theatres, heritage organizations, and cultural institutions, providing opportunities for placements, internships, and collaborative projects. The program also emphasizes independent learning, encouraging students to pursue individual research interests within history and drama, culminating in a dissertation or major project.

The interdisciplinary approach of the course prepares graduates to critically evaluate the ways in which history shapes performance and vice versa. The university’s vibrant academic community, experienced staff, and extensive resources support students throughout their studies. Graduates of this program often go on to careers in performing arts, historical research, museum curation, education, or further postgraduate study in related fields.

The program typically spans three years for full-time students and offers flexibility for part-time study. It combines lectures, seminars, practical workshops, and independent research, with assessments including essays, presentations, practical performances, and research projects. The program’s innovative curriculum aims to produce well-rounded graduates capable of thinking creatively and analytically about history and drama.