History and Film

History and Film at the University of Kent offers a unique interdisciplinary programme that combines the study of historical developments with the analysis of cinematic representation. This programme is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of how history has shaped, and been shaped by, film and visual culture. Students will explore a wide range of historical periods, from ancient to modern times, alongside critical approaches to film studies, including theoretical frameworks, genre analysis, and media critique. The curriculum emphasizes the development of analytical skills, historical awareness, and critical thinking, enabling students to interpret historical narratives as presented through film and media. Throughout the course, students will engage with a variety of coursework, including essays, presentations, and film analyses, fostering both their research and communication abilities. They will also have opportunities to participate in practical projects, such as film screenings, discussions, and potentially internships related to media and archives. The programme encourages an interdisciplinary approach, integrating perspectives from history, film studies, cultural studies, and media theory. This flexible degree prepares graduates for diverse careers in education, media, journalism, public history, or further academic research. The Department of History and the School of Media and Journalism collaborate to provide a rich academic environment supported by expert faculty with research interests spanning historical periods and cinematic genres. Students benefit from modern facilities, access to extensive archives, and engaging guest lectures from industry professionals. The programme's structure ensures a balance between theoretical knowledge and practical skills, making it an ideal choice for those interested in understanding the complex relationship between history and film. Graduates of this programme will emerge with a sophisticated understanding of how visual narratives influence our perception of history and culture, equipped with critical and research skills that are highly valued in many professional contexts. Whether pursuing further academic study or entering the professional world, students will be well-prepared to analyze and interpret the multimedia landscape of contemporary society.

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:

• FI313 - Film Form
• FI315 - Introduction to Film Theory
• 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

Possible modules may include:

• FI611 - New York & The Movies
• FI537 - Postwar European Cinema
• FI594 - Film Authorship
• FI595 - Film Genre (Horror)
• FI597 - Animated Worlds
• FI598 - Cognition and Emotion
• FI599 - The Gothic in Film
• FI600 - Film Criticism
• FI602 - Documentary Film
• FI606 - Avant-Garde and Experimental Cinema
• FI607 - Storytelling and the Cinema
• FI618 - Introduction to Screenwriting
• FI619 - Images of War and Violence
• FI621 - Television Series: Narration, Engagement and Evaluation
• FI565 - British Cinema
• 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
• HI5013 - Popular Religion and Heresy, 1100-1300
• HI5023 - The American Civil War Era 1848-1877
• HI5075 - Marvels, Monsters and Freaks 1780-1920
• HI5092 - Armies at War 1914-1918
• HI566 - History Dissertation
• HI6002 - The British Army and Empire c1750-1920
• HI6009 - Europe and the Islamic World, c 1450-1750
• HI5094 - Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies: The British and French Experienc
• HI6018 - Victorian Science
• HI6025 - Everyday Life in Early Modern Europe
• HI6032 - Persecution, Repression and Resistance
• HI6034 - Anglo-French Relations 1904 - 1945
• HI783 - Anglo-Saxon England
• HI789 - The Art of Death
• HI795 - Inviting Doomsday: US Environmental
• HI6036 - Science Satirised
• HI6042 - The British Empire: Sunrise to Sunset
• 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
• HI6047 - Communist Eastern Europe, 1945-89
• HI763 - How the West was Won (or lost): The American West in the Nineteenth Cen

You have the opportunity to select wild modules in this stage

Possible modules may include:

• ART500 - Independent Project
• FI622 - Television Series: Narration, Engagement and Evaluation
• FI620 - Images of War and Violence
• FI608 - Film Authorship
• FI555 - Introduction to Screen Writing
• FI573 - Animated Worlds
• FI577 - Cognition and Emotion
• FI582 - New York and the Movies
• FI584 - The Gothic in Film
• FI585 - Film Criticism
• FI615 - Film Genre (Horror)
• FI616 - Postwar European Cinema
• FI617 - History of British Cinema
• FI501 - The Documentary Film
• FI506 - Avant Garde and Experimental Cinema
• FI527 - Storytelling and the Cinema
• HI770 - From Blitzkrieg to Baghdad: Armoured Warfare in Theory, Practise and Im
• HI6049 - The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the Atlantic World, c. 1500 - 1900
• HI605 - Independent Documentary Study in History
• HI747 - The Cold War, 1941 - 1991
• 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
• HI796 - Inviting Doomsday: US Environmental
• HI6035 - Anglo-French Relations 1904 - 1945
• 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
• HI5095 - Insurgencies and Counter-Insurgencies: The British and French Experienc
• HI5099 - The Wars of the Roses
• HI6012 - From Crisis to Revolution: France 1774-1799
• HI6014 - Riders on the Storm
• HI6016 - The English Reformation and the Invention of the Middle Ages
• HI5093 - Armies at War 1914-1918
• HI5024 - The American Civil War Era 1848-1877
• HI5068 - War and Modern Medicine 1850-1950
• HI5072 - The American Revolution

You have the opportunity to select wild modules in this stage

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 A level 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 University of Kent offers a comprehensive undergraduate programme in History and Film, designed to provide students with a broad understanding of historical events, trends, and contexts, alongside critical analysis of cinematic works. This interdisciplinary degree aims to develop students' research, analytical, and communication skills through a blend of theoretical and practical learning. The History component of the programme covers diverse periods and regions, including medieval, modern, and contemporary history, with options that may include European, British, American, and global topics. Students engage in critical examination of primary and secondary sources, contributing to their understanding of historical processes and narratives. The Film element emphasizes film theory, history of cinema, and the analysis of film as an art form and cultural product. Students explore genres, national cinemas, and various film movements, gaining insights into filmmaking techniques and narrative structures. The programme encourages active participation through lectures, seminars, workshops, and screenings, fostering a vibrant learning environment. It also offers opportunities for practical experience, such as film editing, scriptwriting, and digital media production. Students benefit from access to state-of-the-art facilities, including editing suites, screening rooms, and extensive film and archive collections. The degree is designed to prepare graduates for careers in media, education, heritage, research, or further academic study. Advisers support students in developing their academic and professional skills, guiding coursework and dissertations that often involve comparative analyses, historiographical debates, and media studies. The university’s strong links with cultural institutions and media organizations enhance employability prospects, providing internships and collaborative projects. The degree program promotes critical thinking, cultural awareness, and intellectual flexibility, equipping students with analytical tools applicable across a range of sectors. Overall, the History and Film programme at the University of Kent offers an enriching academic experience that combines rigorous historical scholarship with the study of film, fostering well-rounded graduates prepared for diverse professional paths.