History
Goldsmiths, University of London
UCAS Code: V101 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Goldsmiths, University of London
UCAS Code: V101 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject specific modules
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
With three Higher Level subjects at 655
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Advanced Higher
Scottish Higher
T Level
Each application will be considered on its individual merits. Where the T Level subject area does not directly match the degree programme being applied for, the personal statement and reference will be particularly important in demonstrating interest, enthusiasm and suitability for the subject.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**Why study BA History at Goldsmiths**
**History is a relevant, dynamic, fascinating and important field of study which, at Goldsmiths, is approached in creative, innovative and exciting ways.**
- **We are global.** You will learn about the history of the world and the global connections that span our multicultural world.
- **We are relevant.** You will learn about the continuing legacies of key events in history. Ideas such as democracy, liberalism, identity - how to look beyond the words on the page, delve into the emotional meaning of images and spoken word, and to dig into the truth behind the data.
- **We help you explore your interests.** Across the degree, you will be able to choose from a wide variety of modules including options at Birkbeck, Kings, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, and UCL.
- **We are interdisciplinary.** Explore connections between history and other disciplines and learn about issues of identity and environment. You can also choose an interdisciplinary module option from other disciplines such as anthropology, politics, media studies, and sociology.
- **We are research-led.** You will learn how to think critically by being introduced to cutting-edge research in fields like non-traditional military history, Black British history, and Queer history. You will be introduced to innovative historical methods from oral and public history.
- **We help you achieve academic success.** Meet your personal tutor during induction and every term to help you set goals and improve your skills. You will participate in diverse assessments, so you can apply your learning to practice, and learn with the support of peers in small group seminars, field trips, and film screenings.
- **We develop you to succeed in your future career.** You will gain career knowledge and experience, including through our work placement module, which will help you stand out to future employers.
- **We open doors.** Whether you see your future in law, business, teaching or further study, this degree will help you get there. If you are not sure what your future holds, studying History can help you find your path. Take your first step, by choosing BA History at Goldsmiths.
Goldsmiths has a rich heritage of social awareness, civic engagement, creative arts, digital innovation, and equality, diversity, and inclusion. As a Goldsmiths graduate, you will be among the most critically engaged, interdisciplinary educated, and socially aware graduates of the University of London.
Modules
Year 1
In your first year, you'll take the following compulsory modules:
Global Connections
Identity, Agency & Environment 1
Identity, Agency & Environment 2
Reading and Writing History
Historical Controversies
Power, Emotions and Environment
Year 2
Your second year will give you the chance to broaden your intellectual horizons, and have more freedom over what you study.
You will take these compulsory modules:
Radicalism and Revolution from the Late Medieval to the Modern World
Empires in Comparative Perspective
The Goldsmiths Elective
The Goldsmiths Project
Option modules
You'll also take 30-credits worth of optional modules, chosen from a list provided by the Department of History each year.
Year 3
Your final year will be spent developing your specialist interests and knowledge.
You'll undertake a Special Subject module, worth 30 credits. This module will support your dissertation. You can choose to undertake your Special Subject module at Goldsmiths or you can choose a University of London Intercollegiate Group III Special Subject module from a list approved annually.
You'll also write a dissertation, worth 30 credits. This should be linked to the Special Subject module you take.
Finally, you take 60 credits of optional modules. This may include up to 30 credits from ‘related studies’ modules taken in another Goldsmiths discipline.
Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.
Assessment methods
A wide and innovative variety of methods are used to assess learning, these include essays, reviews, source analyses, blogs, videos, walks, presentations, exams, and dissertations. Some modules are assessed by portfolios of coursework, or by a combination of coursework and an examination. Others are assessed by long essays or dissertations on topics approved with the tutor. Assessments vary in length according to the type of assessment and/or level of module.
The Uni
Goldsmiths, University of London
History
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
History
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
History
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
History is a very popular subject (although numbers have fallen of late) — in 2015, over 10,000 UK students graduated in a history-related course. Obviously, there aren't 11,000 jobs as historians available every year, but history is a good, flexible degree that allows graduates to go into a wide range of different jobs, and consequently history graduates have an unemployment rate comparable to the national graduate average. Many — probably most — jobs for graduates don't ask for a particular degree to go into them and history graduates are well set to take advantage. That's why so many go into jobs in the finance industry, human resources, marketing, PR and events management, as well as the more obvious roles in education, welfare and the arts. Around one in five history graduates went into further study last year. History and teaching were the most popular further study subjects for history graduates, but law, journalism, and politics were also popular postgraduate courses.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
History
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£23k
£28k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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Higher entry requirements
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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
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Post-six month graduation stats:
This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.
It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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