COURSE CURRICULUM

The History and International Relations BA (Hons) at Brunel University provides a comprehensive understanding of historical events and their influence on contemporary global affairs. In the first year, students study the development of modern Europe and its global interactions, conflicts, migration, and colonial histories, including the histories of South Asia and settler societies, while also engaging with concepts of global politics through modules on world politics and Global London. In the second year, the focus shifts to methodological and theoretical skills, with modules on historical research, theories of international relations, climate politics, colonialism and decolonisation, insurgency and counter-insurgency, national security intelligence, and social movements including civil rights and gender studies. Optional modules allow students to explore Australia’s global connections and issues of race and migration. The final year centres on an extended dissertation that encourages independent research and critical analysis, alongside optional modules covering advanced research methods, social theory, crisis and society, European borders, the European Union, Fascist Italy, apartheid in South Africa, religion and power in South Asia, slavery and abolition, terrorism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Second World War, and maritime and naval history. The program equips students with analytical, research, and communication skills, fostering a nuanced understanding of historical processes, global systems, and contemporary international relations.