COURSE CURRICULUM

The BA Politics and Modern History program offers students a comprehensive understanding of political systems and historical developments, bridging the study of past events with contemporary political analysis. In the first year, students gain foundational knowledge in political theory, comparative politics, and international relations, while also exploring historical case studies such as the American century, Roman and Greek history, and key cultural discoveries. Optional modules provide opportunities to engage with diverse historical contexts, from classical antiquity to cultural and societal transformations. In the second year, students can further specialise by studying topics including African-American history, the American Civil War, European intellectual history, Weimar culture, and the political and social changes in Britain from 1899 to 1990. The year also allows for independent research projects, cultivating skills in critical thinking, research, and evidence-based analysis. The final year emphasises advanced historical scholarship and political understanding, with options including studies of slavery in the Old South, the Roman army, Indian nation-building, the Irish Sea world, the Holocaust, and fascist regimes in Italy and Germany. Students complete a history dissertation to develop independent research expertise. By combining historical insight with political analysis, the program equips students for careers in public service, policy, international relations, research, and further academic study, offering a rich and flexible curriculum that encourages critical engagement with complex historical and political questions.