COURSE CURRICULUM

The History program at Southampton provides a comprehensive and flexible curriculum designed to develop students’ understanding of the past, from ancient times to the contemporary era. In the first year, students study core modules that introduce them to the material and human dimensions of history, examining objects, images, texts, identities, and individual lives, alongside world histories covering a range of themes, periods, and regions. Students also choose from a wide selection of optional modules exploring topics such as medieval castles, leadership in the ancient world, religious and political transformations, social movements, gender history, and major conflicts, allowing them to tailor their studies to personal interests. In the second year, students focus on research, debates, and public history, while preparing for study abroad or a year in employment, and further optional modules explore subjects including ancient civilizations, urban history, migration, slavery, cultural economics, and modern political and social history. The third year culminates in an independent dissertation, supported by modules on advanced research and historiography, alongside options covering exploration, science, global empires, resistance to Rome, the British Empire in Asia, modern conflicts, cinema, the Holocaust, and contemporary social histories. Across all years, the program develops analytical, research, and communication skills, preparing students for diverse career paths and advanced study.