STUDY

Undergraduate

BA (Hons) History

Trenches during WW1
Course options: Professional Placement, Study Abroad
Institution code: S82
UCAS code: V100
Start date: September 2025
Duration: Three years full time.
Location: Ipswich
Typical Offer: 112 UCAS points (or above), BBC (A-Level), DMM (BTEC), Merit (T Level)
Course options: Professional Placement, Study Abroad
Institution code: S82
UCAS code: V100
Start date: September 2025
Duration: Three years full time.
Location: Ipswich
Typical Offer: 112 UCAS points (or above), BBC (A-Level), DMM (BTEC), Merit (T Level)

Overview

The legacies of the past are all around us. From the structure of institutions to the shape of economies; from the ways we think to the course of social movements; and from the problems of our day to the relationships that give our lives meaning, history’s influences are complex and subtle. Historians explore a wide range of evidence to construct interpretations of human behaviour and thinking in the past, communicating them to a variety of audiences to better make sense of the world around us. 

Undertaking a history degree with us allows you to study what you’re passionate about while gaining the tools, skills, and experience to stand out in the workplace or further study as a critical thinker with deep understandings of context, continuity, and change, and ready to take on the challenges of today and tomorrow with confidence, resilience, and creativity. 

Our BA (Hons) History spans a wide chronology from the early medieval period to the modern day. The course leads students on an exploration of experiences and themes in both Global and British History, developing an awareness of national, regional, and local experiences and perspectives and their interrelationships. Classroom learning is augmented with regular trips, social events and external lectures to help you have fun, make new friends and widen your horizons, and there are opportunities to undertake study abroad, work placements, and work with external organisations on community-based projects to help equip you with the skills and confidence necessary to launch a successful career or business. Progressing through the course, students will continually build their knowledge, skills, experience, portfolio, and historical practice and, by the end, will produce a specialist dissertation project on a topic of their choosing.  

Joining our community of scholars means you will study in one of England’s richest historical landscapes, benefit from exciting opportunities to work directly with our community and heritage partners on a variety of projects, be taught and mentored by expert and supportive staff, and enjoy our modern facilities, including unrivalled access to The Hold, the flagship branch of the Suffolk Archives located right on our campus which puts over 900 years of historical documents at your fingertips. 

The University of Suffolk is world-class and committed to our region. We are proudly modern and innovative and we believe in transformative education. We are on the rise with a focus on student satisfaction, graduate prospects, spending on academic services and student facilities.

100%

student satisfaction for History

The National Student Survey (NSS) 2022

6th

in the UK for History

The Guardian University Guide

95%

in the UK for graduates in a career 15 months after graduation

Graduate Outcomes Survey

Course Modules

Our undergraduate programmes are delivered as 'block and blend' - more information can be found on Why Suffolk? You can also watch our Block and Blend video.

Your first year with us will introduce you to the study of history at university level, providing you with the chance to hone your research and communication skills and attune your awareness of foundational approaches and periods of history. Your second year will give you the opportunity to increase your familiarity with the practice of history, exploring themes and processes and working with your peers and our partners on public history projects. Your final year will see you dive deep into specialist subjects and approaches. You will also work directly under the mentorship of a member of our course team on a research project of your own topic and design. This 8,000 word dissertation will be the capstone of your time with us and is an opportunity to showcase all your talent, creativity, and skill. 

Downloadable information regarding all University of Suffolk courses, including Key Facts, Course Aims, Course Structure and Assessment, is available in the Definitive Course Record.

Court yard at Framlingham Castle

This module will introduce first year students to history as an academic subject and professional activity.  It will explore how and why history is practiced and what kinds of methods and sources are used by historians to construct knowledge about the past. 

This module is designed to develop practical research skills and increase your understanding of the methodological and historiographical underpinnings of historical research in preparation for the Independent Research Project next year. You will develop skills in the location and interpretation of a wide range of primary source materials such as the census, newspapers and published discourse, local authority records, parliamentary papers, cabinet records, visual images, diaries and letters, interviews and oral history transcripts and material culture.

Studying imperial Britain is about understanding how subjection to foreign rule, revolution, ‘civilisation’ and ‘progress’ transformed their countries and societies. The story of the British empire is one of wealth and plenty.  It is also one of destitution and struggle.

How did ideological conflict and total war shape European history in the climactic first five decades of the twentieth century? Connected to European politics, society and historiography, this module seeks to develop understanding and awareness of key concepts and events in modern European history. 

Waterfront Building reflecting in the marina

WHY SUFFOLK

2nd in the UK for Career Prospects

WUSCA 2024

3rd in the UK for spend on academic services

Complete University Guide 2025

4th in the UK for Teaching Satisfaction

Guardian University Guide 2024
The ceiling in the Waterfront Building
Inside the Waterfront Building
Boats on the marina in front of the Waterfront Building
The Waterfront Building on Ipswich Marina
Bookshelves and step ladder
The Library
A student sitting with a laptop
SU Social Space

Entry Requirements

home-masthead-th

Career Opportunities

A history degree prepares you for a very wide variety of career paths and we’re excited to help you on that journey. Susan Wojcicki (CEO of YouTube from 2014-2023), President of the United States Joe Biden, and Louis Theroux, as just three examples, have all graduated from history programmes. Many of the skills we focus on appear in the World Economic Forum’s list of top 10 skills of 2050, including analytical and critical thinking, active learning, analysis, creativity, flexibility, problem-solving, and comfort tackling complexity. It’s no surprise that The Telegraph ranks History as one of the Top Ten subjects for employability.

Graduates of our programme go on to careers in a broad range of sectors, including:

  • Education
  • Archive and library services
  • Museum and heritage industries
  • The civil service
  • Local and national government
  • Media and advertising
  • Publishing and journalism
     

We also have a high rate of success for our alumni going on to further study as they pursue their goals. Whatever you want to achieve, we look forward to working with you along the way. 

Your Course Team

Dr Harvey Osborne

Harvey is Course Leader for History at the University of Suffolk and a historian of modern Britain.

Harvey Osborne staff profile photo

Dr Keith Ruiter

Keith is Senior Lecturer in History.

Keith Ruiter staff profile photo

Dr Michael Sauter

Michael is Associate Professor of History and an historian of early modern Europe, with specialisations in intellectual history and the history of science.

Michael Sauter staff profile photo

Professor Brian McCook

Brian is Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Brian McCook staff profile photo

Vivienne Aldous

History lecturer Vivienne Aldous spent more than 20 years as a professional archivist and brings practical archival research experience to the University.

Dr Louise Carter

Louise is a Lecturer in History, whose interests include gender in Georgian society, early-modern witch hunts and the impact of war on childhood.

Louise Carter staff profile photo

Dr John Greenacre

John is a military historian with a particular interest in 20th Century conflict.

John Greenacre staff profile photo

Fees and Funding

UK Full-time Tuition Fee

£9,535

per year
UK Part-time Tuition Fees

£2,384*

per 30 credit module
International Full-time Tuition Fee

£15,090

per year

*Please contact Student Centre for further information on part-time fees

The decision to study a degree is an investment into your future, there are various means of support available to you in order to help fund your tuition fees and living costs. You can apply for funding from the Spring before your course starts.

UK Fees and Finance UK Bursaries and Scholarships International Fees and Scholarships

Ipswich Award

The University of Suffolk is offering a £1,000 Award for students joining the University of Suffolk’s Ipswich campus. The Award is based on specific eligibility criteria based on your year of entry.

More information
A group of students walking down a stairwell

How to Apply

To study this course on a full-time basis, you can apply through UCAS. As well as providing your academic qualifications, you’ll be able to showcase your skills, qualities and passion for the subject.

Apply Now Further Information on Applying
A silhouette of a student in their cap and gown

Jack Shaw, BA (Hons) History

"The History Department is brilliant. It has long been recognised as one of the best in the country and continues to outperform its counterparts. Don’t just take my word for it – History at Suffolk is ranked second on the Guardian’s 2020 league table, one above Oxford."

read more
A group of students on Ipswich waterfront dressed in graduation gowns throwing their hats into the air.

Related Courses

Destroyed Iraqi vehicles beside the Highway 80 west of Kuwait City
MA History

Our MA in History ranges widely between 1750 and the present day, allowing students to choose an array of modules that explore topics and issues from local, regional, and global perspectives.

Unibuddy: Chat to our Students and Staff

Aerial view of the Abbey Gardens in Bury St Edmunds

Destination Suffolk