History, Literature and Culture BA(Hons)

Course in brief

Are you critical and independent minded? Do you think that history and literature should challenge political certainties? This course explores the complex problems of modern societies through a historical, literary and cultural lens.

You will consider such questions as: How do novels, poems, autobiographies, memorials, films and television shape our perception of the world? Who decides what counts as history? How do different versions of the past shape how we live today? What role do cultural texts and practices play in negotiating the conflicts that divide so many societies?

You will debate and answer these questions in small seminar groups, in lectures and through individual tutorials tailored to your learning needs. In essays your analytical skills are extended to the consideration of how literary, cultural and historical texts relate to real-world political and philosophical concerns.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Grand Parade

UCAS code LQV0

Full-time 3 years

Book your open day place

Applying for 2018: read our guide

Entry requirements

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BCC–CCC (104–96 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DMM–MMM. Our conditional offers typically fall within this range.

We will generally make you an offer if your predicted grades are at the top of this range. If your predicted grades are towards the lower end of this range we may still make you an offer if you have a good GCSE (or equivalent) profile or relevant non-academic achievements.

International Baccalaureate
27 points.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. Humanities, history or politics courses preferred. At least 45 credits at level 3.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
At least English language and maths.

For non-native speakers of English
IELTS 6.0 overall, with 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.

Interview days
Interview days are held throughout the admissions process. The day involves a course talk where applicants can learn more about their chosen degree and, for some, a taster lecture is also available. Existing students are present and you will have the chance to ask them questions. Interviews last between 15 and 20 minutes and are conducted by a member of academic staff. This session offers you a chance to discuss your own personal areas of interest, and to demonstrate your desire and capability for undergraduate study on your chosen course. In some instances these discussions can be conducted via telephone or Skype.

International equivalencies

International equivalencies by country

Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For academic preparation courses.

Course in detail

Why study with us?

You will be taught in small, participatory seminar groups to foster skills in oral presentation, debating and listening. Every seminar is supported by a preceding lecture.

You will be designated a personal tutor (normally the same throughout the degree) with whom you will meet regularly to discuss your academic progress.

You will explore in depth the historical and contemporary dimensions of globalisation, ranging from outsourcing humanitarian intervention and global politics to climate change.

You will graduate from the course with the critical, analytical and communicative skills essential to joining society and questioning your world.

Our staff are widely published experts in global politics, philosophy and history.

Interdisciplinary work enables you to develop the analytical skills from a variety of disciplines and the capacity to apply these to real-world problems.

Your academic work will be supported by workshops that develop your academic and independent research skills.

The student community is diverse and friendly. You will work with and get to know students from other degrees and there are opportunities for activity outside of the curriculum. These include international conferences with world leading experts; publication in the student blog, and in student publications, and participation in Humanities Society events.

Course structure

In year 1, you are introduced to the humanities subjects that will underpin your work throughout the degree, covering topics such as democracy, narrative and globalisation.

In years 2 and 3, you take an option pathway that allows you to undertake specialist work in a particular area of study or approach.

You will study the Critical Traditions module throughout the course, learning about the key concepts, theoretical debates and historical contexts associated with Western modernity.

Year 1

In year 1 you will take six modules, developing your historical, philosophical, political, narrative and cultural studies analysis skills that are central to this degree. Through lectures, small seminar groups (12 maximum) and essay writing, you develop critical oral and written communication skills.

Modules

Historical Inquiry
Philosophical Inquiry
Studying Cultures
Democracy: From Athens to Baghdad
Understanding Society in a Global World
Approaching Narratives

Year 2

In year 2 you will start a two-year option pathway, consisting of a set of modules in a specialised area of your course. You will also complete a compulsory module: Critical Traditions in Western Thought, which deepens your knowledge of the philosophical, political and historical origins of the present and which supports your option pathway. In addition, you attend lectures chosen from across the Humanities academic programme.

Modules

Project Preparation Course
Elective Studies
Critical Traditions 1 and 2

Options*
Choose one to follow throughout the year

Culture and Conflict in the Contemporary World: Critical Approaches • Representation and the Cultural Politics of Conflict
Fictions in History: Victorian Gothic: Popular Fiction in Historical Content • Realism, Modernism and Postmodernism
Politics of the Past
Philosophy and Literature: Reason, Romanticism, Revolution • From Existentialism to Marxism.

*Option modules may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Find out more about Pathway 1: Culture and Conflict

Find out more about pathway 3: Fictions in History

Final year

In your final year you further develop your subject knowledge and critical skills by completing the option pathway started in year 2. You demonstrate both independent research skills and your critical knowledge by completing the dissertation you began preparing for in year 2. The dissertation is an extended piece of work with 8,000–12,000 words.

In addition you will present your project findings for scrutiny in a 45-minute oral exam that tests your skills of presentation, communication, discussion and debate.

Final Project

Options*
Develop your year 2 option further.

Culture and Conflict: Narrating the Contested Past: Northern Ireland and South Africa
Fictions in History: Caribbean and African American Writing: 'Race', History, Fiction and Resistance
Politics of the Past
Philosophy and Literature: From Post-structuralism to Posthumanism.

*Option modules may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Careers and employability

This degree enables you to develop key skills valued by employers: communication, management and analytical skills as well as detailed knowledge of the problems confronting the world today. Our graduates have worked as political advisers, novelists, editors, teachers and journalists. Many progress to postgraduate study and research careers, taking advantage of the range of masters degrees offered at the University of Brighton.

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 12,660 GBP

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2017–18.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Forward-thinking and welcoming, the city of Brighton & Hove is a community of creative and diverse people who share values like sustainability and inclusivity – just like its university.

Miles of pebble beaches, hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs, a packed calendar of culture, music and sport and great independent and high street shopping attract visitors from all over the world. By the end of your course you’ll still be finding new things to enjoy about the city.

The Brighton Festival, England’s largest arts festival, takes place every May – as does the Great Escape Europe’s leading industry showcase for new music, 300 bands perform over three days at venues across the city. Major events celebrate Pride, digital culture, cinema, photography, food and the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate show is a highlight, turning the university into the largest exhibition space in the south east as we celebrate the outstanding creativity of our students.

As a student here you’ll have a unique opportunity to experience what the city has to offer. Volunteering and placement opportunities enable you to play your part in the events, organisations and communities that make Brighton such a compelling place to be.

Campus where this course is taught

Grand Parade campus

Our Grand Parade campus is in the heart of Brighton, across the road from the Royal Pavilion and a five-minute walk from the beach. After your lectures you’ll be right in the city centre, close to all the best pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes that Brighton has to offer.

The campus is home to a creative community of arts and humanities students, specialising in everything from fashion and textiles to politics and philosophy. It is also the location of the University of Brighton Gallery and Sallis Benney Theatre, which host events throughout the festival season and beyond.

The world-renowned University of Brighton Design Archives are in the basement of Grand Parade and offer extensive resources for the study of British design in the twentieth century. St Peters House, the campus library, is also nearby and houses a specialist collection of arts books and journals.

Accommodation

Brighton

Our Brighton halls of residence are located across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Grand Parade is in central Brighton and has one hall of residence, Phoenix Brewery, within walking distance.
Moulsecoomb is two miles from the city centre and also has one hall of residence, Moulsecoomb Place, on campus.
Varley Park offers the biggest choice of student accommodation with ten halls of residence.
Falmer campus has two halls of residence: Great Wilkins and Paddock Field.
Varley Park and Falmer are around four miles from Brighton centre; there are good public transport services nearby.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our Brighton accommodation webpages and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accommodation@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 644100.

Paddock Field

Moulsecoomb Place

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Grand Parade campus map

Unistats

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats is an organisation that collects specific data about university courses in the UK which enables you to compare information that is important in your decision-making when choosing a university. All universities publish Unistats data on their online course pages.

Wherever we can we have provided extra information here to help put the data into context so that it is as useful as possible when you are making decisions.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the official university document for each course. They are updated each year, and give a very detailed breakdown of what your course might look like.

Programme specification

Find out more

Humanities news

First name
Your email address
Subject area
Course page
Year of entry
201720182019
Providing this information will help us make our updates even more relevant to you.
Please make sure you read our privacy policy
Privacy consent
I understand and consent to how you will use my data