Modern History

• Modern History achieved 91% for developing knowledge and skills, one of the highest scores as rated by final-year undergraduate students in the 2023 National Student Survey



• Winchester students have secured work placements at leading historic, cultural and entrepreneurial venues such as the Mary Rose and British Museum



• Join a student-led history society on trips to sites of historical interest and talks by major historians



• Learn from expert tutors and their cutting-edge research



• Study in a beautiful city steeped in history



Satisfy your curiosity and develop a deep understanding of the world in which we live through the study of the history that shaped it from the sixteenth century to the present. Modern History at Winchester allows you to make your own discoveries with a range of innovative and stimulating courses.

Our committed team of historians are passionate about their subjects, which cover a broad range of cultures, wars and traditions from around the globe. Studying alongside them, you can learn about the world at the time of the Reformation, the English Civil Wars, the Age of Revolutions, the rise and fall of empires; the creation of new-nation states, the history of anti-slavery, environmental and civil right movements, and much more.

You can choose to focus your studies on Britain, but you can also explore a variety of historical periods, events and cultures, including Europe, the Americas (North and South), Asia and Africa through a broad range of optional modules.

In Year 1, you take core modules that explore the nature of history as a discipline. You look at the changing assumptions, methods and definitions of history and explore the current concerns of historians.

Having acquired research skills and knowledge in Year 1, your studies in Years 2 and 3 are more specialised.

In Year 2, core modules in Reading History and Practising History deepen your understanding of the discipline. You also select from a range of optional modules that focus on the modern world, concentrating either on using original documents, or exploring continuity and change over long periods. Options may include The British Raj, the Modern Global Hispanic World, Nazism and the Holocaust, and Everyday Life in Post-war Britain.

In Year 3, you produce your dissertation and take core modules in Writing History and on how History Matters in the public sphere. Optional modules take the form of Depth Studies and Comparative Studies. An understanding of methodology is developed by Depth Studies, which establish a comprehensive knowledge of a particular period by evaluating the use of primary and secondary sources and any issues associated with them as evidence. While an area of historical concern across more than one country and culture is examined by Comparative Studies.

Depth Studies options may include The Global Age of Napoleon, The United States and the Cold War 1945-63, and Japan at War and Under Occupation 1937-52. Possible Comparative Studies options are Borderlands and Commodities in History, Minorities in the Past and Mediterranean Fascism: Conflict and Dictatorship in Spain and Italy 1914-1947.

Our degrees, combined with inspiring extracurricular activities, such as field trips both in the UK and abroad, offer a wide and deep experience that opens up numerous career paths. Many Winchester graduates carry on to teaching and heritage roles but our alumni can also be found in political think-tanks, the Civil Service, the BBC, automobile and insurance companies and publishing houses, to mention just a few destinations.

Clearing is your chance to secure a place at a top 25 university for graduate employment (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2024).

At Winchester, career support isn't just an after-thought, it's at the forefront of your education. Say hello to industry-standard teaching, state-of-the-art facilities and career-relevant courses, like Midwifery, Sports Journalism, Criminology and Film Production. Each undergraduate programme boasts specialist work experience, industry-relevant qualifications and unique travel opportunities, to give you the best possible start. With strong links to North America, you could study in the likes of Maine, Oregon, Montana and Ontario!

There's also a great range of accommodation options for first-year students. With catered, non-catered, quiet or accessible accommodation on offer, you're bound to find new friends and a place that you can call home.

Register your interest today for more information.