BA (Hons) History and Politics

Course outline

The Department of International Studies recognises the connection between the academic discipline of Politics and the cognate discipline of History. This new programme allows students to understand contemporary political systems in Europe, the Americas and East Asia, whilst also understanding the historical roots of the modern international system.

Politics, involving the study of Political Science and Political Theory, has been at the heart of Buckingham since the University was founded in 1973. The interdisciplinary subject allows students to evaluate political concepts and theories, as well as understanding ‘otherness’ of people and societies around the world.

History programmes at Buckingham focus on international history from roughly 1800 onwards, covering empires, the rise in political polarisation, World Wars and the shaping of our modern political systems, whilst considering the relationship between ideology and the historical process.

Students will gain a comprehensive knowledge that can be adapted to a wide range of careers. This programme gives students an ideal preparation for careers in diplomacy, international business, journalism, politics and education, as well as the academic grounding to pursue further studies in Global Affairs, History, Politics or International Relations.

Teaching methods

The Department employs a variety of teaching methods in different modules. Lectures and small group tutorials form the backbone of the teaching. Personal contact with members of the academic staff is considered to be essential if each student’s personal enthusiasm for their studies is to be stimulated. A range of activities is pursued within the tutorial groups depending upon the module. Some modules emphasise problem solving as a means of reinforcing and cementing the important ideas – for example the module in Microeconomic Theory. Occasionally we use game playing to encourage discussion and understanding – for example when competing groups of students try to control a computer model of the economy in Principles of Macroeconomics. Other modules place greater emphasis on writing short and accurate technical pieces (Welfare Economics) or longer more discursive papers.

Dissertation

All students on the course will have to write a dissertation of 10,000 – 12,000 words on a topic of their choice with the help and supervision of a personal tutor within their chosen field.

What our students and alumni say

“The international community at Buckingham brings the study of history and politics to life — imagine learning about Africa and the Dominions with people from countries who are still being affected by the aftershock of the British Empire: it really brings the subject alive.”