History BA (Hons)

Course code V210

What is special about this course?

If you are interested in putting people and society at the centre of your studies of the past, then the BA (Hons) History degree is exactly what you are looking for. Throughout the course you will investigate the cultural, political, social and economic history of Britain, Europe and the Atlantic World, across a variety of chronologies from medieval to modern, with opportunities to specialise in Scottish History. 

Each year, you will build on your analytical and research abilities through a series of skills modules. 

In the first and second years, you will follow a broad approach to the study of history from the medieval to the modern period.  

In years three and four, you will examine in-depth particular topics of history, allowing you to study specific places, periods, themes and approaches which reflect staff research specialisms, including public and community history. You can choose to specialise in Scottish History at the upper levels and graduate with a BA (Hons) Scottish History degree.

Please see our FAQ sheet for further information on this course.

Special features

  • You will have the opportunity to focus on the history of Scotland, Britain, Europe and the Atlantic world 
  • You can specialise in Scottish History at the upper levels to enable you to exit with a Scottish History degree
  • Exciting new modules based on staffs' cutting-edge research are offered at upper level, including a flagship Public History module at third year with a range of guest speakers 
  • The Centre for History and wider humanities at UHI specialise in high quality video-conference teaching supported by a dynamic virtual learning environment and expansive online resources 
  • You can study full time or part time to suit your personal circumstances  
  • Individual modules can be studied for personal or professional development, which can be of particular interest to teachers looking to diversify their portfolio
  • The Centre for History holds regular research seminars to which students are welcome
  • There are opportunities to volunteer at local museums and archives, and occasional (voluntary) field trips in the university's region enhance the experience of your degree

Entry requirements

Entry to year one:

  • 3 Scottish Highers at grade BBC or above, or
  • 2 A levels at grade BC or above
  • At least two should be from the list of relevant academic subjects.
  • Applicants with other relevant qualifications or experience will be considered on an individual basis

Advanced entry to year two:

  • HNC Social Sciences (12 SQA credits) with 3 additional SQA credits at level 7, and at least grade C in the Graded Unit, will be considered for direct entry to year two

Access routes

SWAP Access courses
If you are eligible to undertake Scottish Wider Access Programmes (SWAP), please visit our SWAP access list for further information on grade profiles and available subjects.

Other relevant humanities access courses will also be considered on an individual basis.

Year 1 - CertHE

You will study the following core modules:
Semester 1

  • What is history?
  • People, protest and power: themes in modern British history

Semester 2

  • A middle age? Europe c. 1100-1500
  • Empire, environment and identity: Scotland 1600-2000

You will also choose two further option modules from other humanities subjects. 

Year 2 - DipHE

You will study the following core modules:
Semester 1

  • A curious age: European society and culture, 1500-1750

Semester 2

  • Historians and history

Semesters 1 or 2

  • Court, kirk and burgh in Medieval and Early Modern Scotland 
  • Themes in American history

You will also choose two further option modules from other humanities subjects. Please note that if you are a direct entrant to second year, we strongly advise that you take the Level 7 core module, What is History?, as one of your options. Please contact historyhelp@uhi.ac.uk to discuss this further.

Year 3 - BA

You will study the following core module: 
Semester 2

  • Public history

You will choose four further modules in Semesters 1 or 2 which may include: 

  • A study of things: material culture of medieval and early modern Europe
  • Alps, hills and plain? Central Europe to 1918
  • Chivalry and culture in context – England and its neighbours, 1066 to 1327
  • Crime, custom and conflict, 1700-1850
  • Dynastic decline and religious violence: Valois France, 1550-1610
  • Emigration from the Highlands and Islands
  • Land as power: the making of the modern Scottish landscape from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries
  • Queer Britannia: gender, sexuality and performative identities in Britain, 1800-1950
  • Scots in North America
  • The Jacobites: patriots, rebels or opportunists?

You may choose one further option module from other humanities subjects.  

If you wish to specialise in Scottish History at Level 10, you are advised to take at least one Scottish History option and undertake a Scottish topic for your Public History project. 

Year 4 - BA (Hons)

You will complete a history dissertation, which is a double-credit module that runs across both semesters. 

In addition, you will select four option modules, which may include: 

  • Chaos and conflict?: 'Civil Wars' in high medieval Scandinavia
  • Death and destruction: the social impact of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)
  • Deviants, rebels, outcasts and villains: history from the margins in medieval and early modern society
  • Empire and ‘others’: the shaping of British imperialism in North America
  • Fight the power: music and politics of Black America
  • Reaching the estate of manhood in later medieval and early modern Europe 
  • Reform, rupture and resistance: late medieval and early modern Ireland
  • The empire strikes back: how the British Empire shaped Scotland 
  • The Highland land wars: origins, aftermath and interpretations
  • The Scottish Highlands before Culloden (1603-1707)

 
If you wish to exit with a BA (Hons) Scottish History, you must undertake a Scottish History dissertation plus at least two further Scottish History module

How will I study my course?

  • Full-time
  • Part-time
  • Part-time modular (standalone modules)
  • This course is mainly delivered online with scheduled sessions and tutorials, including a weekly two-hour timetabled video conference lecture for each module
  • Online study will be done via the university's virtual learning environment (VLE), with support from your tutors
  • You may also be able to access sessions online from your local campus - please contact them directly for more information
  • You may have the opportunity to undertake an optional residential at least once during the programme of study
  • You will take part in a mandatory online induction in late August/early September of your first year. There may also be additional mandatory induction activities at the start of the academic year, in-person at your local campus or online, organised by your partner campus
  • You will also have the option to take part in online inductions in September of years 2-4 and January of years 1-4, with the potential to attend at your local campus (on request)

How long will my course last?

  • Full-time: 4 years @ 40 hours per week
  • Part-time: 8 years @ 20 hours per week
  • Part-time modular: 12-14 weeks per module (incl. assessment period) @ 13-14 hours per week 

The number of hours per week indicates the total number of hours you should dedicate to the course, which includes a weekly two-hour video conference seminar for each module, online tutor-supported study and self-directed study.

Where can I study my course?

  • Argyll
  • HTC
  • Inverness
  • Moray
  • North, West and Hebrides
  • Orkney
  • Perth
  • Shetland
  • UHI House - Centre for History
  • This fully online course can be studied from anywhere in the world
  • Students based near to one of the listed campuses should apply to, and be enrolled and supported by, their local campus
  • All other students should apply to, and will be enrolled and supported by, UHI House

Start date

  • September
  • January

Fees

For students normally domiciled in Scotland, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:

This includes

  • EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
  • EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
  • EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
  2023-24 2024-25
Full-time (120 credit modules) per year £1,820 £1,820
Part-time (structured) (3 x 20 credit modules) per year £915 £915
Part-time (unstructured per module) (per 20 credit module) £305 £305

Rest of the UK students

For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland) or assessed as rest of the UK for fee status the following fees apply:

  2023-24 2024-25
Full-time online per year (120 credit modules) £6,120 £6,120
Part-time online (per 20 credit module) £1,020 £1,020

International students

For students who do not normally reside in the UK studying online from their home country, or living in the UK but assessed as international for fee status, the following fees apply:

This includes EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled status in the UK and EEA and Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

  2023-24 2024-25
Full-time online per year (120 credit modules) £6,540 £6,960
Part-time online (per 20 credit module) £1,090 £1,160

A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK and international undergraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.

Funding

UHI has a number of scholarships, bursaries, awards, and discretionary fund opportunities available to new and current students. Please use the A-Z of funds or use the filter to see which ones may be relevant to you. All students are welcome to apply.

Further information on funding your studies is also available, please see the attached link or contact the relevant UHI partner.

Additional costs

Participation in any History field trips or face-to-face activities will be at your own expense. Costs will vary dependent on your location etc. Attendance at such face-to-face events is optional and not essential for completion of the course.

What can I do on completion of my course?

A History degree equips you with a whole range of invaluable, transferable skills to prepare you for the world of work beyond your studies. 

Once you have successfully completed your BA (Hons) History or BA (Hons) Scottish History degree, potential creer paths include: 

  • Teaching 
  • Museum and heritage sector  
  • Archive and library sector 
  • Tourism and heritage management 
  • Government agencies, local authorities and civil service  
  • Non-profit and charitable organisations  
  • Media and journalism 
  • Politics and policy making
  • Consultancy
  • Research at postgraduate level  
  • Research in business and corporate sector  
  • Student association and related support roles

Can I progress into further study?

You can progress from the BA (Hons) History or BA (Hons) Scottish History to the following postgraduate courses:

Is there more information available online?

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I was still quite young when I finished school so although I did consider other universities, I decided to stay close to home.  During my final year I was awarded the Highland Society of London prize which is presented to the best undergraduate dissertation in the Humanities and Gaelic network across the Highlands and Islands. 

It was a huge honour to be given that prize and I'm grateful to my UHI mentor who supported me all the way. My advice to potential applicants would be to do it! Everything you could possibly imagine is within UHI and you can gain the qualification that you want while staying local.

Caitlin studied the BA (Hons) History at UHI Argyll.

I really like the excellent facilities at UHI Inverness, and the whole experience was one of the best things I have ever done.
I specifically wanted to study history at a higher level, and the location and method of teaching were particularly attractive to me. I liked the variety of modules on offer, including the opportunity to study other humanity modules, as well as the friendliness and accessibility of the teaching staff.
Once enrolled, plan your time each week, and attend classes, even if you haven’t managed to do all the required reading. Don’t be afraid to speak in class, the more you engage the more you benefit.

Michael studied the BA (Hons) History at UHI Inverness. 

Apply for History BA (Hons)

I want to start in Jan/Feb 2025 or Aug/Sep 2025 or Jan/Feb 2026

We are delighted that you are thinking about studying at the University of the Highlands and Islands. We operate a fair and open admissions system committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. We consider all applications on merit and on the basis of ability to achieve, without discrimination on grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background. We welcome applications from all prospective students and aim to provide appropriate and efficient services to students with disabilities.