BA (Hons) History and Politics with a Placement Year
Key Details
- Award
- Degree of Bachelor of Arts
- UCAS Course Code
- _VL1P
- Typical Offer
- BBB
- Contextual Offer
- BCC
- Course Length
- 4 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2026
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Course Overview
Are you as interested in Tudor intrigues as you’re in battles over Brexit? Do you want to explore today’s political world while studying its roots? And do you want to spend a year gaining invaluable employment experience? If so, then our BA History and Politics with a Placement Year degree is for you. From the ancient world to our own global politics, you’ll choose from modules which stretch across borders and through time.
You’ll learn from experts in both history and politics, drawing on a wide range of options to develop a deep understanding of the two subjects – and the relationship between them. As well as the knowledge you gain, you’ll build invaluable skills in critical thinking, communication and digital literacy.
You’ll study the past and present alongside one another, with your first year giving you a firm grounding in both subjects. Afterwards, flexibility will be at the heart of your degree: in your second and fourth years, you’ll split your time between history and politics in the way that suits you best. On BA History and Politics with a Placement Year, you’ll normally spend 9-12 months of your third year in a placement, gaining invaluable working experience and employability skills in a relevant area of your choice.
Norwich is an ideal place in which to study, with its historic centre reflecting its journey from medieval hub to radical modern city. On our beautiful campus, you’ll benefit from our strengths in British, European and global research, including internationally renowned centres in Eastern European history and East Anglian studies. Our network of partnerships with the region’s leading heritage organisations, such as Norfolk Museums gives you the chance to experience history first hand.
Our graduates go on to careers reflecting their passions: in parliament, government, the Civil Service, law, finance, heritage, media, teaching and many more besides. And if you’re thinking of taking your study of history and politics further, our degree will provide a vital foundation.
Placement Year
This version of the degree gives you the opportunity and support to greatly enhance your employability by securing and undertaking a 9-12 month placement in the third year of your degree. You'll be expected to source your own work Placement with the support of UEA's CareerCentral Service and your School.
Find out more about this exciting opportunity on our Placement Years in Arts and Humanities page.
Study and Modules
Structure
Your first year will equip you with the major skills required in both History and Politics. You’ll begin the course with compulsory modules, which will help you to build a solid foundation of knowledge in political ideas and topics in contemporary politics, as well as modules that will provide a background to modern history, historical thinking, and historical methodologies.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Throughout your degree, you’ll be taught by leading scholars from several disciplines through a combination of lectures and seminars. Many of our lecturers are world experts in their field, giving you access to the latest research and thinking – before it hits the bookshops!
Teaching
In the first year, you’ll learn key historical methods and foundational political ideas. You’ll learn how to critique effectively and be able to take a long view on some of the most influential and important current debates today through a mixture of lectures and seminars. You’ll learn how to listen to and discuss the ideas of others, as well as how to present and defend your own ideas. Seminars will allow for an open discussion between you and your peers, under the guidance of your seminar leader.
Independent Learning
Making use of UEA’s state-of-the-art library facilities, you’ll explore the library and discover the wealth of physical and online resources available to enrich your studies. With some guidance from your history lecturers and seminar leaders, you’ll develop your skills in independent reading and research to help you finish the year equipped with the skills you’ll need to continue your journey. In your politics modules, you’ll prepare for your weekly teaching with guided tasks, such as preparing answers to seminar questions or completing small weekly writing tasks which will help you to develop study skills.
Additional Support
Alongside timetabled lectures and seminars, you’ll have the opportunity to engage with members of academic staff through office hours where you can seek additional advice on a one-to-one basis. You’ll also be assigned an academic adviser who will support you through your studies. Designed to achieve a balance between independent thinking and taught study skills, our course will help you to develop into a self-motivated learner, an expert researcher, and an analytical thinker. And you’ll receive guidance and constructive feedback throughout to help you improve.
Assessment
We offer help and guidance with assessment throughout your studies. At all stages of your degree, you’ll receive regular written and verbal feedback on your assignments to help you improve. And each year, in each module, you’ll have a chance to test your skills through practice assessments (also known as formative work).
In your first year, your history modules will be assessed by a mixture of essays, presentations, and document commentaries. In politics, you might write essays, critical summaries, or read logs. You’ll be able to explore the breadth of modules to gain experience and confidence with these assessments, without them counting towards your final degree.
Structure
In your second year, you’ll be able to decide whether to focus your learning more on one discipline – or to keep it evenly balanced.
You’ll be able to tailor your learning to the topics that most interest you, all while honing your skills of academic enquiry and argument. You’ll be given access to a broad and exciting range of optional modules offered across both Schools, many of which are complementary. For example, you could elect to study an introduction to the European Union alongside the history of modern Germany.
You can also choose to learn a new language in your second year or broaden your choices by taking modules from those offered by other disciplines in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Min Credits: 40, Max Credits: 60)Optional B Modules
(Min Credits: 40, Max Credits: 60)Optional C Modules
(Min Credits: 0, Max Credits: 20)Optional D Modules
(Min Credits: 0, Max Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
Lectures and seminars will enable you to build on your foundational knowledge and skills acquired in the first year. With the choice of modules from medieval to modern history, alongside studying global politics and diplomacy, you can develop your own pathway and start to specialise in a particular area of your choice. You might also take a placement as part of a Humanities-wide module or learn a new foreign language.
Independent Learning
You’ll deepen your ability to read sources critically to analyse and evaluate them within context through independent study. You’ll gain the confidence to take more risks in your academic work, finishing the year with a real sense of how history and politics shape our society.
Assessment
In your second year, your history work will continue to be assessed through essays, presentations, and document commentaries. In Politics, as well as written coursework, you might take modules involving assessment by giving presentations, completing group projects, or writing policy briefs or select committee submissions.
Structure
Your third year will be spent on your placement, providing you with the opportunity to experience the world of work while applying some of the skills and knowledge you’ve developed during your first two years of study.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
You’ll spend your third year on a placement. You’ll be responsible for securing a placement, supported by UEA’s well-established connections throughout the UK and beyond. During your placement, you’ll be supported by a placement mentor, who will regularly monitor and review your progress with you, and you’ll have access to remote support from UEA, too, to make sure everything is going smoothly and that you’re getting the most out of your experience.
Assessment
You’ll be asked to reflect on your placement by, for instance, offering a self-appraisal of what you’ve learnt to demonstrate your broader commercial awareness of your placement’s sector.
Structure
In your final year, you’ll become more focused, selecting modules offered by the School of History and Art History that currently examine topics ranging from appeasement and war, European fascism, and Communism in Yugoslavia, to Britain in the 1980s. In addition to your chosen area of focus, you’ll study two advanced modules from either History or Politics, covering topics such as politics and popular culture or twentieth-century sport history. Alternatively, you could opt to take just one advanced module, and write a dissertation on a historical or political topic of your choice.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 30)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 30)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching
This is your chance to really delve into specific topics that have interested you in the first two years. As part of a Special Subject, you’ll get the opportunity to explore your chosen topic through longer seminars in discussion with an expert in the field. As part of both the School of History and Art History, and the School of Politics, Philosophy, and Area Studies you'll benefit from the wide range of expertise our academic staff can offer. You can pursue a dissertation, working one-to-one with an expert in the field, or choose to take another advanced module.
Independent Learning
You’ll bring together all the skills and confidence you’ve developed over the previous three years through independent research and critical analysis of documents as you master your field of study.
Assessment
Your final year history modules will be assessed through coursework and document work, and an extended essay on your specialist subject. In Politics, you’ll continue to be assessed in a diverse array of forms. Your final degree result will be determined by the marks you receive in years two and four. All the feedback you’ll continue to receive will enable you to deepen your understanding of both subjects and you’ll graduate with a host of flexible skills that are valued by employers.
Employability
After the Course
BA History and Politics with a Placement Year graduates have the world at their feet. As well as your subject-specific skills and knowledge, you’ll develop a range of transferable skills and qualities, including analytical and communication skills, teamwork, leadership, self-management, and sophisticated digital literacy. Such attributes open doors to a wide variety of professions and careers.
Our graduates have a proven track record of moving into a wide and interesting range of careers, such as law, finance, local government and administration, the heritage and tourism sector, the civil service, political lobbying, non-governmental organisations, teaching, think-tanks, and many more. You could also further your research by going on to postgraduate study.
Careers
Examples of careers you could enter include:
- Public Relations
- Political lobbying
- Museums and heritage industries
- Teaching
- Finance
- The Civil Service
- Postgraduate Study
Discover more on our Career pages.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
We welcome and value a wide range of qualifications, and we recognise that some students might take a mixture of different qualifications. We have listed typical examples that we accept for entry.
You should hold or be working towards the specified English and Mathematics requirements and one of the examples of typical entry qualifications listed below. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.
- English and Mathematics
All applicants must hold or be working towards GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade 4 or grade C.
In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics.
We accept a wide range of English Language qualifications, please see our English Language equivalencies page.
- Contextual Offers
UEA are committed to ensuring that Higher Education is accessible to all, regardless of their background or experiences. One of the ways we do this is through our contextual admissions schemes.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
A levels
BBB
Contextual offer: BCC
BTEC
Level 3 Extended Diploma: DDM
Contextual offer: DMM
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Humanities & Social Sciences Pathway. Pass Access to HE Diploma with Merit in 45 credits at Level 3.
Contextual offer: Access to Humanities & Social Sciences Pathway. Pass Access to HE Diploma with Merit in 30 credits at Level 3 and Pass in 15 credits at Level 3.
T levels
Obtain an overall Merit.
Foundation Year options:
If you do not meet the academic requirements for direct entry, you may be interested in one of our Foundation Year programmes such as - BA History with a Foundation Year
- Further Examples of Typical Entry Requirements
International Baccalaureate
31 points overall
Irish Leaving Certificate
2 subjects at H2, 4 subjects at H3
Scottish Highers
AABBB
Scottish Advanced Highers
CCC
A combination of Advanced Highers and Highers may be acceptable
- Deferred Entry
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.
- Progression
Once enrolled onto a course at UEA, your progression and continuation (which may include eligibility for study abroad, overseas experience, placement or year in industry opportunities) is contingent on meeting the assessment requirements which are relevant to the course on which you are enrolled.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
We welcome and value a wide range of qualifications, and we recognise that some students might take a mixture of different qualifications. We have listed typical examples that we accept for entry.
You should hold or be working towards the specified English and Mathematics requirements and one of the examples of typical entry qualifications listed below. If your qualifications aren’t listed, or if you are taking a combination of qualifications that isn’t specified, please contact Admissions.
- English and Mathematics
All applicants must hold or be working towards GCSEs in English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade 4 or grade C.
In place of Mathematics GCSE we can also consider Functional Skills Level 2 Mathematics.
We accept a wide range of English Language qualifications, please see our English Language equivalencies page.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. For specific details about your country, view our information for International Students.
A levels
BBB
International Baccalaureate
31 points overall
We accept many international qualifications for entry to this course. For specific details about your country, view our information for International Students.
- UEA International Study Centre
If you do not meet the academic and/or English language requirements for direct entry our partner, UEA International Study Centre offers progression on to this undergraduate degree upon successful completion of a preparation programme. Depending on your interests, and your qualifications you can take a variety of routes to this degree.
- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
IELTS: 6.0 overall (minimum 5.5 in all components)
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
If you do not yet meet the English language requirements for this course, UEA International Study Centre offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the English skills necessary for successful undergraduate study:
- Deferred Entry
We welcome applications from students who have already taken or intend to take a gap year. We believe that a year between school and university can be of substantial benefit. You are advised to indicate your reason for wishing to defer entry on your UCAS application.
- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all undergraduate applicants.
- Progression
Once enrolled onto a course at UEA, your progression and continuation (which may include eligibility for study abroad, overseas experience, placement or year in industry opportunities) is contingent on meeting the assessment requirements which are relevant to the course on which you are enrolled.
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
View our information for Tuition Fees.
Scholarships and Bursaries
We are committed to ensuring that costs do not act as a barrier to those aspiring to come to a world leading university and have developed a funding package to reward those with excellent qualifications and assist those from lower income backgrounds. View our range of Scholarships for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
The cost of individual field trips will vary, and all such trips are optional.
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of other course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
UCAS Hub is a secure online application system that allows you to apply for full-time undergraduate courses at universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.
Your application does not have to be completed all at once. Register or sign in to UCAS to get started.
Once you submit your completed application, UCAS will process it and send it to your chosen universities and colleges.
The Institution code for the University of East Anglia is E14.
View our guide to applying through UCAS for useful tips, key dates and further information: