UG Handbook (History, Politics & Economics)

This handbook is designed to provide an overview of our History, Politics and Economics Undergraduate Degree.

History, Politics and Economics Handbook

In this degree you will get a unique opportunity to develop expertise in the disciplines of economics, politics, and history. You will learn to apply this expertise to understanding the social, cultural, economic, and political world around us, developing skills essential for a whole range of future careers. Particular attention is focused on the study of the areas with which the School of Slavonic and East European Studies is primarily concerned: the countries of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, including Russia and Germany. You will also have the opportunity to learn an East European language and to gain deeper insights into the major socio-economic and political issues such as the interaction between the economy, culture and political institutions and their joint impact on the lives of millions.

The current structure of the degree requires you to take 360 credits over 3 years, 120 credits in each year. 

You will also:

  • Have the opportunity to learn the basics of an East European language.
  • Achieve an understanding of the disciplines of History, Politics and Economics.
  • Write a dissertation based on your own research with reference to the region.

The basic principle of the BA HPE degree is progression from one year to the next along defined disciplinary pathways. Knowledge and skills learned in one year provide building blocks for more advanced study in each subsequent year.

Please note students can only register for 120 credits in total per year of study and optional modules are subject to change.

First year students are encouraged to do Level 4 modules in their first year as these are preparatory modules for your subsequent years.

Compulsory Modules (90 credits):

Optional Modules: select from the lists below, including languages (30 credits)

In Year 1 the department offers - SESS0080 Mathematics for Economists (0 credits Term 1)

This is an introductory course which covers the mathematical skills students will need in their economics modules. It is particularly tailored towards supporting modules in microeconomics, intermediate and advanced courses in applied economics with a focus on empirical work, finance modules and econometrics. The course caters for those with or without A-level mathematics.

The course covers basic algebra, linear and non-linear equations, simultaneous equations, exponential and logarithmic functional forms, rules of differentiation, partial differentiation, as well as unconstrained and constrained optimisation. The course concludes with integration and matrix algebra. Each topic is taught with economic application, involving exercises and tests in both pure mathematics and mathematics applied to economic problems. The module carries zero credits, and it is elective for Year 1 History, Politics and Economics students undertaking Economics path. 

It is strongly advised that this module is taken by students who do not have an A grade at A-level Maths or the equivalent qualification. 

History Modules

Level 5 Survey modules are open to Year 1 students, subject to availability: 

Politics and Sociology Modules

Please Note: Politics & Sociology modules are normally prerequisites for second- and third-year modules in their respective fields, for example, if you wish to pursue the International Relations subjects you must take SESS0082 or you will not be able to proceed with these in Year 2 and 3. You can find details about prerequisites for Year 2 and Year 3 modules in the Module Catalogue. 

Economics and Business Modules

Please Note: SESS0010 gives you access to SESS0022 New Venture Creation in Year 2. Please note that for many Year 2 modules you will need a Statistics module; we would recommend taking STAT0021 Introductory Statistical Methods and Computing to any student wishing to specialise in Economics. 

Languages and Culture Modules

Please Note: This is an indicative list, and we cannot guarantee that all languages and levels will be available every year. 

 A full list of Languages and Culture modules can be found here.

Languages at UCL: Non-SSEES language modules may be taken from the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE). You can only take one language during your programme. 

Interdepartmental Modules: Students wishing to take elective modules outside of SSEES in Year 1 can search for interdepartmental modules via UCL's Module Catalogue. Acceptance onto these modules is at the discretion of the teaching department and is not guaranteed. 

Progression: To progress from Year 1, students must have passed all 120 credits (including any condoned fails). To be awarded a degree with honours (classified) in the field of study (HPE) the student must have taken and passed all non-condonable modules, with the overall module pass mark of 40 or above.  

 

In your second year, you will choose your track, specialising in two of the three disciplines embedded in HPE. Whichever two you choose, you must complete at least 30 credits in each of the two subjects. In total, you must choose a total of 120 credits.

All students, regardless of track, must take one of the following core modules (30 credits):

History and Politics Track

History:

You must select one optional module (30 credits):

Elective History Option:

Politics:

You must select the compulsory Politics module (15 credits): 

You must also select one optional Politics module (15 or 30 credits): 


History and Economics Track 

History:

You must select one optional History module (30 credits): 

 

Elective History Option

Economics:

You must select one compulsory Economics module (15 credits): 

OR 

You must also select one optional Economics module (15 or 30 credits): 


 


 

Politics and Economics Track 

Politics: 

You must select compulsory Politics module (15 credits): 

You must also select one optional Politics module (15 or 30 credits): 

Economics: 

You must select one compulsory Economics module (15 credits): 

OR 


 

You must also select one optional Economics module (15 or 30 credits): 

Elective Modules:

All Year 2 students can take up to 30 credits of electives from SSEES modules, including a SSEES language, or from another UCL department. 

A full list of SSEES Languages and Culture modules can be found here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ssees/undergraduate-module-listings. Please note that this is an indicative list, and we cannot guarantee that all languages and levels will be available every year.

Languages at UCL: Non-SSEES language modules may be taken from the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE). You can only take one language during your programme. 

Interdepartmental Modules: Students wishing to take elective modules outside of SSEES in Year 2 can search for interdepartmental modules via UCL's Module Catalogue. Acceptance onto these modules is at the discretion of the teaching department and is not guaranteed. 

Please Note: Students can take up to 30 credits of modules outside of SSEES in Years 2 and 3 combined. 

Progression: To progress from Year 2, students must have passed all 120 credits (including any condoned fails). To be awarded a degree with honours (classified) in the field of study (HPE), students must have taken and passed all non-condonable modules, with the overall module pass mark of 40 or above.  

Compulsory modules (30 credits):

Compulsory Dissertation (30 credits)

30 credits of Optional modules related to Dissertation discipline from SSEES options or 30 credit Special Subject module if completing HIST0909 History Undergraduate Dissertation with UCL History.

For a full list of available Level 6 SSEES and UCL History optional modules, please refer to the Module Selection Guidance document on the HPE tab on the SSEES Student Module Selections for 2026/27 Moodle page.

Elective Modules: All students can take up to 30 credits of electives from SSEES options, including a language, or from another UCL department. 

Please Note: Students can take up to 30 credits of outside modules in Years 2 and 3 combined

You must have at least 90 credits of advanced units (Level 6) accumulated during your studies.

Students cannot begin any new languages at Level 4 in their final year. You must be assessed by UCL Centre for Languages & International Education (CLIE), who will determine whether you are able to take your desired language at Level 5 or 6. Students cannot study more than one language. 

Please be advised that Level 4 modules are not recommended for final year students and will require approval from the HPE Programme Coordinator, Dr Thomas Lorman. Students can take a maximum of 150 Level 4 credits across their programme.

Condonement

  1. Condonement allows a student to progress from one year to the next and/ or to be awarded a qualification where they are carrying a small amount of failure, as long as their overall performance is of a good standard and the requirements of any relevant Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies are met. Students who meet the Condonement Criteria will not be reassessed.
  2. A student’s eligibility for Condonement in any given module is determined by the Programme on which the student is enrolled.
  3. The Condonement Criteria are defined under the Progression and Award Requirements for each qualification in Sections 6.4 to 6.10.

UCL’s full regulations on condonement can be found in the Academic Manual: Chapter 4, Section 6.2 Condonement

Please note that SESS0050 The Crisis of 1989 and the New Global Revolutions, SESS0053 SSEES Free-standing Dissertation, and HIST0909 UCL History Dissertation are non-condonable modules on the BA HPE programme.

Progression and Award

In order to progress from one year to the next, or to be awarded a Bachelors with Honours, a student should Pass 120 credits in each year of study.

A student who does not Pass 120 credits in a year of study must nonetheless be considered to have met the Progression and Award Requirements if they meet all of the following Condonement Criteria in that year of study:
 a)Pass all Non-Condonable Modules, and
 b)Pass at least 90 credits, and
 c)Attain marks in the Condonable Range in no more than 30 credits, and
 d)Have attained marks in the Condonable Range in no more than 60 credits up to and including the current year of study, and
 e)Have no module marks below 1.00%, and
 f)Achieve a credit-weighted mean of at least 40.00% across 120 credits.

Please see Section 6: Progression & Award in the Academic Manual for further details.

Classification

Classification Year Mean (UG programmes only)

1.On Undergraduate programmes, the ‘Classification Year Mean’ is the credit-weighted average of only those module marks which count towards the classification in a single year of study. It is distinct from the ‘Progression Year Mean’ (see Section 6.2.3) which is a mean of all module marks in a year of study.
2.The Classification Year Mean is calculated as follows: 
 a)The ‘counting’ marks are identified (e.g. students might drop their worst 30 credits in Year 1, so only 90 credits ‘count’).
 b)Each counting mark is given a weighting according to its credit value. 
 c)The credit-weighted counting marks are averaged to create the ‘Year Mean’ for each year of study.
 d)Each Year Mean is given a weighting (e.g. Year 1: 1, Year 2: 3, Year 3: 5). 
 e)The weighted Year Means are averaged to give the ‘Final Weighted Mark’.
 f)The Final Weighted Mark determines the Classification awarded.

Honours Degree Classification Scheme

A student who meets the Award Requirements for an Honours Degree should be awarded an Honours Classification.

The Final Weighted Mark must be calculated from the following counting marks, rounded to 2 decimal places:

3 Year Bachelors:

Year 1: Best 90 credits, weighted at 1
Year 2: Best 90 credits, weighted at 3
Year 3: All 120 credits, weighted at 5.

Determination of Honours Classifications 

For all Honours Degree Classification Schemes, the following rules must be used to determine the Classification:

Qualifies for First Class Honours (1):

A Final Weighted Mark greater than or equal to 69.50%

or
A Final Weighted Mark greater than or equal to 68.50% 
and
Module marks of at least 70.00% in at least 50% of the Final Year credits.

Qualifies for Second Class Honours Upper Division (2.1):

A Final Weighted Mark greater than or equal to 59.50%

or
A Final Weighted Mark greater than or equal to 58.50% 
and
Module marks of at least 60.00% in at least 50% of the Final Year credits.

Qualifies for Second Class Honours Lower Division (2.2):

A Final Weighted Mark greater than or equal to 49.50%

or
A Final Weighted Mark greater than or equal to 48.50% 
and
Module marks of at least 50.00% in at least 50% of the Final Year credits.

Qualifies for Third Class Honours (3):

A Final Weighted Mark greater than or equal to 40.00%.

Please see Section 7: Classification in the Academic Manual for further details

 

 

Programme Administrator 

Alice Dove
Teams: Alice Dove 
Email (HPE): ssees-hpe@ucl.ac.uk