History with a Year Abroad BA
London, Bloomsbury
History with a Year Abroad BA (2024)
Studying history at UCL gives you opportunities to explore the subject which are unrivalled anywhere else in the UK or Europe. This four-year degree combines the flexibility of the History BA programme with the opportunity to spend the third year studying abroad at an institution overseas. In the past, students have had opportunities to study at institutions in North America, South America, and in Ireland, as well as other locations.
Study mode
Duration
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
Programme starts
September 2023Application deadline
25 Jan 2023UCAS course code
Entry requirements
- Grades
- AAA
- Subjects
- History required.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5.
Contextual offer information
- Grades
- ABB more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- A in History required.
- GCSEs
- English Language and Mathematics at grade C or 5.
- Points
- 38
- Subjects
- A total of 18 points in three higher level subjects including grade 6 in History, with no higher level score below 5.
Contextual offer
- Points
- 34 more about contextual offers
- Subjects
- A total of 16 points in three higher level subject including grade 6 in History, no score below 5.
UK applicants qualifications
For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:
Equivalent qualification
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Pass in Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 33 credits at Distinction and 12 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units. Level 3 units must include elements of History or clearly demonstrated modules with historical approach.
Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus 2 GCE A levels at grades AAA, including History.
AAA at Advanced Highers (or AA at Advanced Higher and AAA at Higher), including History at Advanced Higher.
D3,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, including History
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.
International applications
Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.
Access and widening participation
UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates
The Undergraduate Preparatory Certificates (UPC) prepare international students for a UCL undergraduate degree who don’t have the qualifications to enter directly. These intensive one-year foundation courses are taught on our central London campus.
Typical UPC students will be high achievers in a 12-year school system which does not meet the standard required for direct entry to UCL.
For more information see: ucl.ac.uk/upc.
English language requirements
The English language level for this programme is: Level 4
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Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.
A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.
Course overview
The programme includes three first-year compulsory modules, a research project in the second year, at least nine months studying at an overseas institution in the third year, a final-year special subject, dissertation and options chosen from a range of full-year and half-year modules. During the year abroad you will take the equivalent of 120 credits at your host university. Students who wish to go to a non-anglophone university in their third year will be required to take 30 credits in the relevant language in their first and second year.
We encourage our students to gain maximum benefit from the chronological range of expertise in the department by taking at least one module in each of ancient history; medieval or early modern history; and modern history.
Beyond these requirements the syllabus is very flexible. You may take up to 30 credits a year from another discipline, such as a language, history of art, archaeology or geography. In your second and final year you may choose specialist history modules offered throughout the University of London.
What this course will give you
Spend your third year studying abroad. In recent years partner institutions have included the University of Pennsylvania; the Catholic University of Chile; University of Texas in Austin; University of California; University of Leiden, the Netherlands; University College Dublin; the University of Toronto; and the University of Sydney.
Drawing upon UCL History, related UCL departments and relevant University of London colleges, the programme offers a wide variety of modules spanning extraordinary chronological breadth and geographical range.
Specialisms of the department include the history of the ancient Near East, the history of the Americas, the cultural and intellectual history of Europe, and transnational history.
Exceptional resources, including the British Museum and British Library, are within walking distance, and other London-based museums and organisations provide unrivalled opportunities for accessing primary source material.
Teaching and learning
In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 15 or 30 credits, adding up to a total of 120 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).
Upon successful completion of 360 credits, you will be awarded a BA (Hons) in History with a Year Abroad.
Modules
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.
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In the first year, you will study compulsory modules to develop your skills and introduce you to key concepts. You will also take at least one survey module of a particular region and period, and may choose another survey module or a module from another discipline, such as a language.
In the second year, you will take a compulsory research seminar module, which will develop your independent research skills, along with at least one further survey module and a module dealing with a particular theme. You may also choose a further survey or thematic module or a module from another discipline.
During your second year, placement allocations will be made for third year. The number of places and locations vary year on year, these will be announced at the start of your second year. We base placements on preferences, but where certain placements are oversubscribed, the allocations will be based on your achievement in the first year.
In the third year, you will study abroad at an institution overseas. Students who wish to go to a non-anglophone university in their third year will be required to take 30 credits in the relevant language in their first and second year.
In the final year, you will take a special subject module, based on study of original source materials, and write a dissertation. You will also take advanced seminar modules, and may take a further thematic module or a module from another discipline.
Optional modules
Optional modules
Optional modules
Your learning
Our approach to learning places emphasis on active student participation in seminar discussion, always in groups of fifteen or fewer. Some modules, particularly in your first year, will also include lectures. Essays you write will always be returned to you in individual face-to-face tutorials in which you will receive constructive, personal feedback. Teaching is delivered via lectures, seminars and one-to-one tutorials. All seminar groups are capped at a maximum of 15, final-year dissertation subjects at a maximum of 10.
Student engage in 1,200 learning hours per year.
Assessment
Your work will be assessed by a mixture of examinations, written coursework and other outputs. Significant weight is given to an extended essay based on original sources produced in your final year.
Accessibility
Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.
The foundation of your career
UCL's History graduates have excelled in a wide range of occupations, as lawyers, financial advisers, stockbrokers, television producers, diplomats, journalists, bankers, teachers, and in the health service, the police and overseas development programmes, as well as in progressing to further study.
Employability
The programme is designed to teach many transferable skills: how to gather and organise evidence; how to analyse it and present a structured argument; how to express yourself clearly both in writing and orally.
Fees and funding
Fees for this course
| Fee description | Full-time |
|---|---|
| Tuition fees (2023/24) | £9,250 |
| Tuition fees (2023/24) | £26,200 |
The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2023/24 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2023/24 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.
Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate/funding-your-studies.
Additional costs
If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc. on this programme, please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page). Information regarding funding for the Year Abroad element of the course can be found on the Study Abroad page.
In addition, please note that if you wish to study abroad during your programme at UCL, this is likely to incur additional costs. Studying abroad may cost between £200–£1,000 per month depending on where you choose to study. The cost of studying abroad can be difficult to predict as it will depend on your priorities and choices. There is more information available on the UCL Study Abroad website.
A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).
Funding your studies
Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.
Scholarships
The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.
Next steps
How to apply
Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.
Selection
For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.
We are keen to attract students from a wide range of backgrounds as this helps us to maintain an intellectually and socially stimulating community. Applicants will normally have studied History; English or a language taken to a higher level is also an advantage.
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