In this programme, you study half of your modules (60 credits) in Archaeology and Ancient History and half in History (60 credits)

First year

Archaeology & Ancient History: This year you gain a firm grounding in the history and archaeology of the ancient world through introductory lecture courses ranging from the history and archaeology of the ancient civilisations of Egypt to the theory and practice of archaeology and the study of human societies and cultural change. You also gain practical experience through archaeological field training.

History: The first year is the foundational year in an academic process that will see you progress from being a dependent to an independent learner. You will study modules spanning the early medieval to late modern periods. You can choose either Medieval History 500-1050 and Medieval History 1050-1500 or The Making of the Modern World 1500-1815 and The Making of the Contemporary World 1815-2000 (20 credits per module). These explore fundamental themes and issues focused on key periods  and indicate the kinds of questions historians explore and some of the methods they employ in answering them. You will also study Practising History (A): Skills in History (Autumn semester) and Practising History (B): Approaches to History (Spring semester), which look more closely at the techniques of the historian and at the nature and evolution of key historical debates. 

Second year

Archaeology & Ancient History: You may choose a historical core module investigating Greek and Roman society, or one which will provide you with expertise in major archaeological sub-disciplines and professional techniques (for example, forensic or environmental archaeology). You also choose from a range of options in history, archaeology, literature, culture, language, myth, religion, art and philosophy.

History: The second year is an intermediate year that builds on the foundations laid in the first year of study. You engage in Group Research and extend your historical knowledge through two (20 + 20) subject-specific modules chosen from a wide range of available from Option A in the Autumn semester and Option B in the Spring.

Third year

Archaeology & Ancient History: You may choose either an archaeological core module or a historical one – this time focusing on Ancient Egypt and Western Asia. You also make your choice from our menu of options. The highlight of the final year is your dissertation: a substantial research project on a subject of special interest to you.

History: The third year represents the culmination of undergraduate study and the final stage of your transition to an independent learner. You hone your historical skills in Advanced Option A or Advanced Option B and you also undertake an in-depth Special Subject module, which is chosen from a variety of available subjects. History/Political Science Joint Honours students only can choose to substitute the 20+20 credit Special Subject module (Pathway A) with a Joint Honours History Dissertation (20 credits) and a final year History optional module  (20 credits)  (Pathway B).

For more detail on History modules see additional information.

Archaeology and Ancient History

The majority of you will have chosen to study subjects with us which you have had little chance to explore at School or College, and which, therefore, will be new and exciting ways of understanding ancient civilizations. These will include primary sources such as Mesopotamian, Egyptian or Classical texts which have survived to the modern day or the monuments and objects which the members of those civilizations themselves created – a steadily growing resource as new discoveries are made.

Your learning with us will be your own voyage of discovery. This will be through small group projects in the first year, seminars in the second and third years and a dissertation in the third. In each year you will be guided in your learning by an expert in the subjects you have chosen and you will learn to research a variety of different source materials, to analyse them, to construct a coherent arguments and to present the story orally or in writing. 

Your first year is the foundation of everything which you will achieve with us. In your first year you will be introduced to the University of Birmingham’s principles of Enquiry Based Learning (EBL).  We will guide you in methods of research, give you feedback on each task, help you improve your style of writing and your use of referencing.  We will show you how to examine the views of scholars critically as well the evidence they have used and you will use to construct your stories about each task. Gradually, you will come to rely on the evidence you have found for yourselves and the judgements you have formed about it more than the text books you started with. Soon it will be natural to question rather than accept, to argue your own theories and to be unafraid to disagree with us as well as your classmates. The lectures will be led by experts in their field who will provide the background to your own discoveries, the background which is itself based on the latest research and discovery.  Lectures will be supported by discussion classes to provide the background to your understanding of the subject area.

You will also gain practical experience in a three week period of practical fieldwork at the end of the summer term in your first year. This provides a unique opportunity to understand the methods of archaeology in the field and to work as a team under the guidance of our expert archaeologists – and quite possibly to contribute to our knowledge with your own discoveries.

As your personal tutors, we will discuss with you individually your progress in general and identify strengths to build on – or weaknesses to be addressed. We will help you develop transferable skills as well assist you with welfare issues if necessary.

History

Central to Learning and Teaching in the School of History and Cultures at the University of Birmingham is critical enquiry, debate and self-motivation, summed up by the term Enquiry Based Learning.

What does this mean for you?

Enquiry-based learning describes an environment in which learning is driven by the shared enquiry of students and tutors. Depending upon the level and the discipline, it can encompass problem-based learning, evidence-based learning, small scale investigations, field work, projects and research.
Enquiry-based learning places you at the centre of your own learning process so that you learn through involvement and ownership and not simply by being a passive recipient of information thrown at you.   You will spend time developing comprehension and note-taking skills. History is a subtle and complex subject and the literature you need to master can be demanding and complex. To ‘get’ it, you need plenty of thinking time. Reading, thinking and analysing for yourself are the most important parts of your degree experience.  This approach will enable you to take control of your own learning as you progress through your degree.  Moreover, it will encourage you to acquire essential skills that are highly valued by employers: creativity, independence, team-working, goal-setting and problem-solving.
The overall approach we adopt is one of more heavily weighted contact hours in Year 1, but tapering off over years 2 and 3, as you begin to acquire greater confidence in discussion and writing.  We are strongly committed to small-group seminar teaching, particularly in the final two years of your degree: you will find that most of your teaching happens not in large, anonymous lectures but in smaller groups of students where you can actively participate in discussion and have the benefit of personal contact with academic staff.  In your final year, you will also have individual tuition to help you work on your dissertation. As you progress through the syllabus, you are offered an increasingly wide range of particular subject choices.

Year 1 is highly directed –  much of it lies in helping you to acquire a general overview of the medieval, early modern and near contemporary past.  The ‘Practising History’ module introduces you to the key skills needed to study History at degree level and enables you to study select historical episodes.  All this will help you make more informed decisions about subject choices in Years 2 and 3.  These topics are increasingly specialised and enable you to get to grips with them in real depth. During your first year you will undergo a formal ?transition? review to see how you are getting on and offer you help for any particular areas where you need support.

In Year 2, in each term, you have a choice of around 15 Options to study.  You will start doing preparatory work for your final-year dissertation, selecting a topic, assessing its feasibility and engaging in preliminary discussions with potential supervisors.  The module History in Theory and Practice, provides an overview of the evolution of history writing and an introduction to key issues confronting historians to-day: you will find this helps you reflect on your own historical research.  A notable feature of Year 2 is Group Research: about a dozen specialised historical topics for you to research, not, however, as individuals, but on a collective basis.  You are divided into groups of 5-6 students, to work as a team, and to produce at the end, both individual essays and a group presentation on what you have researched.   The capacity to work as part of a team, to know what it is like to have to accommodate yourself to the way others work, is a valuable asset for future employment.

In Year 3, there are some 20 Special Subjects for you to choose from, ranging from the early medieval period almost up to the present day, and covering a wide range of British, European and non-European areas.  You approach the particular subject not only through reading but also by intensive study of original documents.  In addition, there are around a further 14 Final Year Options to choose from in each of the autumn and spring terms.  The real centre-piece of the Final Year, however, for most students is their dissertation – a piece of extended writing on a subject of your choice and which requires significant use of archival and other primary source materials.  You will have done extensive preparatory work for this in Year 2.  In Year 3, you will have a calibrated set of one-to-one consultation sessions with an academic supervisor, who will comment and advise on your drafts.  This will be real academic writing and the results are often impressive.

Support

Personal Tutor

From the outset, you will be assigned your own Personal Tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies, providing academic and welfare advice, encouraging you and offering assistance in any areas you may feel you need extra support to make the most of your potential and your time here at Birmingham. Your Personal Tutor is assigned to you at the start of your course and will usually remain with you until graduation, helping in supporting your academic progress, developing transferable skills and helping with welfare issues. All academic staff will also provide 'Office Hours' each week in term time, during which you are free to contact and discuss any issues you wish with the tutor involved.

Student Mentor and Buddy Scheme

Within the College our enthusiastic current students act as mentors to our new students. This will provide new students with a friendly face to help you settle in. 

Academic Writing Advisory Service

The Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) will provide you with individual support from an academic writing advisor and postgraduate subject-specialist writing tutors. You'll receive guidance on writing essays and dissertations at University-level which can be quite different from your previous experiences of writing. Support is given in a variety of ways, such as small-group workshops, online activities and feedback through email and tutorials.

Learning settings

Lectures explore a particular text, topic or context, often involving brief factual descriptions and outlining major questions and interpretations. Their main purpose is to challenge and stimulate, encouraging you to come to your own conclusions based on further reading and seminar debates.

Small-group seminars run alongside the lecture course, addressing any individual problems you may have and allowing you to consolidate lecture material. Options and special subjects in years two and three are also taught in small seminar groups. When you attend seminars we expect you to deliver short papers and presentations, and to contribute to the sessions through argument and questioning. We want you to develop the confidence to put your own point of view across in complex situations and not to be afraid of challenging the views of others. It's an essential part of History: once you stop arguing about the subject, it becomes dead.

Group research is one of the main features of your second year, with around a dozen specialised historical topics for you to research on a collective basis. Divided into groups of five to six students, you?ll work as a team to produce individual essays and a group presentation on your research findings. The capacity to work as part of a team, and to know what it is like to have to accommodate yourself to the way others work, is a valuable asset for future employment.

One-to-one tutorials become increasingly important as you progress through your course. This is particularly the case in your final year, when a major part of your programme will be a dissertation on a topic of your choice. Tutorials enable you to discuss your research with your project supervisor in depth.

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is an excellent tool for supporting our academic courses, allowing you to share thoughts on assignments with other students via the discussion group facilities, and even submit your work electronically.

Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) means that learning is driven by the shared enquiry of students and tutors and it's central to our approach. EBL places you, the student, at the centre of your own degree: you learn through involvement and ownership, not simply by being a passive recipient of information thrown at you. It can encompass problem-based learning, evidence-based learning, small scale investigations, field work, projects and research. We believe that this is the best way of learning while you're at Birmingham as it's very effective in enabling you to acquire the key skills and attributes that are valued by employers: creative and independent thinking, self-motivation, self-organisation, team-working, goal-setting and problem-solving. 

Archaeology and Ancient History

Graduates of archaeology, like all arts and humanities students, develop a wide range of skills which are highly attractive to employers. Studying archaeology involves analysing evidence of human activity throughout human history. This helps the development of skills in research and analysis of complex information, working independently and as part of a team, and articulate communication of judgments and arguments. Archaeologists study material remains in addition to other sources such as written evidence, and use scientific principles and concepts. Students have the opportunity to carry out self directed project work which helps self management, organisation and research skills.

The skills of an ancient historian - research, analysis and reasoning - are highly attractive to employers. Studying ancient history involves analysing the ancient world in a political, social, economic and cultural context. This helps the development of skills in research and analysis of complex information, working independently and as part of a team, and articulate communication of judgments and arguments.

The University of Birmingham has graduate employability rates for archaeology graduates above the national average and in the top 10 for the subject from UK universities. Graduates in archaeology go on to careers in professional archaeology, museums and curatorial work, and a wide range of other professions such as education, business and industry, the Civil Service, and the media. Jobs taken by archaeology graduates include archives, conservation, heritage and museums roles, project officer and recruitment consultant. Employers of archaeology graduates include central and local government, museums, cultural and heritage organisations, charities and a range of commercial companies. About 20% of archaeology graduates pursue postgraduate study to specialise in an area of archaeology or related disciplines of interest to them, or to prepare for careers such as law and teaching.

The University of Birmingham has graduate employability rates for ancient history graduates above the national average and in the top 10 for the subject from UK universities. Graduates in ancient history go on to careers in a wide range of areas including law, business, education and the media. Jobs taken by ancient history graduates include PR and Communications, human resources, legal work, library work, events planning and tourism. Employers of ancient history graduates include central and local government, museums, cultural and heritage organisations, charities and a range of commercial companies.

The University's Careers Network works with the Institute of Archaeology and Ancient History to provide tailored support to the students of archaeology during and after their course. This includes individual careers advice and events to give an insight into professions and employers of interest to students including our annual 'Careers in heritage, archaeology and museums' event. We also hold events covering careers in teaching, event management, law, marketing and working with charities, all of which can be of interest to archaeology students. The newly developed optional professional skills module allows students in their 2nd year to gain experience in a working environment which can lead to the development of further skills which are highly valued by employers. Placements are offered with the support of local employers. Archaeology students gain project management skills by planning and organising their study tours. We are developing links with heritage and cultural organisations to create more opportunities for students. Our students are encouraged to apply their skills in the workplace by undertaking internships in the summer; the work experience bursary scheme enables students to apply for funding for those career areas where placements are often unpaid. There is even an opportunity for students to apply for our 'Global Challenge' to work overseas on an expenses paid placement during their summer vacation.

The Personal Skills Award is an accredited award for employability skills based on your university experience and you can find more about careers support at College of Arts and Law Careers. To find out more about careers relating to archaeology degrees look at the 'Archaeology' section of the 'Options with your Subject' pages on www.prospects.ac.uk or look at the 'What do Graduates do?' report also available on the 'Prospects' website.

History

History graduates have a range of general skills that are highly prized by graduate employers: they can research and analyse complex information, work independently and as part of a team and communicate judgments and arguments articulately. University of Birmingham history students are enquiry based learners, able to take control of their own learning as they progress, to learn through involvement and ownership and to reflect on their learning through feedback. This means that by the end of the degree, they have developed self management skills which are very attractive to employers.

History graduates often go on to pursue highly successful careers in professions such as accountancy, charity work, housing, human resources, international development, law, marketing, media, publishing, politics, retail management and teaching. Central and local government and the public services also attract history graduates, notably the civil service, NHS management, the police and armed services. About 30% of history graduates pursue postgraduate study to specialise in an area of history and cultures of interest to them, or to prepare for careers such as law and teaching.

History graduates have started careers with a wide range of employers from Government departments and local councils to charities and companies in many business sectors. Notable employers which have recruited history graduates include the BBC, the House of Commons, KPMG, Oxfam, and Nestle. They have taken up jobs including Assistant Literary Agent, Assistant Expedition Leader, Journalist, Librarian, Management Consultant, Marketing Assistant, Programmes Officer and Project Manager.

The School of History and Cultures works together with the University's Careers Network to provide a comprehensive service to our students from answering initial questions to in-depth career guidance. Last year around 200 employers visited the university, enabling students to meet them and to learn about skills through employer-led workshops. Outside the business world, our students can also hear from employers working in media, film, communications, publishing and museums and heritage. Throughout the academic year we hold a number of alumni events, careers talks and other initiatives that are designed for our students to answer their careers questions and help them forge useful contacts outside the university. You can find more about careers support at College of Arts and Law Careers.

Extra-curricular activities

To enhance your career prospects even further, you will need to think about engaging in some extra-curricular activities while you're at university to broaden your skills and your network of contacts. This can include the many societies at the Guild of Students and also the many voluntary opportunities offered with local arts organisations. Our employer-endorsed award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities, and provides an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects.

Our College of Arts and Law undergraduate research scholarship scheme enables interested students to work on a current academic research project being run by one of the College's academic researchers. Undergraduate research scholars gain work experience over the summer after their first or second year and have the chance to develop skills in both collaborative and independent research.

Cultural Internships

Our innovative Cultural Internships offer graduates the opportunity for a six month paid internship at a leading cultural institution in the West Midlands. These internships are a unique opportunity to learn fundamental, transferable business and interpersonal skills, through experience of real work in an established cultural institution. Our current partners include Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Birmingham Royal Ballet, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust and the Library of Birmingham. We have plans to expand the scheme to include our own major cultural assets, such as Winterbourne House, the Lapworth Museum, and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts. This scheme will give you professional experience to set you apart in a competitive graduate market.