2024/25 entry
BA (Hons) History with Foundation Year
Clearing
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Minimum UCAS points required: TBC
Why study History with Foundation Year at Liverpool John Moores University?
- 93% of our students said they were satisfied with their course (BA Hons History) in the 2019 National Student Survey
- History at LJMU has been ranked 9th best in the country in the 2020 Guardian University League Table
- Teaching directly informed by internationally-recognised research
- A wide range of option modules across levels 5 and 6
- Develops high-level problem-solving and communication skills sought by employers
- Opens up a diverse range of careers from managerial and administrative posts to the media and the military
About your course
The BA (Hons) History with Foundation Year will equip you with all the skills that you need to excel as an undergraduate Historian at LJMU. Having completed the Foundation Year you will join a programme directly informed by internationally-recognised and ground-breaking research.
Teaching on the BA (Hons) History at Liverpool John Moores University is directly informed by internationally-recognised and ground-breaking research.
You don't need any prior knowledge of history but if you have an enquiring mind and an enthusiasm for uncovering the past, this course provides a forum for lively debate and introduces you to political, economic, intellectual and cultural history, as well as the modern history of Britain, Ireland, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Eastern Asia. There is also an option to specialise in an area so that you can focus on those aspects of the past that you find most rewarding.
There is an important social side to the course too. Students have an opportunity to join a number of societies and we incorporate 'out of classroom' learning. The International Fieldwork in History level 5 module, where students travel to a Europe city, will allow you to sample a different culture and how this influences the ways in which history is presented in museums. Other modules incorporate visits to sites on Merseyside and beyond.
Foundation Year
The Foundation Year is ideal if you have the interest and ability to study for a degree, but do not have the qualifications to enter directly onto the History honours degree programme yet.
Once you pass the Foundation Year (level 3) you will progress directly onto the first year of the honours degree. If you are a full-time UK student, you will qualify for student financial support for the full duration of your course (subject to eligibility criteria).
"Choosing LJMU was the best decision I ever made. It has changed and supported me more than I could have imagined"
Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- Library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to programme-appropriate software
- Library and student IT support
- Free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you'll find all of the information you need on our specialist funding pages.
Employability
The broad nature of a history degree at LJMU provides a sound basis for developing your communication, research and problem-solving skills and a well-rounded intellect, which are assets in any career.
Graduates are working in occupations ranging from advertising, marketing, museums, arts administration and publishing to industrial, retail, leisure and charitable organisation management, educational administration, accountancy, law, the social and Civil Services and teaching.
Others have completed teacher training PGDE courses at LJMU and other providers or use their skills in other types of teaching, such as English as a second language or adult education. Another option is to continue in education with a masters degree, PhD or vocational course, such as journalism or marketing.
Student Futures - Careers, Employability and Enterprise Service
A wide range of opportunities and support is available to you, within and beyond your course, to ensure our students experience a transformation in their career trajectory. Every undergraduate curriculum includes Future Focus during Level 4, an e-learning resource and workshop designed to help you to develop your talents, passion and purpose.
Every student has access to Careers Zone 24/7, LJMU's suite of online Apps, resources and jobs board via the LJMU Student Futures website. There are opportunities for flexible, paid and part-time work through Unitemps, LJMU's in-house recruitment service, and we also offer fully funded Discovery Internships.
One-to-one careers and employability advice is available via our campus-based Careers Zones and we offer a year-round programme of events, including themed careers and employability workshops, employer events and recruitment fairs. Our Start-Up Hub can help you to grow your enterprise skills and to research, plan and start your own business or become a freelancer.
A suite of learning experiences, services and opportunities is available to final year students to help ensure you leave with a great onward plan. You can access LJMU's Careers, Employability and Start-up Services after you graduate and return for one-to-one support for life.
Go abroad
LJMU aims to make international opportunities available to every student. You may be able to study abroad as part of your degree at one of our 100+ partner universities across the world. You could also complete a work placement or apply for one of our prestigious worldwide internship programmes. If you wanted to go abroad for a shorter amount of time, you could attend one of our 1-4 week long summer schools.
Our Go Citizen Scheme can help with costs towards volunteering, individual projects or unpaid placements anywhere in the world. With all of these opportunities at your feet, why wouldn’t you take up the chance to go abroad?
Find out more about the opportunities we have available via our Instagram @ljmuglobalopps or email us at: goabroad@ljmu.ac.uk.
A life-changing experience
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What you will study on this degree
Please see guidance below on core and option modules for further information on what you will study.
This course is currently undergoing its scheduled programme review, which may impact the advertised modules. Programme review is a standard part of the university’s approach to quality assurance and enhancement, enabling us to ensure that our courses remain up to date and maintain their high standard and relevancy.
Once the review is completed, this course website page will be updated to reflect any approved changes to the advertised course.
These approved changes will also be communicated to those who apply for the course to ensure they wish to proceed with their application. Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated, as appropriate.
Further guidance on modules
Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.
Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.
Level 5
Optional Modules
The Soviet Experiment, 1917-1991
20 credits
This module will provide an understanding of the early Soviet state and its relationship to society. You will gain knowledge and skills to understand, identify and critically assess different kinds of source material.
Revolutionaries: International Communism from the Great War to the Cold War
20 credits
The module incorporates the following LJMU Employability Skills:
- Analysis, problem solving and decision making.
- Planning and organisation.
- Creativity and enterprise.
- Intercultural skills.
Level 6
Core modules
Dissertation
40 credits
The aim of the Dissertation is to develop the ability to identify a relevant historical topic and formulate a research proposal designed to explore aspects of that topic to a high level. You will develop the ability to analyse and interpret primary and secondary historical sources in pursuit of a self-defined problem.
Optional Modules
Living with Defeat: France and the Second World War, History and Legacies
20 credits
This module aims to introduce key social, cultural and political contexts and historical debates concerning everyday life in France in the period leading up to, during and following the Second World War. You will be introduced to key historiographical debates such as the legacies of the First World War, the significance of political and social divisions in 1930s France and the reasons for the defeat of 1940.
We would not know there was a war on. Life on the British Home Front During the Second World War.
20 credits
The aim of this module is to provide an insight into the people's experience of living day-by-day in Britain during the Second World War. You will be introduced to the theoretical approach of cultural history on how people situate themselves within society irrespective of the greater events being played out around them.
Soviet Body Politics: Sport, Leisure and Health, 1917-1945
20 credits
The aim of this module is to introduce you to Bolshevik concepts of the body, and how these related to wider social, political, economic and cultural issues. You will be provided with an in-depth understanding of the early Soviet state and society, developing their analytical, critical, and communication skills.
Victorian Cities
20 credits
The aim of this module is to introduce the history of Victorian cities. You will investigate the themes of class and gender in the Victorian city which will enable you to think critically about and historicise urban identities.
When the Sun Set in the East: End of Empire in Southeast Asia
20 credits
This module will apply historiographical themes in the study of decolonisation to a set of case studies in the Southeast Asia region to examine the programme themes of 'nation, state and power', 'structure and agency' and 'culture, locale and identity' in relation to decolonisation in the developing world, and specifically in Southeast Asia. You will be able to demonstrate variety and diversity in the experience of decolonization, particularly in Southeast Asia.
Celebration and Commemoration in Irish History
20 credits
The aim of this module will enable you to engage in a critical debate about the historiography associated with key events in Irish history. You will engage with different methods of teaching history to different audiences to critically assess the way in which the 1798 Rebellion, the Great Irish Famine and the 1916 Easter Rising have been commemorated and celebrated by later generations.
Nazi Germany: Dictatorship and Genocide
20 credits
This module provides students with specialized knowledge about the history of Germany during the National Socialist dictatorship, including totalitarian rule and the persecution of political opponents, ethnic and religious minorities. It extensively covers the Holocaust and offers a deep understanding of historiographical debates related to the Third Reich and the Holocaust. The syllabus includes lectures and seminars on various topics, such as the rise of the Nazis, establishment of the Nazi dictatorship, opposition to the Nazi regime, Nazi foreign policy, anti-Jewish policies, the Holocaust, and the aftermath of the Third Reich and the Holocaust.
History Works
20 credits
Within this module, you will have the opportunity to acquire a work-based or work-related learning experience. This
will help you to identify the links between your degree and employability prospects. LJMU will support you to
identify, enhance, and deploy transferable skills and abilities relevant to the workplace.
Teaching and work-related learning
Excellent facilities and learning resources
We adopt an active blended learning approach, meaning you will experience a combination of face-to-face and online learning during your time at LJMU. This enables you to experience a rich and diverse learning experience and engage fully with your studies. Our approach ensures that you can easily access support from your personal tutor, either by meeting them on-campus or via a video call to suit your needs.
Teaching is delivered via a combination of lectures and tutorials (some virtual), with additional information available on Canvas (our virtual learning environment) and in the University Libraries. Tutorials are fairly informal and provide an opportunity to further discuss material covered in the lectures. Once you reach your final year, your dissertation offers the chance to work more independently and focus on an area that particularly interests you.
Work-related Learning
The History programme is focused on helping you to develop first-rate skills in communication and critical analysis, which are highly valued by employers. This is why a History degree is a good basis for so many different careers.
Support and guidance
Dedicated personal tutor, plus study skills support
From the moment you begin your studies at LJMU, you will be allocated a personal tutor who will meet with you one-to-one to discuss course-related issues, monitor your progress and help you to put your career plans in place.
Assessment
Assessment varies depending on the modules you choose, but will usually include a combination of exams and coursework.
We acknowledge that all students perform differently depending on the way they are assessed, which is why we use a combination of assessment methods. Coursework can be in the form of essays, portfolios, short written pieces, independent studies and dissertations. There are two types of exam: seen and unseen. Exam questions are available two weeks before the start of seen exams so you have the chance to prepare fully for them.
Your tutors will provide feedback on coursework assessments within 15 days of submission via Canvas, face-to-face or as written comments. We believe constructive feedback is vital in helping you to identify your strengths as well as the areas where you may need to put in more work.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Dr Olivia Saunders
Programme Leader
David specialises in the history of modern Britain with a particular interest in everyday life during the Second World War. The primary focus of his research to date has been in relation to propaganda and how the people of Britain coped with being at war. Beyond academic outputs, he is keen to connect with broader audiences and has most recently been involved in successful collaborations with the National Trust and National Museums Liverpool.
We invest a lot in collaborative learning with our students, challenging them to think in different ways and often completing tasks beyond the norm. This inclusive and communal aspect is a crucial factor in allowing our students to realise their full potential.
Facilities
What you can expect from your School
The School of Humanities and Social Science offers an ideal environment in which to expand your knowledge and horizons. Situated on Mount Pleasant in the new ‘Knowledge Quarter ' of Liverpool, the School is home to five subject areas: English, History, International Relations, Sociology, and Media, Culture & Communication. It has a lively programme of cross-disciplinary research seminars, conferences, visits from international scholars and public events. Research from the School is recognised nationally and worldwide.
The university reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the university. Where this does happen, the university operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.
Further information on the terms and conditions of any offer made, our admissions policy and the complaints and appeals process.