History with Foundation Year BA (Hons)

Sheffield Hallam University

Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.

Course summary

• Study a range of historical contexts in Britain, Europe and beyond
• Examine how different perspectives on the past help us understand real-world issues today
• Cultivate a range of practical and professional skills, including research, analysis and communication
• Join at the foundation year and develop your personal skills, awareness of resources and commitment to the subject

On this course, you’ll create your own pathway across the globe — studying modules from Britain and Europe, to the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia. You’ll hone your ability to think critically about how the past is understood, and how it relates to the present.

How you learn

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Throughout your studies you will be taught by published historians who are experts in their fields but, in the foundation year, will also have contact with a wider range of experts from the Department. You’ll have access to a wide variety of academic texts and primary sources to learn the skills of a historian, and explore the wider significance of modern history in contemporary society.

You learn through:

• large group lectures
• small group seminars and workshops
• group work activities
• live brief projects and working with external partners
• field trips and away days
• group projects

There are also opportunities to study abroad at one of our partner universities, with the possibility of funding through the Turing Scheme.

Applied learning - Live projects

Throughout the course, you’ll have the opportunity to work on real-world projects through live briefs with partner organisations (including in the foundation year).

Work experience

In the second year, of the full degree, you’ll raise your professional profile through a placement module. You’ll have the chance to collaborate with external partners, undertake a work placement or develop your own enterprise.

Previous placements have included local primary and secondary schools, local museums such as Kelham Island Industrial Museum, and other heritage organisations and local businesses.

Field trips

You’ll also learn by going on field trips to a range of locations, including the Manchester People's History Museum and the Museum of London. This starts right from the foundation year, where you will make a series of visits to cultural institutions and discuss their relevance to contemporary life.

Networking Opportunities

There are opportunities to study abroad and take elective language modules. We have connections with a wide variety of institutions across the world, including universities in Europe, North America and Australia.

Future careers

This course prepares you for a career in

• teaching
• local government
• the civil service
• journalism
• librarianship
• the heritage industry
• human resources
• advertising/marketing
• law
• financial services
• non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for

• Sheffield City Archive
• Sheffield Museums
• Barnsley Museum
• local and national newspapers
• primary and secondary education
• the civil service
• local government