This is an archived page and for reference purposes only
What makes countries, ethnic groups or individuals go to war? How has warfare changed with the introduction of new technology? How has propaganda been used? Can we learn anything from history?
Overview
The University of Kent is in a unique geographic position to study war and its effects. Canterbury and Kent have been ‘Frontline Britain’ in British military history and contain significant military sites, ranging from Roman forts to Cold War nuclear bunkers. We have easy access to the continent, particularly the battlefields of the First and Second World Wars.
Our modules reflect the range of our research interests, from war and culture to the evolution of tank warfare. At Kent, we believe military history should form the main thrust of our programme, an area often sidelined by similar courses. In addition to Military History modules, the diverse pool of History modules remains accessible to our students.
Military History video
Hear from one of our students what it's like to study Military History at Kent.
Independent rankings
History at Kent was ranked 19th in The Guardian University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2016, 94% of our History students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
History at Kent was ranked 14th for graduate prospects in The Times Good University Guide 2017. Of History students who graduated in 2015, 92% were in work or further study within six months (DLHE).
Course structure
The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.
Year in industry
The Placement Year gives you the opportunity to spend a year in the workplace as part of your degree. It takes place between your second and final years of study, giving you work experience and the chance to acquire new skills and develop your confidence.
Year abroad
Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.
You spend your year abroad at one of our partner universities. Places and destination are subject to availability, language and degree programme. To find out more, please see Go Abroad.
To be eligible for the year abroad, you need to adhere to any progression requirements in Stage 1 and Stage 2. The year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and does not count towards your final degree classification.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching is through a combination of lectures and seminars. Lectures are often used to provide the broad overview, while seminars focus on particular issues and are led by student presentations. Lectures and seminars use a variety of materials, including original documents, films and documentaries, illuminated manuscripts, and slide and PowerPoint demonstrations. Lectures usually last one hour and seminars are one or two hours, depending on the module.
The School of History uses a mixture of assessment patterns. The standard formats are 100% coursework or 60% examination and 40% coursework.
The School also has excellent student support arrangements. Alongside our Student Support Officer, each student is assigned an academic tutor. All module convenors keep regular office hours, and the School has a policy of returning at least one essay on each module in a one-to-one personal meeting, allowing for additional verbal feedback and discussion.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- place the study of war, in its historical and political contexts, at the centre of student learning and analysis
- ensure that students understand modes of theory and analysis used in history and politics/IR and are aware of the differing and contested aspects of these disciplines
- develop students' capacities to think critically about war in all its forms and interpretations
- encourage students to relate the academic study of war to questions of public debate and concern
- provide a curriculum supported by scholarship and research that promotes the breadth and depth of intellectual enquiry and debate
- assist students to develop cognitive and transferable skills relevant to their vocational and personal development.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- how people have reacted to and conceived of war in differing contexts, past and present
- the origins and development of warfare in human societies, the justifications for war and its outcomes
- the structure, nature and operation of institutions and states in differing contexts, through the medium of warfare
- the contestable nature of many interpretations of war, both from original sources and from contemporary academics and commentators
- questions of genre, content, perspective and purpose within a range of historical and contemporary texts and materials
- the problems inherent in the historical and contemporary record; awareness of a range of viewpoints, the limitations of knowledge, and the dangers of simplistic explanations
- war from different perspectives within the disciplines of history and politics/IR
- the social, political, cultural and military aspects of warfare
- the power structures and impulses to use war as a form of human interaction.
Intellectual skills
You gain intellectual skills in the following areas:
- how to gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of primary and secondary sources
- the ability to identify, investigate and analyse primary and secondary information
- how to develop reasoned arguments based on reflection, study and critical judgement
- how to differentiate between arguments
- the ability to reflect on and manage your own learning and make use of constructive feedback from peers and staff to enhance your own performance.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
- the understanding of the nature of war and its significance as a global and historical human activity
- the application of methods, concepts and theories used in the studies of history and politics/IR
- the evaluation of different interpretations and sources
- the ability to marshal an argument, and to summarise and defend a particular interpretation or analysis of events.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- communication – the ability to organise information clearly; respond to written sources; present information orally; adapt style for different audiences; use images as a communications tool
- numeracy – the ability to read graphs and tables; integrate numerical and non-numerical information; understand the limits and potentialities of arguments based on quantitative information
- information technology – the ability to produce written documents; undertake online research; process information using databases and spreadsheets (where necessary)
- independence of mind and initiative
- self-discipline and self-motivation
- the ability to work with others and have respect for others' reasoned views.
Careers
As students of a history discipline, our graduates develop excellent skills of analysis, frequently assessing multiple and often conflicting sources before condensing opinions into concise, well-structured prose. Graduates are able to demonstrate self-motivation and the ability to work independently, demonstrating to potential employers that you respond positively to various challenges and that you can work to tight schedules and manage heavy workloads.
Many find employment in the armed services, journalism and the media, management and administration, local and national civil services, the museums and heritage sector, defence analysis, commerce and banking, teaching and research, and the law.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
New GCSE grades
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | ABB including Classics-Ancient History, Classics-Classical Civilisation or History grade B, excluding Critical Thinking and General Studies |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 16 at HL including History 5 at HL or 6 at SL |
International students
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
Meet our staff in your country
For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2017/18 tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||
| Part-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
UK/EU fee paying students
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.
For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Fees for Year Abroad/Industry
As a guide only, UK/EU/International students on an approved year abroad for the full 2017/18 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Please note that for 2017/18 entrants the University will increase the standard year in industry fee for home/EU/international students to £1,350.
General additional costs
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
Funding
University funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details.
Government funding
You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.
The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.
Scholarships
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.
The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.