Our BA History (including Foundation Year) could be suitable for you if your academic qualifications do not yet meet our entry requirements for a three-year version of our arts and humanities courses and you want a programme that improves your skills to support your academic performance.

Open to UK and EU applicants, this four-year course includes a Foundation Year (known as Year Zero) which is delivered by our Essex Pathways Department followed by a further three years of study in our School of Philosophical Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies.

During Year Zero you will study on our Arts and Humanities Pathway which will cover topics such as Analysing Film, Text and Image and Theory of Knowledge. At the end of Year Zero all students who pass the Arts and Humanities Pathway will have a choice of which course to progress with. As well as BA History students on the Arts and Humanities Pathway could also study BA Philosphy or BA Art History, amongst other courses.

You are an Essex student from day one, a member of our global community based at the most internationally diverse campus university in the UK.

At Essex we're about social conscience, wondering why, and understanding the bigger picture. We teach you to find your own critical voice and view history through the eyes of different people, telling hidden histories that might otherwise be forgotten.

Our BA History allows you to explore challenging questions about the impact of political, social and cultural change on individuals, social groups and regions. From African-American slavery to Stalin's Russia-from households in Essex to witchcraft in Germany-from the history of disease to revolutions in China, we urge you to explore the past in order to better understand the present.

You have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of optional modules about subjects close to home and further afield.

You are taught by award-winning academics from all over the world: our corridors are truly cosmopolitan. We also provide you with opportunities to explore local history and have close ties with the Essex Record Office, one of the best county record offices in the UK.

Assessed coursework generally consists of essays, concept studies, critical commentaries, research proposals, and a 15,000-word dissertation. Students usually attend a two-hour seminar for each module each week. Seminar groups/workshops which would usually have about 15 students.

Study abroad

Your education extends beyond the university campus. We support you in expanding your education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of our partner universities. The four-year version of our degree allows you to spend the third year abroad or employed on a placement abroad, while otherwise remaining identical to the three-year course. Studying abroad allows you to experience other cultures and languages, to broaden your degree socially and academically, and to demonstrate to employers that you are mature, adaptable, and organised.

Placement year

When you arrive at Essex, you can decide whether you would like to combine your course with a placement year. You will be responsible for finding your placement, but with support and guidance provided by both your department and the placements team. If you complete a placement year you'll only pay 20% of your usual tuition fee to Essex for that year.