Curious about studying History and Journalism Studies - BA (Hons)at University of Stirling? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Stirling Campus
Full Time
Sep 2027
4 Year
If you really want to understand the modern world, it’s essential to unlock the patterns of the past. History courses can help you do exactly that – and here at the University of Stirling, we take an innovative approach to guiding you through the major events and periods that have shaped us all. Our History degree will equip you with a wide range of intellectual and personal skills. You’ll gain an awareness of how different societies across the world have changed over time, by exploring areas such as Scottish, British, European, American and African history. You’ll also engage with different types of history, including political, social, cultural, gender, race, computer and environmental. Along the way, you’ll enjoy the freedom to not only focus in on specialty areas of history that interest you most, but also to combine your studies with a range of other subjects that broaden your professional possibilities – from journalism to teaching, politics and sociology.
History could not exist as a discipline without concepts. Concepts are the main analytical tools of the historian. They are applied to the raw materials of historical research (the information mined from primary sources),in order togive these materials a legible shape. It is by applying recognised concepts that we can explore common themes in History and understand the causes of historical transformations.
On successful completion of this module, you should be able to: Critically understand journalistic professionalism and its various challenges; Employ theoretical and philosophical frameworks to analyse ethical dilemmas and reach a morally and ethically defensible position. Understand the various forms of media regulation, and the difference between ethics and the law. Critically analyse, structure and contrast cases to develop pieces of academic writing. Reflect on the comments on your work by tutors; and aim to build on strengths and deal with weaknesses.
This introductory, survey module aims to provide students with an overview of Scottish medieval history in the period c.1100-1542, through a variety of approaches to the past, in particular viewing Scotland as a European kingdom. The themes covered range from the origins of the Kingdom, the medieval Church, the medeival Economy and Environment, the Wars of Independence, late medieval kingship, medieval cultures and courts, and Renaissance monarchy. Through lectures, small group tutorials, online exercises and reading, it seeks to deepen history-specific intellectual skills already acquired or to assist those studying history as a discipline for the first time in acquiring such skills.
Why does journalism matter? How is it practiced? Does it get anything right, or is modern journalism a failure? These are some of the questions we will ask in Introduction to Journalism. We will discover the key concepts in journalism studies from production of the news, through the distribution channels, to how it is received and consumed in a globalised world. We look at contemporary challenges to news, from fake stories and underfunding digital journalism, to the future of news media in an increasingly saturated social web. With knowledge of these debates and challenges, you?ll be able to read the news more critically, understand the processes behind news writing and production, and develop an understanding of the social and cultural drivers of the news media today. This module is designed for students at the beginning of their journalism journey, but also those who are interested in how journalism works and what the important debates are in news writing, production, and consumption today.
In covering the era of the Renaissance, the Reformation and Revolutions in Scotland, students will focus on the reigns of successive Stewart monarchs and their subsequent succession to the English and Irish thrones as well as the problems associated with regnal union and resistance to an increasingly authoritative style of governance. Alongside the various revolutions of the seventeenth century, the creation of a British commonwealth, the emergence of Jacobitism, and parliamentary union in 1707, Scotland?s contact with Europe and the world will form a core theme throughout ensuring students understand Scotland?s development within a wider context. Political history will be studied in the light of the social, religious, economic, intellectual and cultural developments that lend early modern Scotland its distinct identity.
The module aims to provide students with both knowledge and understanding of how and in what way Britain modernised, and the role and significance of both primary secondary source material in historical research and debate (with a particular emphasis on secondary sources). J. Vernon,Distant Strangers: How Britain Became Modern(2014) provides the start and end point of the module. Vernon argues that modernity did not arise through the traditionally accepted factors such as industrialisation or the enlightenment. Instead he suggests that it was an adaptive response to the creation of ?a society of strangers? that resulted from rapid population growth and increased mobility over longer distances which necessitated new economic, social and political relationships. The module will explore the traditional drivers of modernity using a themed approach in order to examine the validity of Vernon?s argument. Running parallel to the module is a series of podcasts that are designed to provide the student with the basic historical skills necessary to complete the module. These include, secondary sources: what they are, how to analyse them and where to find them; how to write a critical review; how to write an academic essay; how to reference, what is plagiarism and how to understand Turnitin scores
This module deals with Africa between c.1800 and 1945 and focuses on the precolonial nineteethn century, the onset of colonial rule, and the impact of colonial rule on Africa up till 1945. It aims to explore in more depth both the changes and the continuities between pre-colonial and colonial Africa.
This module explores the political transformation of the United States during the nineteenth century, focusing on major national debates and the crisis of the Union that tore the nation apart during the Civil War of 1861-65.
This module examines how the past is put to work in various aspects of economy and societyand will help you understandhow forms of historical enquiry inform specific professional sectors and areas of employment.
It is now often suggested that we are living in an age of ?convergent media? ? that is to say, media that bring users, content, technologies and experiences together in new and interesting ways in the digital realm. This module is about how networked digital media bring together people and ideas, texts and images, and technologies and industries in new ways. In FMSU9A4, we will explore such topics as interpersonal communication on social media, the relationships between media technologies and cultural change, and audiences as creative producers. We will discuss how media audiences are accessing, creating, editing, organising, sharing and collaborating on media in new ways. Most of you will already be familiar with many of these practices. This module will engage the concepts that underpin such practices and we will test these concepts by doing some of these things as part of our assignments, experimenting with a range of online media tools to bring theory and practice together. You should not think of this course as a series of separate topics, but should instead be alert to connections and continuities between weeks ? as you progress through the semester, compare and contrast, and try to make connections between ideas.
This module examines an epoch, Europe between 1789 and 1914, that began with huge optimism but ended in the despair of the first global war. The optimism was born out of two revolutions: one political that originated in France, and one economic, known as industrialisation. These ?twin revolutions? made constant social change and intellectual fermentation the characteristic features of the era.Kings, Churches, and Empires tottered, while new words that made sense of these changes, such as nationalism, constitutionalism, liberalism, feminism, and socialism, emerged for the first time. The contemporary resonance of these words shows why studying this period is so important for understanding our modern world.
By the end of the module students will be able to: Demonstrate competence in the selection of photographic events and scenes and the depiction of symbolic visual discourses. Demonstrate capacity to recognise a visually newsworthy event keeping in mind its relevance to the audience. Demonstrate a medium level of ability to control and make effective use of photographic equipment, proving competence in procedures and techniques of photographic software processing and photography in general.
This module will provide you with an understanding of the (changing) historical reputations of the lives of significant individuals ranging from William Wallace, the Scottish medieval figure, to Nelson Mandela, the radical 'freedom fighter' and statesman. Through lectures and participation in seminars you will learn how to appreciate the role played by historiography, politics and popular culture in sustaining, validating,questioning and reinventing the reputations of historical figures. Participation in this module will allow you to enhance skills in written communication, analysing and investigation, library research, evaluating sources, constructing arguments, planning and organising, time management and discipline knowledge.
This module offers the opportunity tostudy key events from Scotland?s past which still have a bearing on present-day politics and culture, in a location, here at Stirling,close to many of the key sites of the period. Your studies will be led byan acknowledged expert publishing in the field. It also takes a much-misused topic and sets it within its proper British Isles and European context.
If you want to create, share, or analyse media content, you need to consider who isengaging with it, how and why. Thismoduleputs the audience in the spotlight and looks at different approaches to media use as a social phenomenon undergoing significant transformations.
This practical module is an introduction to the fundamental skills required for professional journalism. Participants will develop an understanding of how news articles are structured, written and presented. As a core module for the journalism programme. In workshops, students will practice writing briefs, introductory paragraphs and short news stories. Attention will be paid to grammatical and language-oriented elements. On successful completion of the module, students will be able to write an appropriately structured news story quickly and accurately, one of the fundamental skills of professional journalism. The course involves weekly one-hour lectures and two-hour workshops.
This practical module introducesyouto different journalistic genres,general reporting and specialisms including sport, finance and business, travel and long form journalism.You willget the opportunity to develop interviewing and research skills as well as writing in a range of different formats. These skills build on the foundation created in earlier modules and expandyourwriting repertoires, creativity and confidence. Hands-on workshops giveyouthe opportunity to developyourown style of writing in different areas.
The news industry has a significant impact on our lives. It is a multi-billion poundglobal industry that helps set the political, social and cultural agenda. Thispracticalmodule looks behind the scenes at how news organizations determine what is news, and how they then present it to readers. It looks at who the key players are and how they operate.
An understanding of law, government and the regulatory framework is critical if you are to have a career in the media. Delivered by an expert in the field, this module will prepare you for the challenges of being a working journalist into today?slegal and regulatory minefield.
Students have the opportunity to study optional modules in this year.
Documentary Production is a dissertation level practical production module. Students work in groups to create short video or audio documentaries to a high technical and editorial standard. Work produced on this module has gone on to win national awards on several occasions.
The History dissertation is an extended piece of research and written work that provides students with an opportunity to identify and investigate a particular topic of interest and explore it systematically. With the agreement and guidance of a member of staff, in the role of supervisor, each student defines a topic, conducts the research, analyses the information and writes the dissertation.This is the capstone of your studies and something you will be justifiably proud of in years to come.
All students taking a History Special Subject in their final year should register for HISU977. In early June, students will be sent an email by the History Programme Director, Dr Michael Penman (m.a.penman@stir.ac.uk ). The email will contain instructions on choosing a final year Special Subject?the course to be studied over two semesters. Students will be able to select from a list of options (detailed below), and can rank their choices in order of preference.
In this module you will carry out and write up a research dissertation with one-to-one guidance from a supervisor. You will apply the knowledge of research methods and practice acquired in FMSU9A7 to complete the project proposed in the Autumn module.
This module is the culmination of the journalism programme and provides an opportunity foryouto showcase their talent. Producing a 10,000-word work of journalism requires tenacity, dedication, creativity and resilience and can be a very rewarding.You willwork one-on-one with a specialist supervisor on a topic ofyour choice.You willconduct interviews, evaluate information, gather data and research and then write up a substantial body of work in a journalistic style. Project participants often submit their work to student journalism awards and use their projects as a key component to their portfolios post-graduation.
Accommodation(Based on the range of costs for a self-catered room in university halls of residence. Includes cost of electricity and wi-fi.)360.20 to 795.48 (Monthly expenditure)
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