Why this course?Studying history – the story of humanity through the ages – develops your knowledge of the past and gives you a better understanding of the present. Our classes cover some of the most important and interesting historical periods at home and abroad, including Scotland’s ‘Highland Problem’ in the 16th century, Slavery in World History and Cold War Europe, 1945-1991.As a politics student, you'll look at the work of governments and their policies and study the behaviour of those who govern - and who they are governing - both at home and abroad. You'll also gain knowledge of domestic and international institutions and issues relating to conflict and cooperation. We cover diverse and relevant issues, such as international terrorism to the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. Politics graduates can go on to work in a number of areas, with many pursuing academic research careers in the UK, Europe and North America. Studying History & Politics and International Relations, you'll receive excellent training in areas such as problem-solving, communication, research methods and interpretation. Our BA degrees in Humanities & Social Sciences are initially broad-based. In Year 1 you'll study three subjects, including your chosen subject(s).AssessmentHistory You'll be assessed using methods including group work, projects, presentations, dissertations, document analysis, essays and exams.Politics The School of Government & Public Policy encourages independent learning by reducing reliance on assessment through formal exams and introducing more flexible forms of class assessment. All classes are of single semester length. In pre-Honours classes, students are examined at the end of the appropriate semester short examination diets with two-hour exams are held at the end of each semester. For most classes, a formal essay-based exam at the end of the class still provides for two-thirds of the class assessment. In pre-Honours classes on research methods, assessment is entirely by class work. In some other classes, essays are supplemented by or, in part, replaced by project work or book reviews.