Roehampton University
Open Spaces. Open Minds.
- Roehampton is near some of the best facilities for historical study in the UK, such as:
- Leading international experts teach on the History programme.
- Organised study trips take students out of the classroom; for example, to the Imperial War Museum, and on walking tours of the East End of London.
- Our lively research seminar programme features visiting speakers.
Boasting impressive research ratings and teaching expertise that brings history to life, this popular programme includes modules that range from Ancient Athens to the 1960s and span Britain, Europe, Africa, the Americas and the Arab-Islamic world.
100% of Roehampton University's work in History was recognised either internationally or nationally, with 35% of that work regarded as being either "world-leading" or "internationally excellent". More information.
Recently the History programme team has co-organised a number of successful conferences, on and off campus, including:
For a complete description of this programme's aims, learning outcomes and the programme outline, see the full programme details.
For a complete list of this programme's modules and a detailed description of each of them, see the full module details.
Our offers are not solely based on academic results: we also take your skills, achievements and life experience into consideration.
For further information refer to our general entrance requirements page, which includes a tariff table. If you need advice on entry requirements or applications, please contact our Enquiries Office on 020 8392 3232.
You take modules focusing on the foundations of historical study. Core modules in Reading and Writing History, and Introduction to Humanities provide the theoretical basis and the methodological skills for more advanced studies in the upper years. Other modules explore themes such as migration, revolutions, religious change, and visual and material cultures, in broad chronological and geographical contexts, such as the Americas, and the ancient world.
You take the compulsory Histories module, which examines social, cultural and technological approaches to history through the theme of war. From a broad selection of optional modules, you then develop your research and critical skills through engagement with particular concepts, places and periods, such as religious and political change in medieval and early modern England, 19th-century London, and European modernity. You can also choose to take a work placement option.
As well as taking more specialised options, designed to give you in-depth exposure to the research specialism of the programme team, you will study original documents more intensively and prepare a dissertation or a special long essay involving independent research under the guidance of a supervisor.
The programme uses a wide range of assessment. For example, the HE3-level module, "Muslims, Jews and Christians in Medieval Iberia" is assessed using a blog in which students need to critically reflect on both academic debates relating to medieval Iberia and the relevance of the subject to the world today. Blogs demand that students acquire skills in writing pithily, directly and in summarising complex material for general audiences.
Across the three years of the degree programme, you will be increasingly expected to develop your independence as a student and as a researcher. Modules are allocated a 3.5-hour teaching slot each week, with some of this time usually allocated to a lecture; however, the remaining time can be given over to seminar-based discussion, student-led group work and presentations.
This is a very brief list of books and resources that the History team has put together to reflect how we approach the study of history at Roehampton. If you decide to come to Roehampton to study History, you will receive preparatory reading lists for your first year in the summer before you arrive.
The History team particularly recommends Eamon Duffy's The Voices of Morebath: Reformation and Rebellion in an English Village (Yale, 2001).
An example of an excellent resource to explore is the Old Bailey Sessions website.
The University Library has excellent resources for the study of History.
Roehampton is close to the many world-class facilities in London, including:
"Roehampton was my first choice because I wanted to study at a London-based university with a proven track record in History. During my degree I have had an opportunity to study a diverse range of subjects both from the History programme and other related programmes. The standards of teaching and support have been excellent and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Roehampton."
Heather Bennett, third-year History student
The 8,000-word dissertation students undertake in their third year provides the opportunity for a sustained piece of original research. John Price, who graduated with a first-class degree from Roehampton in 2005, undertook his dissertation on the Victorian monument to civilian heroism in London, Postman's Park. This dissertation was in the top three in the 2005 Royal Historical Society/History Today undergraduate dissertation competition, and has fuelled John's subsequent writing and doctoral research.
History students are able to pursue a work placement option during their second year of study. Work placements are an exciting way of gain practical experience to back up your theoretical knowledge. One of the objectives of the scheme is that we encourage the transfer of learning from the university environment into the workplace, and then to incorporate that learning back into the students' studies.
History students acquire a valuable range of transferable skills in communication, problem-solving and presentation that are popular with a range of employers. For example, recent History graduates are now working in:
A History degree opens up a wide range of opportunities for postgraduate study at Roehampton and other universities. We have a strong tradition of students continuing on to do the programme's own MA Historical Research, as well as the PGCE. Students have also recently gone on to undertake postgraduate/PGCE study at King's College, London, SOAS, and Keele.
"Through my studies at Roehampton, I gained not only a knowledge of world history, but a deeper understanding of myself. I pursued my passion in areas of history which I found fascinating and had all the help I needed from tutors who nurtured and encouraged this exploration. I am now doing a masters degree in the Studies of Religion, which I decided upon after studying Medieval Islamic Spain in my third year at Roehampton. The History Department was instrumental in my pursuit of knowledge and I had three of the best years of my life challenging myself through the diverse range of topics available to me."
Yamuna de Soto, History student, graduated 2007
Entry tariff: 240–320 points
UCAS code: V100
Single or Combined Honours
View combinations
Duration (years):
3 (full-time), 4–7 (part-time),
September or January start
Tuition fees (per year):
£3,290 (UK/EU)
£9,599 (international)
Contact: Enquiries Office
Tel: 020 8392 3232
Email: enquiries@roehampton.ac.uk


