Wide choice of topics
We offer a broad range of topics based on the research specialisms of our staff. This means that when you study with us, you will be learning about the most up-to-date ideas from people undertaking the research.
We are confident that we can satisfy the personal interests of our students. Whichever area of history appeals to you, there will be plenty of opportunity to pursue the topics that fire your imagination. As part of our curriculum, we cover familiar topics that you would expect to see in a university history curriculum, such as the Tudors, Twentieth Century Germany, and Modern China. Beyond those, we offer many other stimulating modules that cover a wide variety of topics, and you can select the ones that appeal to your own interests.
A hands-on experience
Here in Aberystwyth, you get an opportunity to get 'hands-on' experience through our historiography module, analysing primary sources, and following our practical modules. This brings the teaching of history alive and means that it has real impact.
Our practical modules:
Hands on History - Primary sources are what historians use to piece together the past. This module will teach you how to engage critically with them and will prepare you for your own future historical research.
Making History - This subject will be discussed from the perspective of the key theoretical developments that have influenced the writing of history over the last century, and how these ideas have been used by professional historians in practice.
Dissertation - You will learn how to plan and do research for your dissertation, from choosing and defining your topic, to locating sources and producing bibliographies. A supervisor will be designated to you, and you will receive individual supervision.
Our skills modules:
Oral History and Modern American Race Relations - This module allows you to examine the modern history of race relations between white and black Americans through the medium of oral history. It will introduce you to the theory and practical applications of oral history as a unique source for understanding the history of the United States and race relations. The module explores oral history interviews of a broad array of figures including formerly enslaved people, black and white military veterans, members of white supremacist groups, civil rights activists, and victims of racial violence.
Comparing the International: Central Concepts and Core Skills - This module provides a thorough and wide-ranging introduction to central concepts and themes in the study of international politics. It outlines a series of key theoretical positions and encourages you to analyse and evaluate them with reference to a mixture of historical and contemporary examples.
You will also have access to some of the country's leading libraries and heritage organisations, such as the National Library of Wales - one of only five copyright libraries in the UK - situated just below the university campus, the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales, and Ceredigion Archives. These institutions provide excellent resources for history students.
Small group teaching
We believe that our students deserve to be treated as individuals. By offering small group teaching for some optional and first year modules and for workshops, we ensure that you have as much contact time with tutors as possible, and the intimate nature of small-group teaching gives you the opportunity to voice and explore your ideas in a supported setting. Our small-group modules include the 'Special Subject' and 'Skills' modules.
