Medieval History with Year Abroad
VS90History helps us to better understand the past to make sense of the world we live in. Our BA in Medieval History with Year Abroad opens a world of opportunities through an immensely varied and rich range of modules and the chance of experiencing at first-hand learning and living within different cultures and societies to your own.
Course overview
In our Medieval History programme, you study the great sweep of history not just in Britain but around the world, from the transformation of the Roman Empire to Renaissance court politics, right in a city filled with the past that you're studying.
The word ‘medieval’ has been associated with lawlessness and brutality, but there is much more to the Middle Ages than this. The Middle Ages were a dynamic period of innovation, curiosity, and long-distance travel and exchange. Learning more about the medieval world, and why is exerts such a strong hold in modern imagination, helps you not only understand the past, but the world around us now.
In Year 1, your modules explore the nature of history as a discipline, and more. You will look at the changing assumptions, methods and definitions of history and explore the current concerns of historians. You will gain understanding of World and Global Histories to draw connections between your studies in Medieval History and the larger trends in the discipline of History. You will also gain an understanding of Medieval History over the large scale through modules that explore Medieval History from Britain to around the world.
In Year 2, your studies are more specialised, growing from the knowledge and skills you gained in your first year. Modules deepen your understanding of the practice of History, past, present and future, and prepare you for in-depth independent research in Medieval History. You will have opportunities to study historical themes related to a diverse range of times and places. Examples include: the Umayyad Caliphate of Iberia, the Crusader kingdoms, the first English 'Empire', and the European Renaissance courts. The medieval past is explored through themes such as war and violence, politics and justice, education and literacy, the everyday lives of women and men, or the Global Middle Ages. You will also have the opportunity to take a field trip, where you will learn about the past in the present through actively engaging with it on site.
In Year 3, you spend a year studying at one of our partner universities in Europe, USA or Canada, gaining a valuable experience, broadening your horizons by learning about another culture first-hand, and boosting your CV.
In Year 4, your focus is on your dissertation, an in-depth piece of guided independent research on a topic on Medieval History. Modules help you prepare and complete your dissertation, and understand how the past intersects with the world around us through film, television, gaming, novels, and more. You will take further focused studies in the medieval past; examples include the Black Death in Europe, the Wars of the Roses, the Middle Ages in computer games, the Viking ages, and more.
By studying Medieval History, you gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of the medieval past, and valuable skills such as an ability to understand and analyse sources, and communication skills in a variety of media and situations. Medieval History, alongside inspiring extracurricular activities, such as field trips both in the UK and abroad, offers a wide and deep experience that opens up numerous career paths. Winchester students have secured work placements at leading historic and cultural venues such as the Mary Rose and British Museum. Our alumni can be found in heritage institutions, NGOs and charities, publishing, community organisation, the Civil Service, teaching, higher education, and local, regional and national government, just to name a few.
What you need to know
Course start date
September
Location
Winchester campus
Course length
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Experience different cultures and societies and study at the heart of the ancient capital of Wessex
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We cover medieval history from Britain to the world with an international academic staff of expert historians
- Enjoy talks, tours and trips with our expert medievalists and the student-led History Society
Apply
VS90
Typical offer
104-120 points
Fees
From £9,250 pa
Course features
- Experience different cultures and societies and study at the heart of the ancient capital of Wessex
- We cover medieval history from Britain to the world with an international academic staff of expert historians
- Enjoy talks, tours and trips with our expert medievalists and the student-led History Society
Course details
Our aim is to shape 'confident learners' by enabling you to develop the skills needed to excel in your studies here and as well as onto further studies or the employment market.
You are taught primarily through a combination of lectures and seminars, allowing opportunities to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups.
In addition to the formally scheduled contact time such as lectures and seminars etc., you are encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team and the wide range of services available to you within the University.
Independent learning
Over the duration of your course, you will be expected to develop independent and critical learning, progressively building confidence and expertise through independent and collaborative research, problem-solving and analysis with the support of staff. You take responsibility for your own learning and are encouraged to make use of the wide range of available learning resources available.
Overall workload
Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning and assessment activity.
While your actual contact hours may depend on the optional modules you select, the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each level of the course.
Year 1 (Level 4): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
- Teaching, learning and assessment: 216 hours
- Independent learning: 984 hours
Year 2 (Level 5): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
- Teaching, learning and assessment: 228 hours
- Independent learning: 972 hours
Year 3: Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
- Placement: 480 hours
- Independent learning: 720
Year 4 (Level 6): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
- Teaching, learning and assessment: 180 hours
- Independent learning: 1020 hours
*Please note these are indicative hours for the course.
Assessment
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
Percentage of the course assessed by coursework
The assessment balance between examination and coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by different assessment modes is as follows:
Year 1 (Level 4)*
- 66% coursework
- 25% written exams
- 9% practical assessment
Year 2 (Level 5)*
- 62% coursework
- 25% written exams
- 13% practical assessment
Year 3*
The Study Abroad year takes place at the end of level 5 study and before the start of level 6 and must be taken on a full-time basis only. The modules taken may be at any level but must be equivalent to 120 CATS credits in total and the marks/grades received will not contribute to the student’s award or classification; instead, the year will be graded pass/fail.
Year 4 (Level 6)*
- 63% coursework
- 21% written exams
- 16% practical assessment
*Please note these are indicative percentages and modes for the programme.
Feedback
We are committed to providing timely and appropriate feedback to you on your academic progress and achievement in order to enable you to reflect on your progress and plan your academic and skills development effectively. You are also encouraged to seek additional feedback from your course tutors.
Further information
For more information about our regulations for this course, please see our Academic Regulations, Policies and Procedures.
Modules
Please note the modules listed are correct at the time of publishing. The University cannot guarantee the availability of all modules listed and modules may be subject to change. The University will notify applicants of any changes made to the core modules listed. For further information please refer to winchester.ac.uk/termsandconditions
Modules
This module introduces students to the core skills required to study history successfully at degree level, developing their skills as independent researchers and building confidence with both primary and secondary sources.
This module examines key themes, events and ‘turning points' in world and global history from the Classical world to the present day.
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to key concepts and developments in Medieval History.
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to key concepts and developments in Early Modern History.
Modules
History in Practice introduces students to some of the most influential and significant developments that have shaped the ways in which historians think and write about the past. It will then consider the planning and preparation of research and the methods and skills used, with particular reference to – but not sole consideration of – the dissertation.
This module takes a thematic approach to study issues of continuity and change across a long period of time through a wide range chronological, geographical, cultural, political, economic and social contexts.
Through the critical study of sources this modules explores the past through various chronological, geographical, cultural, political, economic and social contexts.
- Exploring Past Localities OR Group Project - 15 Credits
- Field Trip OR Work Placement - 15 Credits
Modules
Your year to study at your chosen university abroad.
Modules
The Dissertation (Extended Independent Study) is an 8,000 -10,000 thesis on a subject of a student’s choice. It makes an original contribution to historical knowledge and understanding.
Depth Study is the most detailed and exacting part of the taught programme. It is firmly grounded on a thorough understanding of the pertinent primary and secondary sources and thus represent the culmination of the taught course.
- Study in History OR Comparative Study in History
- History and Heritage OR Histories on Screen
- The Past Matters OR Death and Ritual in the Ancient World
Entry requirements
Our offers are typically made using UCAS tariff points to allow you to include a range of level 3 qualifications and as a guide, the requirements for this course are equivalent to:
- A-Levels: BCC-BBB from 3 A Levels or equivalent grade combinations (e.g. BBB is comparable to ABC in terms of tariff points)
- BTEC/CTEC: DMM from BTEC or Cambridge Technical (CTEC) qualifications
- International Baccalaureate: To include a minimum of 2 Higher Level certificates at grade H4
- T Level: Merit in a T Level
Additionally, we accept tariff points achieved for many other qualifications, such as the Access to Higher Education Diploma, Scottish Highers, UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma and WJEC Applied Certificate/Diploma, to name a few. We also accept tariff points from smaller level 3 qualifications, up to a maximum of 32, from qualifications like the Extended Project (EP/EPQ), music or dance qualifications. To find out more about UCAS tariff points, including what your qualifications are worth, please visit UCAS.
In addition to level 3 study, the following GCSE’s are required:
GCSE English Language at grade 4 or C, or higher. Functional Skills at level 2 is accepted as an alternative, however Key Skills qualifications are not. If you hold another qualification, please get in touch and we will advise further
If you will be over the age of 21 years of age at the beginning of your undergraduate study, you will be considered as a mature student. This means our offer may be different and any work or life experiences you have will be considered together with any qualifications you hold. UCAS have further information about studying as a mature student on the UCAS website which may be of interest.
If English is not your first language, a formal English language test will most likely be required and you will need to achieve the following:
- IELTS Academic at 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all four components (for year 1 entry)
- We also accept other English language qualifications, such as IELTS Indicator, Pearson PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and TOEFL iBT
If you are living outside of the UK or Europe, you can find out more about how to join this course by contacting our International Recruitment Team via our International Apply Pages.
2025/26 Course Tuition Fees
| UK / Republic of Ireland |
Channel Islands / |
International |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1* | £9,535 | £9,535 | £16,700 |
| Year Abroad | £1,385 | £3,700 | £6,680 |
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Additional tuition fee information
*(UK / Channel Islands / Isle of Man / Republic of Ireland) £9,535 for the 25/26 academic year. Fees for future academic years will be determined in line with our Terms and Conditions. The fee is currently subject to a governmental fee cap for each academic year. It is our policy to charge tuition fees at the level of the cap set by the Government. If the cap set by the Government changes, then we may increase our Fees in line with governmental policy.
*(International) £16,700 for the 25/26 academic year. Fees for future academic years will be determined in line with our Terms and Conditions. We decide the annual level of increase of our Tuition Fees by taking into account a range of factors including the cost of delivering the course and change in governmental funding.
Remember, you don’t have to pay any of this upfront if you are able to get a tuition fee loan from the UK Government to cover the full cost of your fees each year.
UK Part-Time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £79.40 and a 15 credit module is £1,191. Part-time students can take up to a maximum 90 credits per year, so the maximum fee in a given year will be the government permitted maximum fee of £7,145
International part-time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £139.14 and a 15 credit module is £2,087.
Additional costs
As one of our students all of your teaching and assessments are included in your tuition fees, including, lectures/guest lectures and tutorials, seminars, laboratory sessions and specialist teaching facilities. You will also have access to a wide range of student support and IT services.
There might be additional costs you may encounter whilst studying. The following highlights the mandatory and optional costs for this course:
Optional
Dissertation work
Students working on dissertations in Year 3 may incur costs (mainly travel) of visiting archives, dependent upon the specific nature of the dissertation and availability of online resources for a specific subject. This would typically involve either travel to a local archive (e.g. Southampton, Portsmouth or further afield if the student chooses to study a locality away from Winchester) or a national archive, usually in London (TNA, British Library, Women's Library, etc.). If the dissertation work is based in Winchester, then costs will be far less.
Field Trip
Optional week long History fieldtrip in Year 2 - costs vary depending on location and number of students going on the trip. Indicative costs vary between £300-£700.
Placement
If students decide to complete an optional History work/volunteering placement it may incur travel costs, which are dependent upon where the student undertakes the placement (if local it may be zero, but costs go up when public transport is used to travel). Students will have a say in where their placement is located. Indictative costs vary from £0 - £300, dependent on location of placement and number of visits required.
Year abroad
Students going on a year abroad pay significantly reduced tuition fees for that year but will need to cover costs for health and travel insurance, accommodation and living expenses; travel costs; visa costs. These will vary depending on which country you are travelling to.
Visit the Study Abroad as part of your degree page for the latest information.
Mandatory
Core texts: Any core reading is made available through the library or on module pages. Students may sometimes be given recommendations for further reading, which they may obtain freely through the library or by paying a very small fee through an inter-library loan, or they can choose to purchase (this can often be done at considerably reduced rates second hand).
SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSARIES AND AWARDS
We have a variety of scholarship and bursaries available to support you financially with the cost of your course. To see if you’re eligible, please see our Scholarships and Awards page.
CAREER PROSPECTS
Graduates have become historians working in museums, heritage sites, teaching and in many other sectors including in retailing, the arts, press, publishing, marketing and in governmental and non-for-profit organizations at local, regional, national and international level.
The University of Winchester ranks in the top 10 in the UK for graduates in employment or further study according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021, HESA.
Pre-approved for a Masters
University of Winchester students studying Bachelor Honours degrees are pre-approved to start a Masters degree at Winchester. To be eligible students must apply by the end of March in their final year and meet the entry requirements of their chosen Masters degree.
OUR CAREERS SERVICE
Being a History student has enabled me to learn more about the factors that influence change, both in the past and in the present day. I am applying that knowledge as an advocate of social action. The scope of opportunities I have had is incredible!
