BA History
About this course
BA (Hons) in History, a history degree spanning a broad range of regions, periods and themes. Core topics include research methods and historical research. The first two years are taught through small-group seminar strands, and the final year centres on a supervised dissertation. Optional modules allow specialisation in areas such as environmental and scientific history, visual cultures, and gender and sexuality. The first year covers core historical skills through Making History, Doing History: Evidence, Methods and Challenges, and Big Problems: Historical Perspectives on Global Challenges; options have included Early Modern Worlds, Medieval Worlds, and Power and Culture in the Modern World, 1800-2000. Making History delivers shared skills via multiple small-group strands, and Big Problems examines how the deep and recent past can be applied to present-day global issues. The second year continues through Conversations in History, again taught in seminar strands, while electives focus on more closely defined periods, geographies and themes such as China in the twentieth century, urban culture in apartheid South Africa, and law in the late antique Mediterranean world. The final year includes a Dissertation on a topic chosen with a supervisor, plus Special Subjects built around a body of primary and secondary material on a specific historical problem, such as The cult of saints in late antiquity and Japan in the global history of public opinion. Optional modules across the degree also cover environmental history, visual cultures, and gender and sexuality.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: A*AA including an A in History. IB: 37 with 766 at Higher Level including History.
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Real offers for this course
Applicants have posted 1 UCAS decision for BA History (V100) at Durham University for 2027 entry so far. The published offer is A*AA at A level.
Admissions (2022 entry, home applicants)
Offer rate 41%: 445 offers from 1,090 applications, from the university's Freedom of Information return.
What students say
Based on about 52 final-year students who answered
- Teaching on my course: 96%
- Learning opportunities: 79%
- Assessment and feedback: 78%
- Academic support: 92%
- Organisation and management: 81%
- Learning resources: 94%
- Student voice: 77%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 175 students who started
- Continued on course: 97%
- Left higher education: 2%
- Moved to a lower qualification: 1%
What graduates do next
Based on about 54 graduates who answered
- Working: 50%
- Working and studying: 15%
- Further study: 21%
- Unemployed: 5%
Most common jobs
- Finance Professionals: 21%
- Business and public service associate professionals: 18%
- Teaching Professionals: 10%
- Administrative occupations: 7%
- Skilled trades occupations: 7%
- Find their work meaningful: 85%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 75%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 45%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 215 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North East: 6%
- North West: 8%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 3%
- East Midlands: 1%
- West Midlands: 4%
- East of England: 8%
- London: 50%
- South East: 13%
- South West: 3%
- Wales: 1%
- Scotland: 1%
- Northern Ireland: 1%
Who gets in
Based on about 250 students who started
- A levels: 99%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Silver overall, Silver for student experience, Gold for student outcomes.
Modules
- Making History
- Doing History: Evidence, Methods and Challenges
- Big Problems: Historical Perspectives on Global Challenges
- Example optional modules
- Conversations in History
- Example optional modules
- Dissertation
- Example optional modules
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA History at Durham University earn?
The median salary is £30,500 after 15 months, £33,000 after 3 years, £47,500 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £34,500 and £66,500. The £47,500 median after five years is £17,000 more than the UK median for History.
What do graduates of BA History at Durham University do next?
85% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA History at Durham University?
96% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA History at Durham University?
The typical offer is A*AA at A level. The average entrant had 182 UCAS points.
What is the offer rate for BA History at Durham University?
41% of home applicants received an offer for 2022 entry: 445 offers from 1,090 applications, according to the university's Freedom of Information return.
Does BA History at Durham University include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has an optional placement year and an optional year abroad.
How many students continue on BA History at Durham University?
97% of students continued into their second year, and 2% left higher education.