History and Politics, BSc (Hons), with industry placement

Course outlineAs a student on the BSc (Hons) History and Politics course, you’ll have opportunities to study topics such as nationalism, state-building and inter-state relations; the history of war and peace; religious and ethnic conflict; trauma and memory; and issues of globalisation in the present that can only be understood by looking to the past. For example, you’ll learn how the British Empire helped to create the NHS, why Britain voted to stay in the EU in 1975 and why Margaret Thatcher became the first pop star of British international relations.With a global outlook, our teaching is informed by exciting historical research. As part of the course, you’ll participate in field trips to historical sites and get your hands dirty by digging into local archives, as well as conducting original research on a topic of your choosing. Studying cutting-edge techniques such as digital and oral history will give you new insights and further boost your employment prospects.On the politics strand of the course, you will have the unique opportunity to explore political topics going beyond the UK and Europe, covering North America, South Asia, China, Japan or the emerging global powers. You will not only study the traditional subjects of the discipline, such as security, political economy or democratisation but also have the chance to delve into ethics, sports, gender, protest or religion.Key benefits

• As part of your degree you’ll undertake a professional placement year, gaining valuable practical experience that employers demand. Aston University’s Careers and Placements team was recognised as the ‘Best University Placement Service’ at the National Undergraduate Employability (NUE) Awards 2022.

• Politics at Aston University was ranked among the top 15 in the UK for ‘graduate prospects’ (Complete University Guide, 2022).

• Politics at Aston University was ranked among the top 10 in the UK for ‘student to staff ratio’ (Guardian, 2022).

• Employed Aston University politics graduates earn £2,200 (11 per cent) more than the UK average, one year after graduating (Longitudinal Education Outcomes, 2021).