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BA Ancient and Medieval History

Start date
September
Duration
3 years
UCAS code
V116
Course Type
Undergraduate, Single Honours
Fees

Annual tuition fees for 2025/26:
£9,535 (UK)
£24,470 (International)
More detail.

Studying an undergraduate BA Ancient and Medieval History degree at the University of Birmingham will enable you to explore a diverse range of periods, countries and cultures in a world-leading research institution. You'll venture back to the roots of modern civilisation in Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Middle Ages. 

Our degree course has a distinctive emphasis on using literature, history and archaeology in the study of the ancient and medieval world, and we offer a range of expertise, with a particular focus on European and Near Eastern societies from around 3000BCE to 1500CE. One aspect of study is social history: how people in the past lived, worked, traded and enjoyed their leisure. Studying such a diverse range of societies and cultures enables you to analyse and reflect on the complex relationship between the Ancient and Medieval worlds. You will have access to a range of learning resources including the Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology Museum and the Eton Myers Collection. 

The first year of your degree course represents a foundation year in which we instil core skills and knowledge for historical enquiry.  In the second year, the emphasis on small group teaching and independent learning increases and you develop as a historian of the ancient and medieval worlds.  In the final year you study medieval and ancient modules, along with a Dissertation, using primary sources to answer a historical question which you have developed since your second year. 

I gained an appreciation for the material culture that we have in our university collections and enjoyed applying it to discussions about the ancient world and contribute to the discipline.

Ellen

Why study this course?

  • You want to get a head start in the graduate market - 90% of our graduates in work or doing further study 15 months after the course (Discover Uni stats 2022). Our graduates enter a wide range of professions, including accountancy, charity work, housing, law, publishing, politics and teaching. 
  • You're ready to join a vibrant and enthusiastic community - Enjoy access to a student experience team who co-ordinates regular coffee mornings for staff and students, visiting speakers, specialist lectures, and a variety of trips, quizzes and celebrations.
  • You're aiming to build a broad portfolio - A true appreciation of the ancient and medieval world requires as varied an approach as possible. At the beginning of your degree course you will study broad time periods and issues but you will get to focus on particular topics of your choosing all the way through. 
  • You want to access to resources and support – Birmingham will help you improve your academic writing, and offers student forums, alumni networking events and wellbeing activities throughout the year. We have excellent library facilities, including the Cadbury Research Library  which is home to the University of Birmingham’s historic collections of rare books, manuscripts, archives, photographs and associated artefacts.
  • You want to delve into primary sources that have survived to the modern day - Enjoy access to our on-campus Classics, Ancient History and Archaeology Museum where teaching usually takes place. 

Modules

Please note: You will take 120 credits of modules in each year of study. The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. Unless indicated otherwise, the modules listed for this programme are for students starting in 2025. On rare occasions, we may need to make unexpected changes to compulsory modules; in this event we will contact offer holders as soon as possible to inform or consult them as appropriate.

 

First year

Compulsory modules

  • Discovering the Middle Ages (20 credits)
  • Living in the Middle Ages (20 credits)
  • Practising History A: Skills in History (10 credits)
  • Practising History B: Skills in History (10 credits)
  • Rethinking the Ancient World A: Mythology and Identity (10 credits)
  • Rethinking the Ancient World B: Other Voices (10 credits)

Optional modules

  •  40 credits of optional modules including, if you wish, Ancient Language modules

Descriptions of first year Ancient and Medieval History modules

Second year

Compulsory modules

  • Understanding Ancient Societies (20 credits)

Optional modules

  • 100 credits of optional modules one of which must be a Topics in History option in Semester 2
  • You may also take Ancient Language modules and/or one Professional or Future Skills modules (20 credits)

Descriptions of second year Ancient and Medieval History modules

Year Abroad

You can apply to study abroad for a year in an approved university around the world. If you achieve a grade of 2.1 or above in your first year, you will be eligible to apply for a Year Abroad in your second year. If your application is successful, you will go abroad in your third year and return to us for your final year.

More about a Year Abroad

Final year

Compulsory modules

  • Dissertation (40 credits)

Optional modules:

  • 80 credits of optional modules two of which must be Special Subject A+B modules in either History or CAHA. You can also choose Ancient Language modules and, if you wish, the Professional Skills module if not undertaken the previous year 

Descriptions of final year Ancient and Medieval History modules

Fees

The University will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. If your offer is for 2025 year of entry, we expect that the tuition fee for your first year of study will be £9,535. If Parliament agrees on an increase in tuition fees, the University will increase fees for each year of study normally in line with these changes and will communicate any change in the fees to you without delay. If you are applying for 2026 year of entry, you will be advised of the annual tuition fee closer to the time. Visit our tuition fees page for more information.

Fees for 2025/26 are as follows:

  • UK: £9,535
  • International: £24,470

Eligibility for fees can be verified with Admissions. Learn more about fees for international students.

For further information on tuition fees, living costs and available financial support, please see our pages on undergraduate fees and funding.

Tuition fees when studying abroad

For those spending a whole academic year abroad (where available):

  • Students who are classed as UK for fees purposes are required to pay 15% of their normal annual tuition fee
  • Students who are classed as International for fee purposes are required to pay 50% of their normal annual tuition fee

For those studying abroad for just one semester (where available), normal annual tuition fees apply.

Note - Study abroad opportunities vary between courses; please see the course description for details of study abroad options offered.

Additional Course Costs

Study tour in Year 2: approximately 33% of cost of study tour to European country to visit sites and museums relevant to study of Ancient World.

How To Apply

Standard offer

International Requirements



Number of A levels required:
3
Typical offer:
ABB
General Studies:
Not accepted.

IB Diploma:
6,5,5 in Higher level subjects plus 32 points overall.

BTEC qualifications:

  • BTEC Extended Diploma: DDD.
  • BTEC Diploma: DD, plus B at A-level.
  • BTEC Subsidiary Diploma: D, plus AB at A-level.

T Levels:
Distinction overall with B in the Core Component; all subjects considered.

Access programmes:  Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits overall to include 45 at Level 3 of which 30 must be at Distinction and 15 at Merit.  All remaining credits must be at level 2 or above.

Other qualifications are considered - learn more about entry requirements.

Alternative offers through our Pathways to Birmingham programmes and our Contextual Offer scheme

Students who are eligible and successfully complete a Pathways to Birmingham programme will receive special consideration from admissions tutors and an alternative offer (typically two grades below the standard offer). In addition, our Contextual Offer Scheme recognises the potential of students whose personal circumstances may have restricted achievement in school or college. If you are eligible to benefit from the contextual offer scheme, you will receive an offer which is one grade lower than the standard offer.

International Students

We welcome applications from international students and invite you to join our vibrant community of over 4500 international students who represent 150 different countries. We accept a range of qualifications, our country pages show you what qualifications we accept from your country.

Depending on your chosen course of study, you may also be interested in one of our foundation pathways, which offer specially structured programmes for international students whose qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to UK universities. Further details can be found on Birmingham International Academy web pages.

As far as I know, this is a unique case. I think you’ll agree that it’s exceptional in many ways, but historians often undertake micro-histories of cases like this in order to expose some of the more generally relevant conditions of the past.

Professor Karen Harvey

Support

You will have access to a comprehensive support system to help you make the transition to higher education when you start at Birmingham. 

Personal tutors – You will be assigned your own personal tutor who will get to know you as you progress through your studies. They will provide academic support and advice to enable you to make the most of your time here at Birmingham.

Wellbeing Officers –You will also have access to dedicated wellbeing officers who provide professional support, advice and guidance to students across a range of issues. They can meet with you to discuss extensions, disabilities, reasonable adjustments, extenuating circumstances, or to talk through any problems you might be experiencing, and help you access wider support on campus and beyond if you need it.

Our Academic Skills Centre helps you to become a more effective and independent learner through a range of high-quality support services. The centre offers workshops on a range of topics, such as note-taking, reading, academic writing and presentation skills.

The Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) provides guidance on writing essays and dissertations if you need it. You can receive individual support from an academic writing advisor and meet with postgraduate tutors who specialise in particular subjects too.

Our Student Experience Team will help you get the most out of your academic experience. They offer research opportunities, study skills support, and help you prepare for your post-university career. They also organise social events, including trips.

Teaching staff

Students at the University of Birmingham are taught by a mixture of professors, senior lecturers, lecturers and doctoral researchers, thereby receiving a rich diversity of academic knowledge and experience. Many of our teaching staff have published important works about their areas of expertise, whilst others have taught at international institutions and can offer unique perspectives of their subjects.

You can find out more about the members of staff (including their qualifications, publication history and specific areas of interest) in their academic profiles linked below.

 

Contact Hours

All Birmingham degrees are set within a credit framework designed to measure your academic achievements. We expect all students to accumulate 120 credits in each full year of study which is equivalent to 40 hours of learning a week. Learning is considered to include contact learning (lectures and seminars), private study, revision and assessment.

For this programme, those 40 hours are estimated to be broken down and split into lectures, seminars and other guided teaching opportunities and then independent study. This is a general rule across the entire academic year and may change week by week.

Year 1: 15% Lectures, seminars or similar 85% Independent study
Year 2: 13% Lectures, seminars or similar 87% Independent study
Year 3: 10% Lectures, seminars or similar 90% Independent study

Assessment Methods

Assessments - you will be assessed in a variety of ways to help you transition to a new style of learning. At the beginning of each module, you will be given information on how and when you will be assessed. Assessments methods will vary with each module and could include:

  • coursework, such as essays
  • group and individual presentations
  • and exams

Feedback - you will receive feedback on each assessment within three weeks, so you can learn from each assignment. You will also be given feedback on any exams that you take. If you should fail an exam, we will ensure that particularly detailed feedback is provided to help you prepare for future exams.

 

90% of our graduates in work or doing further study 15 months after the course (Discover Uni 2022).

As an Ancient and Medieval History student, you will have an excellent opportunity to develop skills that are attractive to employers, including:

  • Strong communication skills
  • A deep understanding of the past
  • The ability to research, analyse and interpret complex information
  • Leadership and teamwork
  • Handling complex information
  • The ability to form concise and articulate arguments
  • Managing your time and prioritising your workload

These are key skills that will enable you to pursue either further study in History disciplines or move into employment in a wide range of other careers. Our graduates have gone on to careers in: 

  • Accountancy
  • Charity work
  • Housing
  • Human Resources
  • International Development
  • Law
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Publishing
  • Politics
  • Retail Management
  • Teaching
  • Library and Archive work
  • Postgraduate study

Developing your career

The University of Birmingham is the top choice for the UK's major employers searching for graduate recruits, according to The Graduate Market 2024 report. Our Careers Network are here to offer you tailored, expert advice on your career plans and support you with finding and applying for jobs, internships and further study. There are hundreds of events to help you meet potential employers and learn more about the breadth of opportunities and career sectors available to you.

Support will be offered to you covering the whole job application process, including CVs, LinkedIn, application forms, interviews and assessment centres.  You can also email our experienced Careers Advisors and College Teams to review your applications or answer any careers related question, alongside our on campus and online 1:1 appointments.

We have a number of exclusive work experience programmes such as our B-Experienced programme, which will give you professional experience to set you apart in the graduate market. We also offer work experience bursaries, which allow you to apply for funding to support you during any unpaid internships in the UK and rest of the world.

First years can take part in The Birmingham Project, with themes including celebrating arts and culture and shaping a global society. There’s also a successful Mentoring Programme, where you can gain access to experienced Mentors who can empower, inspire and inform you about their experiences.  As a University of Birmingham student you will also be given access to LinkedIn Learning giving free access to real world training courses to kick-start your careers.

If you want to earn money WorkLink advertises convenient part-time job opportunities on campus to fit round your studies.  

Extra-curricular activities

To enhance your career prospects even further, you may want to engage in extra-curricular activities to broaden your skills and your network of contacts. The Birmingham Award is the University of Birmingham’s employability programme, supporting you to develop and recognise the attributes you gain through extra-curricular activities. The award is supported by graduate employers and offers you an opportunity to showcase participation in activities outside of your degree programme.’

There are 300+ student groups and volunteering opportunities offered by the Guild of Students (our Students’ Union) so you’re bound to find activities that you want to be involved in whilst meeting friends who share your interests.