History Admissions 2016 17 #2

History Durham University

Welcome Durham is a unique and exciting place to study history, and our students and staff continue a long scholarly tradition. Our Department is located within a World Heritage Site, with the Cathedral and library collections dating back to the medieval period right on our doorstep. Indeed, Bede, the 8th century author of the first history of the English peoples, is buried in Durham Cathedral.

Our students immerse themselves in the distant and more recent past. We offer a programme that charts wars and revolutions, the upheavals of the Reformation and the Enlightenment, and the everyday social and cultural histories of ordinary people. Students explore the dynasties of China to Chairman Mao, the Tudor Court, propaganda in the Modern Age, the myths of Robin Hood, the politics of the First World War, the Viking Invasions, Cold War and the history of capitalism among many other fascinating subjects.

At Durham, you will be joining a community of historians - you are respected as an historian in your own right from your first day with us, and you will be working alongside world-leading experts.

You will be engaged in a dialogue on all aspects of the past, contributing you own opinions on the most pressing historical research problems. Our scholars are committed tutors, and it is for this reason that, in the National Student Survey, our students consistently place us one of the top performing teaching departments in the UK. An appreciation of complexity of the past is combined with the development of skills that make Durham history graduates among the most employable in the world. Our programme prepares our students for careers in law, advertising, the media, banking, teaching, Government, the diplomatic service, charities and NGOs, the Armed Forces, management consultancy and business and industry and much more.

We look forward to welcoming you to Durham and supporting you as you explore your own historical interests.

Professor Jo Fox - Head of Department

Our Staff We have over 40 full-time academic members of staff who deliver highly regarded research-led teaching. Amongst others, our staff include: Professor Justin Willis

Professor Justin Willis' work has been largely concerned with identity, authority and social change in eastern Africa over the last two hundred years and he has served as the Director of the British Institute in Eastern Africa, in Nairobi from 2006 to 2009.

Professor Jo Fox

Professor Jo Fox is a specialist in the history of propaganda in 20th Century Europe. She is the Honorary Communications Director of the Royal Historical Society and a member of the Council for the International Association for Media and History. Jo is also a National Teaching Fellow.

Dr Christian Liddy

Dr Christian Liddy, Senior Lecturer in the Department of History, was the academic creator behind the recent Magna Carta Exhibition at Palace Green Library, Durham, which featured the only surviving 1216 issue of the charter, on loan from Durham Cathedral.

Dr John-Henry Clay

Dr John-Henry Clay is the author of the popular historical fiction novels, The Lion and the Lamb and At the Ruin of the World.

Professor Ludmilla Jordanova

Professor Ludmilla Jordanova is a former trustee of the National Portrait Gallery; currently trustee of the Science Museum Group which includes the Science Museum and the National Railway Museum. Professor Jordanova is also the author of The Look of The Past, a highly regarded book exploring visual material evidence in historical practice.

Academic staff teaching

Research-Led Teaching means our students are Historians in the making.

Programmes

What are the benefits of research-led teaching?

V100 History

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Critical engagement with the most recent developments in the discipline;

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Sharing the scholarly enthusiasms and passions of members of staff;

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Develop students' own scholarly originality and intellectual curiosity;

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Understanding the ways in which historical knowledge is produced, debated and used;

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Developing historical knowledge through inquiry-based approach.

Code Description

V101 Ancient, Medieval & Modern History QV21 English Literature & History RV92 Modern Languages & History Entry requirements for these programmes can be found on the University's course database online.

Students can also read History as part of other degree programmes such as, Combined Honours in Social Sciences, Liberal Arts, and Education and History. For these programmes, applications are processed by departments other than history, i.e. Combined Honours department or the School of Education. For entry requirements and more details about one of these programmes, please contact the relevant department.

The Degree CHOICE

STRUCTURE

The history degree at Durham offers you a breadth of history to study across themes such as political, social, economic, gender, religious, medical, art and literature history. As well as themes, you can study history across continents, covering Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

There are no pre-requisites or co-requisites and even within the few compulsory modules we do have, there remains a lot of choice.

Level 1

You can also study what are known as 'elective modules' which are modules studied in another department, e.g. Economics or Politics among others. These do not have to be in a specific subject although they are dependent upon space on the elective module you wish to take. You can take up to two modules in your first year and another two modules over your second and third year (a total of 40 credits).

REPUTATION Top UK History Department (Complete University Guide, 2015) (The Times and Sunday Times, 2013 & 2014)

99% Student Satisfaction (National Student Survey, 2014)

86% of students go onto work and/or study within 6 months (Unistats Website, 2016)

Single honours students take six modules (20 credits each) in their first year, four of which must be in history. The other two can be taken as elective modules in another department or can also be taken in history. In first year, students take one Medieval, one Early Modern and two Modern modules. Joint honours students usually take up to three modules in history in first year and up to three modules in the 'lead' (other) department.

Level 2 In second year, single honours students usually take four single-modules (20 credits) in history and the compulsory double-module 'Conversations with History' (40 credits). However, over the second and third year students can take up to 40 credits in another department and so may wish to replace one of two of the single (20 credit) modules with an 'elective' module. Joint honours students usually take up to three modules in history in second year and up to three modules in their 'lead' department.

Level 3 Single honours students in third year complete a double-module dissertation (40 credits) and a triple-module Special Subject (60 credits). A single-module (20 credits) can be taken in history or in another department as an 'elective' (as long as only 20 credits have been taken in second year). Joint honours students usually take up to three modules (60 credits) in history and three modules (60 credits) in the 'lead' department.

Durham History Society Durham University History Society is one of the largest and most active societies at Durham University, with socials, trips, and talks held throughout the year.

Students from all disciplines can join so it is not limited to single or joint honours history students. The students that run the History Society organise for leading academics to attend talks for all students of the society to enjoy. Recent trips included a trip to Nottingham and Robin Hood's Bay with our very own academic, Dr Ben Dodds, who teaches a module on Robin Hood. The Society also hold lots of social events, from a medieval banquet at Christmas to a pub quiz at the Students' Union.

Palace Green Library Archives and Special Collections Located on the World Heritage Site close to Durham Cathedral, Palace Green Library offers a dedicated space where you can study our many rare and internationally renowned archives, manuscripts and early printed books. All of the collections will be available for you to explore throughout your time at Durham University to support your studies and research.

Palace Green Library exhibitions Following significant investment, new Heritage Collections galleries have opened at Palace Green Library, showcasing treasures from the University’s collections. Bishop Cosin’s 17th-century library at Palace Green has also undergone conservation and is open to all gallery visitors. Entrance to the Palace Green galleries is free for all Durham University students.

Palace Green Library (right)

'Magna Carta and the Changing Face of Revolt' was an exhibition held in the Palace Green Archive in 2015 and featured the only surviving 1216 issue of the charter.

Sample Modules These are some of the first-year modules that were running in 2015-16. There is no guarantee that they will be taught in future academic years:

Birth of Western Society The aftermath of the Roman Empire, the movements of barbarian peoples such as the Goths, Vandals, Franks, and Huns, the emergence of the kingdoms and proto-states of Europe, the impact of the Vikings on western Europe, the development of kingship and aristocratic warrior society, the rituals and machinery of government in societies, the conversion of Europe to Christianity, the growth of towns and the life of the peasantry who worked the land, and the cultural basis of barbarian Europe.

Society and Culture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties Scholars of late imperial and early modern China have debated the continuity and divergences between the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) institutions. How did the Qing expand to cover the vast space that we now know as China. What were the differing viewpoints of emperors, Jesuits at court, officials, scholars, as well as people in their everyday lives and how do these shape our understanding of the rich variety of evidence that survives.

Early Modern England The period c.1500-1700 saw massive and profound economic transformations from which England emerged as a leading commercial power, closely tied into a system of global

production, exchange and exploitation. These changes drove major social changes: the development of wealthy farming elite and the establishment of an 'underclass' of poor, marginal, rootless wage labourers. What was the inner world of emotion, perception, intellect and experience of early modern people?

Making of Modern Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented regions in the modern world, its recent history often characterised as a catalogue of man-made and natural disaster, conflict, disorder and abject human misery. This module traces these dramatic changes from the partition of the continent and the imposition of colonial rule, through the colonial experience and decolonization, to the present day problems of political instability and economic underdevelopment.

Modern Times What made Europe and European societies 'modern'? What were the hallmarks of this age of high modernity? How did Europeans imagine their position in the wider world? To answer these questions, this module will focus on the century compromising roughly the years 1860 to 1960, the pivotal epoch for shaping and 'right-sizing' European societies, culture, and identities. It explores democracy, liberalism and individualism; imperialisation, globalization, and Americanization; propaganda, communications and public opinion; citizens, criminals and barbarians; memory; sport and leisure.

Palace Green Library (Above)

Admissions

Making the best of your application Competition to read History, or joint-honours History, at Durham University is very competitive as the Department receives a high number of applications each year. We consider applications holistically, including achieved results, predicted grades, reference, personal statement, and no one criterion (such as achieved or predicted results) results automatically in an offer. Therefore, as an applicant, it is very important to pay close attention to the advice the Department of History offers to applicants and to get in touch for further information if required.

Personal Statement Advice These are some of the things you could consider doing: l

Demonstrate your enthusiasm for a wide range of history by discussing both what you have encountered as part of your curriculum and outside it.

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Demonstrate your critical and reflective abilities: comment critically and reflect on books you have read, places you have visited. For instance, why did you find one historian's argument more convincing than another's? Why and how does visiting a historical site enhance your understanding?

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Demonstrate a critical ability to the sources you have encountered in your studies and outside.

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Discuss critically any research projects you have been involved in, whether it was for a formal qualification (such as the Extended Project Qualification) or informally.

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If you have had the chance to undertake historyrelated work - such as in an archive or museum tell us and reflect critically on it, for instance about what you learned about how the museum engaged with the general public.

What Do We Look For? We are looking for applicants: l

Who demonstrate academic and intellectual potential as well as achieved merit

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Who demonstrate strong critical and reflective skills

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Who are enthusiastic about a wide range of different historical periods, subjects and issues as our programme is a broad one

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Whose specialist historical interests, if they have any, are reflected in the research and teaching interests of existing staff

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Are prepared to read widely and deeply, often of complex material

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Are ready and willing to form their own arguments and opinions and debate them with others

Staff & Students (left)

For more information, please visit the Department of History web page www.dur.ac.uk/history/ undergraduate/admissions/application

Admissions Continued...

Merit & Potential Offer

Fees & Funding

In some exceptional circumstances, the department is able to use their discretion and make a 'merit and potential offer' to applicants who demonstrate outstanding academic merit (usually in their personal statement) but whose predicted or achieved grades are one grade below (i.e. AAA, or equivalent for V100, V101, QV21 and AAB, or equivalent for RV92).

The University offer some scholarships for incoming students. These include, but are not limited to:

Please note these offers are only made to students who, in addition to demonstrating exceptional merit, fall into at least of of the following categories: school at or below the national average for GCSE results, low socioeconomic status, time in care. Applicants who meet the standard entry requirements but also fall into one of these categories will also be considered. There is no separate application procedure for the merit and potential offer; all qualifying applications through UCAS are considered by the admissions selectors.

Substitute Personal Statement Durham University offers the opportunity for applicants to write a substitute personal statement that would be considered instead of the standard UCAS statement. This option is available to applicants who are applying to more than one type of academic programme, i.e. an applicant applying to Durham for History but applying for History and Politics at another institution.

Therefore the substitute personal statement can be tailored toward History for the programme at Durham. For details about the format the statement should take and the requirements of the statement, please go to www.dur.ac.uk/ undergraduate/study/apply/ucas/ personalstatement/substitute

Durham Grant Scheme: an automatic grant of £2000 per year for students who do not already have an undergraduate degree and whose household income in assessed by Student Finance England (or equivalents) as less than £25,000pa. More information can be found at www.durham.ac.uk/undergraduate/study/finance/ scholarships/dgs Robert Young Scholarship: provided through a generous donation from Councillor Robert Young.

A scholarship of up to £30,000 for fees and maintenance for students who have been educated at a state-maintained school, college or other secondary establishment in County Durham and who can demonstrate financial need.

Successful applicants must reside in one of the University's sixteen residential colleges. More information can be found at www.durham.ac.uk/ undergraduate/finance/ugscholarships/robertyoung St Nicholas Scholarship: provided by St Nicholas's Educational Trust. £2,500 per year for applicants who, at the time of the application to UCAS, live in one of the twenty-six administrative wards of Newcastle City Council. More information can be found at www.durham.ac.uk/ undergraduate/finance/ugscholarships/stnicholas For further details on fees, funding, grants and scholarships administered by the University, list of external scholarships, and links to databases to search for funding, please go to www.durham.ac. uk/undergraduate/study/finance

FAQs

Application Stage Does the Department have a preference for ALevel subjects?

We welcome all combinations with History, except General Studies and Critical Thinking.

Does the A* in your entry requirements have to be in History A-Level?

No, we do not require the A* to be in History. This can be in any of the accepted A-Levels (please see above).

Will the Department accept my A-Level in a language if I am a native speaker?

Can I apply for deferred entry?

We do consider applications for deferred entry, in exceptional circumstances or where a strong case can be made that the applicants firm plans will benefit their degree. However, we prefer applicants to apply in the year they intend to study.

Will I be disadvantaged if I apply to Oxbridge?

No, we give all applications equal consideration.

If my application is unsuccessful, is there a chance it could be reconsidered?

We accept language A-levels from all applicants, regardless of background or whether they might be a native speaker.

Unfortunately, we are unable to reconsider applications in the same admissions cycle for the same programme. You are welcome to reapply the following year. However, there is no guarantee that you would be made an offer.

Does the Department accept the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification)?

Does it harm my application if I have previously applied and been unsuccessful?

We welcome applications from those taking the EPQ alongside their A-Level subjects, although we do not include this qualification in our offers.

It is not obvious to us when an applicant has applied previously so a first unsuccessful application would have no bearing on our decision.

Does the Department interview or accept writing samples?

No, we do not interview applicants, except sometimes in the cases of mature students to whom we are considering making an offer.

When does the Department make its decisions?

The department endeavours to make all our offers as quickly as possible, but we will not make all our offers until we have received all on-time applications.

If I am unsuccessful, is there any chance to still study History at Durham?

If an applicant is unsuccessful, there may be opportunity to refer to another course that has spaces remaining. However, you should note that if you choose to refer to another course you will not be able to transfer into History at a later stage. Depending upon the Department and space on modules, students on another course may or may not be able to take an elective module in History. Applicants will be sent information about referrals if they are unsuccessful.

FAQs Continued...

Post-Offer Stage If I have received an offer for another programme, can I transfer to History?

It is very unlikely that a request to transfer to History would be granted if an applicant has already received their offer from another programme or after the UCAS deadline, whichever comes first. This is because we have usually made all our offers.

Can I defer after I have an offer?

This is highly unlikely, unless the reasons for deferring are serious, unforeseen or exceptional circumstances. We do receive a high number of requests from applicants who have secured placements, internships or plan to travel. Unfortunately, it is unlikely we will grant requests for these reasons as we have to be very careful as to how many places we give away for the following year.

What happens if I don’t meet my offer conditions?

When results are released we sometimes see offerholders achieve what we call a ‘near-miss’ which is usually AAA instead of A*AA in A-Levels. These offerholders are considered on results day and, dependent upon student spaces, are sometimes still offered a place.

Please note, this is not always the case and for more information the Department should be contacted at the point at which offer-holders receive their results. If an offer-holder misses their offer by more than one grade, unfortunately, we are usually unable to accept them.

If I have received an offer, when should I expect to be able to choose my modules?

Once all results have been released (usually after ALevels results day in August) we can start to send out information to confirmed offer-holders about the modules available next year. We usually send out welcome packs and the module options form around the end of August or beginning of September.

Is there a reading list for the summer period before the commencement of the course?

No, we do not provide any specific reading lists although it is a good idea to continue reading books of interest over the summer period.

Course Queries How many contact hours do History students have each week?

The amount of contact hours students have varies each week depending on the modules taken, the timetable and the year that students are in. For example, in first year, students have approximately 8 hours a week contact time. In addition to formal seminars and lectures, there may be opportunities to attend additional open-seminars organised by module tutors with guest speakers or organised by other Departments. Academic staff are available during their feedback and advice hours or by appointment.

Can I study modules in another department?

Yes, these are known as ‘elective modules’. History students can take two modules in another department in their first year and two modules over second and third year (i.e. one in second and one in third or two in second and none in third). There are sometimes restrictions depending upon the Department you wish to take modules in as they may have ‘pre-requisites’ (i.e. to do a module in History you have to have History A-Level or equivalent) and depending upon space available on modules.

Are there any compulsory modules?

There are a couple of compulsory modules in History but these modules have many different ‘strands’ (topics) that students can study so even within a compulsory module, students are offered a breadth of choice.

Student Experience “I have enjoyed studying societies from all round the world and across human history, engaging with areas of history that I had never before had the opportunity to look at. I examined history from creative and abstract angles and I read works by literary, anthropological, political and sociological scholars, which was not only new and interesting, but also allowed me to gain an insight into how historical research can interact in dynamic ways with other academic disciplines.

I found staff to be attentive and helpful, and I consider it a privilege to have been able to work with academics who are experts and leaders in their fields of research.�

Luke Elton History BA(Hons), 2015

Graduate Experience "I work for Clifford Chance, one of the 'magic circle' law firms. The transferable skills from a Durham history degree to a career in corporate law are very clear as I review a range of materials and draft arguments on a daily basis, but it is probably the history department's teaching environment that has influenced my life after Durham the most. Presenting work to the tutors, who are often the foremost experts in their field,

certainly built my confidence and encouraged me to draw my own conclusions no matter how knowledgeable the recipient of your work is.

Working with interesting and successful people helps you to work out your own combination of work/life elements and the opportunity to work amongst a high calibre of students is not to be underestimated either - it certainly motivates you to plough through the reading list! The seminars and 'special subject' modules definitely helped me adjust to being challenged intellectually and they also taught me a thing or two about how the best solutions and discussions can be encouraged.

One year into my job, I am still trying to implement all the good practices I learnt at Durham. I have had some success so far as I was sent on a short client secondment and, more recently, I was sent to Clifford Chance's Dubai office for six months. New challenges are ahead of me as I continue to learn how to deal with very long hours and increasingly high pressured situations whilst also chasing the work/life balance, but I know that my time spent with the history department has given me a good set of skills which I can use to move forward. I am very grateful for the tutors' support and guidance during my three very happy years in Durham."

Tabitha Ward History BA (Hons), 2013

Careers Centre (Above)

Careers Information A degree in History from Durham University provides graduates with the skills that employers desire, such as researching, evaluating, organising and presenting material; clarity and correctness of expression; discrimination and judgement; self-discipline and capacity for extended independent work; appreciation of the validity of the views of others and imaginative insight.

Durham University History graduates progress into an incredibly diverse range of careers and employment sectors. The public, private and notfor-profit sectors are all strongly represented with graduates entering professions such as law, armed forces, banking, teaching, marketing, advertising, PR, accountancy, HR, consultancy, press officer, parliamentary research and archiving to name but a few. Examples of high profile recent employers include Deloitte, European Union, JP Morgan, Slaughter & May, Watson Wyatt, Weber Shandwick, Marks & Spencer, Centrica, Royal Marines, Churchill Archives Centre.

pursue professional postgraduate programmes in law, finance, teaching and curating etc. As one of the outstanding history departments in the UK, we are delighted that many of our undergraduates choose to continue to study here for Masters degrees or PhDs. We have an excellent reputation as a centre for training historians at higher levels.

The skills that higher degrees can bring are valued very highly by a wide range of employers a PhD can be a passport to a high-ranking job in the civil service, for example, as well as teaching in higher education.

Overall destination figures have again risen this year, with 89% of 2014-15 History graduates securing employment and/or going on to further study within six months of graduating. This is level with the University average of 89%.

(Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survery 2014-15) 83% of graduates were in a professional or managerial job role six months after finishing the course.

(Unistats website, June 2016)

A significant number of our students also progress onto higher level study following their degree in History. Some remain within their academic field of interest and pursue a Masters, notably at Durham, but also other prestigious institutions. Others take a different route and

Employer Profile Joe Walton, Managing Director - UK Technology Pratice for PR firm Weber Shandwick, studied History at Durham University from 2003 to 2006.

“Public relations (PR) is a career that perfectly suits the skillsets of a history graduate. Our business is about both protecting the reputation of organisations - in our case, companies like Microsoft, ExxonMobil, British Gas and HSBC - as well as helping them to engage the audiences that matter to them, including customers, potential customers, shareholders, employees, the media and the City. The role of a PR professional is to manage the relationship between the company and these different groups whether that’s through relationships with journalists at print, radio and broadcast media, creating stunts and experiential events or managing their ‘voice’ on newer social media properties like Facebook or Snapchat.”

“A lot of the skills you are learning now are invaluable in a PR agency. As historians, we pride

Joe Walton (Above): Employer

ourselves on the ability to analyse large quantities of information, use it to formulate cogent arguments and then create essays that drive home our key message. That’s exactly what we do every day for the brands we work for. Equally the skill of writing clearly, precisely and convincingly is crucial when you are helping a company prepare important remarks about a complex issue for a press conference or in a media statement. I’ve spent whole days working up just a two line statement because so many people needed to review it, analyse it and argue about it.”

"When I left Durham in 2006, I’d never even heard of PR. I left thinking I wanted to join one of the 'magic circle' law firms, management consultancies or accountancy firms that give out free smoothies on Elvet Bridge. I am so pleased I charted my own path into PR. Unlike some of my friends in other professional services organisations who are frustrated by the bureaucracy and hierarchy, I moved up the ranks of our flatstructured firm quickly, rising to MD of our technology division aged 30. Along the way I have met celebrities, advised CEOs, managed huge reputational crises and led multi-million dollar pitches. I have spent lots of time travelling to and from the US and on the Continent. It has been a rollercoaster ride of a journey so far."

"The wonderful Jo Fox introduced me to an undergraduate last year called Daniel Silver who spent two weeks working alongside us in our offices in Holborn, London. He enjoyed it so much he applied to our graduate scheme in January, and - I am delighted to say - will be joining my technology practice on 1st August this year. My message to anyone reading this brochure is that although it is tough at the bottom, with hard work and determination PR can be one of the most rewarding, fulfilling and well-paid careers out there. Don’t get brain-washed by giveaways at the Careers Fair, go and find out more about PR firms like Weber Shandwick. I am more than happy to be approached on LinkedIn if you would like to hear more."

Contact us Department of History Admissions Coordinator - Miss Kelly Groundwater 43 North Bailey Durham City DH1 3EX T 44 (0)191 3341040 E admissions.history@durham.ac.uk www.durham.ac.uk/history

Durham University and Durham University logo are registered Trade Marks of the University of Durham. Unless otherwise stated, all material in this publication is copyright of the University of Durham. The University makes every effort to ensure that the information contained here is accurate. This publication is intended as a general guide to University of Durham's facilities and form no part of any contract between you and the University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the permission of the University. Note the University’s website www.durham.ac.uk is the most up to date source of information and we strongly recommend that you always visit the website before making any commitments.

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