If you’re interested in politics and history, you don’t have to substitute one for the other. Why not study both in a combined degree? You’ll find they complement each other in so many ways. What is modern politics anyway but a reflection of yesterday’s political decisions?
Politics and history at Brunel is a dynamic combination of high level study in both subjects. Your politics studies will help you address critical questions like: Who has political power? Why do they have it? And in whose interest do their exercise it? Meanwhile, your studies in history will take you back into the societies of the past in Britain, Europe and the wider world to help you understand contemporary issues all the more. Both subjects will help to demonstrate your intellectual acumen and understanding of world affairs, which will be an asset in so many fields of work.
Whether you’re studying modern Africa, imperialism or intelligence and security, you’ll not just learn about them – you’ll be analysing them using the tools of political science or craft of the historian to help deepen your understanding and critical thinking.
Opt for a placement year and you'll gain work experience that is highly valued by employers. Brunel students have secured placements in the Environmental Audit Committee, the House of Commons, Directorate of Gender Affairs, HM Treasury and the Competition Commission, to name only a few.
It’s a competitive world out there, so you’ll get plenty of support from your lecturers and the University’s Professional Development Centre to help prepare you for your placement year and the world of work.
Why not increase your career options with an accredited journalism course, a free modern language course, or a social media internship? You can even opt to study part of your degree abroad in one of our partner universities in Europe, or participate in an exchange programme to China or the USA.
It’s all available at Brunel to help you make a difference in the world – now and in the future.
Brunel politics and history graduates enter diverse careers. Many of our former students go into politics and the civil service and some are currently at GCHQ and military intelligence. Others work in the public and private sector like the NHS, international banks, business consultancy, law, NGOs and the media.
Enrollment Cycles
September 2024
Entry Requirements
UK entry requirements
GCE A-level BBB.
BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DDM.
BTEC Level 3 Diploma DM with an A-level at grade B.
BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma D with A-levels grade BC.
International Baccalaureate Diploma 30 points. GCSE English equivalent Standard Level 5 or Higher Level 4 and Mathematics Standard Level 4 or Higher Level 4
Obtain a minimum of 120 UCAS tariff points in the Access to HE Diploma .
A minimum of five GCSEs are required, including GCSE Mathematics grade C or grade 4 and GCSE English Language grade C or grade 4 or GCSE English Literature grade B or grade 5.
EU and International entry requirements
If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.
English language requirements
IELTS: 6.5 (min 5.5 in all areas)
Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
BrunELT: 63% (min 55% in all areas)
TOEFL: 92 (min R18, L17, S20, W17)
The course content is made up of a variety of subject area strands that can be studied across all three years of the programme. At every level, there are modules relating to each strand. After taking the compulsory modules in the first year, you can choose to study across a range of strands, or specialise in particular strands. Below is a list of the strands:
History (compulsory elements): This strand focuses on the history of Britain, Europe and the wider world. There will be a chance to explore the social, cultural and political dimensions to the formation and interaction of nations as well as important human phenomena such as exploration, migration and war. There will also be a chance to focus on what historians do and how they do it. You will look at debate, fake debate (e.g. Holocaust denial), controversy and primary sources and, in so doing, build up the skills for your dissertation.
History (elective elements): This strand builds on the strand above. You will be able to develop specialisms in the history of Africa and America or focus on diplomacy and war or study issues of race, gender and identity.
Politics (compulsory elements): This strand equips you with tools to understand contemporary politics at every level. It will focus on political thought as well the differences between diverse political systems (including Britain). You will also you develop the tools for sustained research in political science. This will include research design, qualitative methods, such as interview techniques, as well as quantitative analysis of, for example, polling data.
Politics (elective elements): This strand builds on the strand above. You will be able to study the policies and political systems of other countries, political behaviour and elections and issues of race, culture, identity and public policy.
This course can be studied 3 years full-time or 4 years full-time with placement, starting in September.
Year 1 Compulsory
PP1600 - Research Design and Qualitative methods in Politics
PP1601 - Modern Political Thought
PP1068 - Modern British Politics
PP1607 The Problem of the Past
PP1604 Europe in a Global Context
PX1605 - Migration and the Settler World, 1600-1914
Year 2 Compulsory
PP2600 - Comparative Political Institutions
PX2603 - Historians and their Craft
PP2611 - Explaining Politics: Quantitative Political Science in Practice
Optional
PP2006 - Democracy and Democratisation
PP2030 - US Foreign Policy from World War 2 to the end of the Cold War
PP2061 Issues in American Politics
PP2613 - National Security Intelligence
PP2614 - Ancient Greek Political Thought
PP2615 Unity and Cultural Diversity
PP2616 Cinema and Politics
PP2617 Social Welfare: Politics and Policy
PP2618 Political Behaviour in Britain
PX2604 - The First World War - Causes, Course, Consequences
PX2605 - Australia and The Modern World
PX2606 Themes in the History of Modern Africa
PX2607 The State and Revolution
PX2609 - History of the Women’s Movement in the West, c. 1790-1930
Year 3
Compulsory
PP3070 - Dissertation
Optional
PP3001 - Arab-Israeli Conflict
PP3003 - European Union Politics: Problems and Prospects
PP3013 Empire, Imperialism and Hegemony
PP3068 Media, Politics and Power in America
PP3101 Marx and Marxism
PP3604 - Public Policy Analysis
PP3605 Parliamentary Studies
PP3607 History of Political Philosophy
PP3608 Terrorism 1960-2016
PP3609 Advanced Applied Quantitative Methods
PP3613 Borders, Nations and Belonging
PP3614 Researching Contemporary Issues in British Politics
PP3612 Elections, Parties and Voters in the UK
PX2602 - Slavery and Abolition in the Atlantic World
PX3411 - The Second World War
PX3608 The British Maritime World, 1660-1815
PX3609 - Crisis and Critique
PX3611 Violence
PX3612 The Creation of the Western Alliance 1945-1955
