History - U6UHISTY

How can the arts help us think about health and cope with illness?  What can the arts contribute to healthcare practice and policy?

You will explore big questions like these, looking at how the arts can engage with the crucial issues in health today and build a better vision of health for the future.

We will cover major themes including:

• Representing health - look critically at representations of good and poor health, found in politics, religion, art, film, literature, and philosophy.
• Mental health - explore what mental health is, and how it differs from physical health. You’ll look critically at themes such as the marketisation of mental health, the history of mental health institutions, and the ethics of psychiatry.
• Communicating health - how health is communicated in personal, public, and professional settings. We’ll explore questions such as why it is so important that patient voices are heard in communicating about health.
• Health inequalities - look critically at striking inequalities in health, including patterns of gender, race, class, sexuality and economic differences in health and access to healthcare.

From treatment, information, care, and outreach, understanding the health humanities provides career opportunities for the next century.

This module is worth 10 credits.

We live in a data-driven society. Information is used for everything from predicting our shopping habits, to understanding global weather patterns, and has radically changed our world.

From the development of Artificial Intelligence to robotics and the use of ‘big data’, the capture and use of information is essential in modern society. To make sure these developments help solve problems, and are not used for harm, we need the arts and humanities to set boundaries and ask questions.

You will:

• Explore topics such as privacy, surveillance, power and representation
• Learn how modern technology can replicate historical biases and ignore contemporary struggles
• Gain the background and context to contemporary issues on data and society
• Question the limits we place on technology in our world
• Explore how the arts and humanities shape, direct and protect against the way data is used

This module is worth 10 credits.

The digitisation of records and texts has revolutionised academic study. The ability to efficiently and confidently use data is a valuable skill for both your course and future career.

On this module, you will:

• Learn the basics of data and ‘text mining’ (using search terms to explore large amounts of information)
• Develop your skills and apply them to case studies
• See how your work can highlight issues and solve problems
• Understand how data analysis allows us to create narratives that inspire and drive change

We will use examples and case studies from across the faculty, where data and text analysis have been used by arts and humanities researchers within their work.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Learn the basics of creating and editing audio and visual material.

From podcasting, photo editing, photography, video editing and sound editing, you can work on how your digital skills can be used to communicate and inspire.

You will be guided through a series of tutorials and examples where you can develop your skills and produce your own content.

This work will be developed through examples and case studies from across the faculty, where audio and visual materials have been used by researchers within their work.

Examples include:

• Virtual reality renditions of historical photographs
•  Immersive museum experiences
• Audio installations to share stories about migration and sustainability
• Interactive events to inspire young people about languages and cultures past and present

This module is worth 10 credits.

Epidemics and infectious illnesses have shaped our world. Most recently, the Coronavirus pandemic dramatically changed the way we work and socialise, with lasting effect.

We will explore the past and present of infectious disease, including how cultures, religions, literature and art have been shaped by the interaction between humans and disease.

You will learn about:

• The variety of human responses to sickness
• How ideas about illness are expressed across the world
• Drug resistant bacteria and mutations of viruses
• How the arts help societies to process the impact of disease - it is often through music, literature, philosophy and media that suffering is expressed and issues raised

This module is worth 10 credits.

Our digital revolution has been led by the arts and humanities.

From mobile apps to learn languages, to video tutorials on how to play an instrument, the use of digital platforms has transformed our disciplines.

In an age defined by ecological issues, technological change and political upheaval across the world, it is the arts and humanities which provide vital links between the past, present and future. It is now more important than ever that we connect communities, challenge structures of power and address inequality.

You will examine how the digital arts changed the world, using examples from a range of mediums from across the globe. This could be a community walking app, that has brought hidden histories to light, a crowd-sourced projects that have given a platform to new voices, or social media forums that link music, philosophy and literature to contemporary debates.

This module is worth 10 credits.

We are in a state of climate emergency. Sustainability and climate change is on both political and personal agendas like never before.

On this module, you will:

• Examine the idea of ‘sustainability’ - looking at the social, cultural, political, economic and environmental challenges that sustainability aims to address
• Link issues of climate change, and our responses to them, to shifting ideas about nature and its distinctness from culture, the scientific and industrial revolutions, and the emergence of the Western world
• Examine Western culture’s way of defining the ‘environment’ and our relationship with nature
• Look at the diverse ways in which different cultures imagine nature

The arts and humanities do not offer quick fixes to our problems, but ways of thinking that can change the world. We do this through understanding context, process and change.

We show how the arts and humanities sheds light on the history of the present and directs us towards the future.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Explore how the arts and humanities contribute to sustainability.

From stories, to images and representation, the ways we understand the world also shape how we understand sustainability.

With a focus on globalisation, and the accelerating pace of climate change in the 20^th and 21^st centuries, we will think about the problems raised by the climate crisis. 

You will:

• Learn about debates around the Anthropocene, the era of humanity’s marked impact on the environment
• Examine the controversies and disputes that have emerged about our relationship with nature
• Explore how we can tell stories about climate change – for example through the literature and music of marginalised groups across the world, who feel the impact of climate change first

By considering how everyday life choices are linked to the environment, the module offers an imaginative way to explore the challenges of sustainable living.  You will gain the tools to challenge opinion and identify how local ideas can offer a solution to global problems.

This module is worth 10 credits.

From filters to fake news, we are exposed to a huge amount of information in our day-to-day lives.

Whether through advertising, promotion, policies or the media, the (mis)information we are exposed to is intended to influence us, change our minds, or maybe even censor and withhold information about important issues.

To challenge this, we need to think critically about data. This module will give you the skills to do just that.

You’ll gain the critical skills to observe, question, and act when the facts do not support what’s being represented. We will also introduce approaches you can use to question visual, textual, quantitative and qualitative information. This could include:

• Causality
• Statistics
• Bias
• Content analysis
• Language

Critical analysis is an important skill, not only so we can preserve our freedoms and protect from harm caused by misinformation, but in the workplace too. The ability to make judgements that are based on logic is a key transferable skill.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Writing inspires change. From the academic textbook that demonstrates a new concept, to a blog post that influences habits, writing can change the world.

On this module, you will learn to think critically about yourself and society, through reflecting on how you write.

Writing lets us occupy different spaces and identities. You can write to develop your sense of self, to enlighten others, or to build connections. Writing skills are more than just how to write an academic essay. Writing can give you an insight into who you are, your values and future direction.

During your studies, you will use writing to develop analytical approaches which can enhance your work and prepare you for your future career. Focusing on the diversity of experiences and backgrounds, interests and motivations, we show how meaningful writing can lead, inspire and transform. 

This module is worth 10 credits.

The module offers an overview of the history of witchcraft and covers a wide geographical area spreading from Scotland to the Italian peninsula and from Spain to Russia. Such breadth of reference is of vital importance because, in contrast to the uniform theology-based approach to witch persecution in Western and Central Europe, the world of Eastern Orthodox Christianity represented a very different system of beliefs that challenged western perceptions of witchcraft as a gendered crime and lacked their preoccupation with the diabolical aspect of sorcery. The module’s geographical breadth is complemented by thematic depth across a range of primary sources and case studies exploring the issues of religion, politics, and social structure.

The module mixes intellectual, cultural and social history to produce an overview of cultural trends in Britain between c. 1830 and 1901. Key themes include:

• The Victorians, An Overview
• Religion: Sin and Redemption
• Poverty
• Cities
• Sanitation
• Sexuality
• Consumerism and the Mass Market
• Entertainment
• Evolution

In 600, the Middle East was divided between two historic empires, Rome and Persia. By 700, however, this longstanding political order had been overthrown by the armies of the new Islamic caliphate. The Islamic conquests had profound and transformative consequences for Middle Eastern society (and beyond).

In this module, you will examine the remarkable speed and success of the conquests, and consider the conquerors’ approaches to managing their vast new territories. Following recent trends in historical research, it will also examine how the non-Muslim majority of the Middle East, including Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians, viewed their new rulers and adjusted to their new situation.

The module will reflect the diversity of the caliphate, drawing upon sources (in English translation) written in languages including Arabic, Greek, Syriac, Pahlavi, and Armenian, in genres ranging from scholarly Islamic histories to Christian and Jewish apocalyptic accounts.

You’ll also focus on the impressive material culture of the period, including monumental architecture such as the Dome of the Rock and the Umayyad Desert Palaces, as well as coinage and inscriptions. It will tackle big questions about cultural interaction, religious belief and belonging, conversion and community formation, and ask what had really changed between 600 and 800?

This module provides a history of Jewish life in continental Europe and Mandatory Palestine from the genesis of Zionism to the establishment of the state of Israel.

It focuses on perceptions and receptions of Judaism within modern Jewish culture. The module illustrates the intersection of modern Jewish history with the religious culture and thought of Judaism in the late nineteenth and early to mid-twentieth centuries.

We’ll explore Central-, German-speaking Europe and follow the German-speaking Jewish peoples, many of whom emigrated to mandatory Palestine. The module sets out to explain how the contexts of fin de siècle and interwar Central-Europe shaped the history of both diasporic and Israeli Jewish peoples.

Furthermore, through its focus on Jewish religious culture, the module instils an understanding of how historical context influences interpretations of sacred texts. Conversely, it also explicates how forms of religious traditions and belongings impact secular politics and culture.

Finally, the module informs the students as to how Jewish history fits into the broader tapestry of modern global history. We’ll explore this using cultural, social and intellectual history across a range of topics related to modern Jewish history through the lens of religious culture, such as: Zionism; Antisemitism; the German-Jewish artistic and intellectual renaissance of the Weimar and Austrian Republics. It also provides an insight into the history of the Holocaust and its impact.

This module examines the myths and legends of the ‘British’ Isles as written about by twentieth-century authors such as JRR Tolkien in Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, and the Silmarillion, and by CS Lewis in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe Series.

You will explore the historiography of British myth-making and whether Tolkien and Lewis were retelling, reinventing or fabricating British mythology. Students will also be invited to explore the foundation of British myths known colloquially within the term ‘The Matter of Britain.’

The module will begin with defining the difference between myths, legends and history and explore issues of chivalry, nobility and ethnicity in Arthurian legends. Students will be encouraged to decolonise these myths, re-interpreting whether they are fantasies, or an exoticisation of something else, such as ethnic groups and gendered politics.

Later parts of this module will explore the myth-making and rituals detailed in the extensive works of antiquarian writers.

This module introduces the history of the British imperial expansion in India from the mid eighteenth century, through to the Rebellion in 1857. It covers:

• the rise of trade relations with India
• the growth of territorial rule through war and negotiation with Indian rulers
• resistance to imperial rule through mutiny
• the debate over sati (widow immolation)

This module covers two-and-a-half centuries in Japan during the early modern era when the land was governed by a dynasty of Tokugawa shogun rulers. Often characterized as a period of relative stability, it was also a time of profound social, cultural and intellectual change. Lectures and seminars address some of the historical forces that would combine to transform society and lay the foundations for Japan’s subsequent encounters with modernity. Key themes include: the premises of Tokugawa rule, control mechanisms and relations with daimyo lords; the self-imposed policy of seclusion, trade and external relations; transport networks, class mobility and urbanization; the emergence of ‘the Floating World’ and the growth of popular culture; natural disasters, famine and economic crises; the responses of competing schools of thought drawing on Japanese, Chinese and European texts to address problems within Japanese society; the ‘Opening of Japan’ and the collapse of the Tokugawa World.

Discover the environmental history of the Western World over the past two centuries. The great nature-people stories that have shaped who we are today.

You will examine the history of environmental ideas and our changing and complex attitudes to animals and nature, alongside the history of human impacts on the environment. We will use the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain as case studies. Ultimately, we ask, can environmental history save the world in the 21st century?

Topics include:

• species history and the rewilding debate
• the rise of environmental protection groups
• the role of the state in environmental protection
• the history of pollution and pesticide use
• the National Park movement
• the Nature Reserve and the rise of outdoor leisure and recreation
• the emergence of modern environmentalism and campaigning
• the role of wildlife television and natural history film-making

This module is a must for anyone wanting to pursue a career in the environmental sector.

This module is worth 20 credits

Examine the rise of fascist movements in interwar Europe, following the First World War.

We focus in particular on the cases of Italy and Germany and also look at other cases for comparison (i.e. Spain, Britain, France, and Romania). This in order to understand why certain movements were more popular than others and able to seize power.

We will examine:

• the nature of fascist ideology
• the use of violence
• fascism and masculinity and femininity

We will also analyse the practice of the Fascist and National Socialist governments in power, comparing these with particular reference to repression and attempts to build ‘consent’, gendered policies on ‘race’, and expansion through conquest.

The module ends by considering the Axis and genocide during the Second World War.

This module is worth 20 credits.

This module examines political, social and economic transformations in the Soviet Union from the October Revolution of 1917 to Gorbachev’s attempted reforms and the collapse of the state in 1991. You will look at Russia both from the top down (state-building strategies; leadership and regime change; economic and social policy formulation and implementation) and from the bottom up (societal developments and the changing structures and practices of everyday life). You will usually spend three hours in lectures and seminars each week.

This module surveys and analyses social change in Britain during and after the Second World War, up to the end of the Attlee’s Labour government in 1951. Key issues include:

• changing gender roles and expectations
• the experience and impact of rationing, bombing, conscription, voluntary service and direction by central government
• historiographical debates about whether Britain was united against a common enemy
• propaganda, mass communication and the management of information
• planning for a post-war world, including the creation of the National Health Service and the reform of the education system
• post-war reconstruction of cities
• reactions to the Holocaust, atomic weaponry, returning service personnel, returning Prisoners of War
• post-war austerity
• representations of the period and the construction of memory

This module explores the causes of political and religious instability in England in the century before the Civil War, with a particular focus on the problematic creation of a national identity. We begin by looking at the troubled political and religious legacy inherited by Queen Elizabeth. We then examine some of the forces that united and divided English men and women during the period:

• How did monarchs and local elites seek to justify their authority in this period?
• To what extent were ideas of hierarchy and obedience queried or accepted?
• What impact did such ideas have on daily life?

Areas for consideration include:

• government ideology
• popular beliefs and literacy
• the persecution and toleration of religious minorities
• the politics of the parish
• attitudes towards birth, marriage and death.

How do science fiction and speculative narratives reshape our understanding of Black history?

This module explores the dynamic intersection of history and imagination by examining how prominent Black historical events and figures are reinterpreted in 20th and 21st-century Afro and Black science-fiction literature. From the haunting legacies of Atlantic Slavery and Colonisation to the enduring struggle for civil rights, we’ll dive into how these creative works provide alternative ways to engage with the Black past, filling the emotional and psychological gaps that traditional historical accounts often leave behind.

You’ll analyse how speculative fiction acts as a space for healing, empowerment, and reimagining the possibilities of the Black experience. Through interactive seminars and independent research, you'll develop a deeper understanding of how creative narratives challenge and enrich our historical perspective.

This module is worth 20 credits. 

This module explores the political, social, cultural and economic dynamics of colonial encounters, from the rise of the Spanish global empire around 1600 to the late 19th-century Scramble for Africa. 

Focusing on interactions between European imperial powers and societies in the Global South, it examines themes such as race, resistance, religion, governance and transoceanic exchanges across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean Worlds.

The module critically engages with non-Western perspectives as primary sources. You will analyse how colonised peoples navigated, contested and reshaped imperial systems, fostering a nuanced understanding of colonialism’s legacies. Ideal for those seeking to interrogate Eurocentric narratives, this module equips you with the tools to dissect power, agency and cultural hybridity in modern history.

The discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard forced historians to re-evaluate Early Medieval England and ask new questions about this crucial formative stage of history. The items discovered are almost exclusively connected to warfare, yet many show evidence of very high levels of craftsmanship, reflecting the fact that this period was one characterised by brutal and relentless fighting whilst at the same time maintaining an extraordinarily rich culture.

The history of this era of conversions, conflicts and cultural renaissances is documented primarily by Bede (c. 673-735), whose career at the monastery at Wearmouth and Jarrow culminated with the production of the first synthetic history of the English (the Ecclesiastical History of the English People). Bede’s writings are complemented by copious archaeological evidence, most famously through artefacts such as the Franks Casket and Sutton Hoo Helmet, monumental stone crosses at Ruthwell and Bewcastle, and fabulous manuscripts like the Lindisfarne, and Lichfield Gospels. Students will utilise these sources, plus a wide variety of other items of textual and non-textual evidence to explore the cultures of the early English kingdoms.

The first semester will focus on the era of conversion documented in the Ecclesiastical History, and the second will consist of a detailed analysis of Bede’s wider body of work. Finally, students will critically evaluate the terminology attached to this period and familiarise themselves with recent debates about the term ‘Anglo-Saxon’.

This module explores the social history of modern health, examining key themes such as disease, public health, medical knowledge and the evolution of medical practice.  

Through case studies, you will explore topics like nursing, mental health, psychoanalysis, pharmacy and medical consumerism, while considering the impacts of healthcare on marginalised groups.  

Covering the 19th and 20th centuries, you will delve into the development of health professions, the rise of psychiatry and psychology, and the shifting perceptions of illness, gaining insights into how healthcare has shaped and been shaped by society. 

This module explores the ideas that have shaped Britain’s recent history, examining both the political beliefs of leaders and the cultural representations by artists, novelists and filmmakers.  

Each week, you will analyse key events or artifacts within their social and political contexts, engaging in discussions about how identities and ideologies have evolved since the early 1990s. 

This module explores key themes in medieval history through the study of individual lives, from kings and warriors to peasants, saints and merchants. 

You will examine a diverse range of figures across different cultures and classes, using various sources such as biographies, literature and legal records.

The module challenges you to consider how we understand medieval life and what it reveals about values, desires and historical significance. Through lectures and student-led seminars, you will delve into the complexities of reconstructing lived experiences in the Middle Ages.

This module examines the crucial role of the Ukrainian Cossack state (1654-1764) in the formation of the Russian Empire. Focusing on the military alliance between Muscovy and the Cossacks, you will explore how the relationship shaped Russia’s westward imperial expansion. 

The module covers the rise of the Romanov dynasty, Ukraine’s transformation into a colony, the development of Russian imperial ideology, and the role of religious discourse in state-building. Through this study, you will gain insights into the intersection of political, cultural and religious forces in early modern empire-making.

This module explores everyday life in the Russian Empire from 1855 to 1917, focusing on how the Empire was governed and the experiences of its subjects. You will examine the state's management of religious, ethnic and national tensions, as well as the process of modernisation. 

Key themes include the development of social identities and the dynamic between rural and urban spaces during this transformative period leading up to the collapse of the autocracy.

The module explores the diversity of ways in which Jews and Christians interacted in middle Ages, seeking to offer alternative views to these of Jews as mere victims in a religious struggle or of economic envy. We will study the complex economic interconnections between the two groups, considering the new approaches to the role of Jewish moneylending and international trade and its connections with structures of power in both communities. The module will also investigate crucial ideas on anti- Semitism and anti-Judaism and will look into case studies of intolerance and conflict between Jews and Christians. Themes to study here are the massacres of Jews in the Rhineland during the First Crusade, the persecution of Jews during the Black Death and the construction of Blood libel and ritual murder accusations. The module will also examine the internal life of the Jewish communities of Western Europe looking at communal organisation and leadership. We will consider differences amongst Jewish communities in different locations of the medieval European landscape in their understanding of Jewish Law and tradition, as well as in their own patterns of interaction with the Christian political and religious authorities in different locations. At the same time, we will explore the common cultural and religious characteristics and the creation of extensive national and supranational Jewish networks. Finally, we will evaluate the historiography on the subject and the changing of perspectives on the history of the Jews in Europe, analysing the debates arisen amongst scholars with their own ideologies, methods and approaches.

This module is based around a challenge: how do we use the digital humanities?

You are presented with a series of problems about how we can use the arts and humanities to address some of the major issues we face in technology and society.

For example, the acceleration of technology in both private and public life is immense, but this rapid pace of change should not prevent reflection.

In this module, you consider the major contemporary issues of how technology shapes our present and our future. We respond to these concerns using the specific skillset of the arts and humanities, where we ask: what does it mean to be human?

This module is worth 10 credits.

Stand out in your job search with employability skills and hands-on experience.

Learn key skills, from constructing an outstanding CV to practicing interview technique, before completing a part-time placement in the spring. This will be for one day a week, or equivalent, for up to eight weeks.

You can apply for placements in relevant local organisations. The dedicated faculty placement team have an established list of providers, or you can arrange your own placement, subject to approval.

Our placements include a range of sectors, including:

• creative and cultural industries
• media
• marketing
• heritage and museums
• the music industry
• education
• charitable and third-sector organisations

These are subject to change each year.

You will develop a wide range of transferable skills, including:

• communication
• presentation
• organisation
• professionalism
• time management skills

Assessment is through an online portfolio of materials, including application materials, reflective writing and a research report.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Community engagement is important in many careers, from politics and social work to marketing and business.

We do not work in a vacuum - our research and activities are linked to individuals and groups across society. By learning to engage with communities, researchers can reach wide audiences, learn from them and collaboratively make a real contribution to overcoming social problems. 

We need to understand how engagement works in order to work collaboratively, respectfully and sustainability with communities.

In this module, we will:

• Explore how our staff and students work with communities – from supporting immigrant communities settling into Nottingham, to engaging with schools to promote literacy and career opportunities
• Discuss how activism and advocacy can become part of academic work
• Explore how community engagement is structured and organised and how we can ensure our work within the arts and humanities has relevance and impact for diverse audiences

This module will prepare you for your future career, by focusing on the key skill of the arts and humanities: our ability to support and engage with those around us.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Explore the histories and legacies of colonisation, alongside the routes to justice through decolonisation.

Using examples from across the globe, we explore the impact of colonisation on society, politics, economics, and culture.

You will consider contemporary examples and a wide range of evidence, sources and perspectives, including from:

• art
• film
• literature
• archive materials and documents
• music and performance

You will also explore the debates around reconciliation, restitution and justice.

Together we will build an interdisciplinary analysis, drawing upon the research of the whole faculty to uncover, assess and deconstruct the practices of colonialism and their implications for our contemporary world.  

This module is worth 10 credits.

Doing an arts and humanities degree means you’ll gain the skills which are essential for changing the world we live in. Not only that, you are uniquely positioned to understand people, processes and culture.

This module lets you apply that knowledge to solve a real-life problem. The aim is for you to develop your understanding of your degree, and the range of careers open to you.

You will work in an interdisciplinary team on a real project connected to impact, which we define as our ability to ‘make change happen’. These projects have been designed by individuals, groups and organisations that are looking to make a difference to our world. This might be about sustainability, business, equality, culture, politics or society.

Teams will be given a project brief. You will then be guided through how to shape a project, and how to work as a team and deliver results. This will give you the employment skills and experience to show how you can make an impact as an arts and humanities graduate.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Wellbeing, the crisis in mental health care, and clapping for NHS staff during the Covid pandemic are all examples of health humanities. On this module, you will be exploring contemporary challenges in this area.

To build a healthier society, enabling access to healthcare for all, we must consider how people act, behave and build connections.

You will look at:

• how the arts and humanities respond to major issues in health, medicine and wellbeing – i.e. exploring how individuals use art, literature and culture to understand pain and loss, or analysing human behaviour with regard to new medicines and our relationship to health sciences
• topics such as cultural representations of health, places of medical treatment, or the relationship between medicine and emotions

The major challenges in health provision and healthcare can be influenced and directed by the arts and humanities. This module shows you how this field can be a powerful tool for change.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Discover how our world is experienced through language.

We live in a global society, where different languages build our perceptions, ideas and values. In this module, we respect that difference and participate in it.

You will:

• Use multilingualism as a tool to challenge our own thinking and to comprehend the lives of others in society
• Work through etymologies and translations from a wide range of languages, including Russian, Spanish, French and German
• Learn how understanding languages - not just speaking and reading them - can be vital in contributing to our community, enriching your experience, and participating in a global society

No knowledge of any language is needed, as we focus on understanding what it means to live in our multi-lingual world.

This module is worth 10 credits.

Explore how Nottingham creates ideas, identities, culture and products, alongside how you as a student are also ‘Made in Nottingham’.

This module will help you begin shaping your skills for the career you want, drawing upon the way arts and humanities work has transformed the city.

From the entrepreneurs who have set up businesses or those who have created and enriched charities and social projects, to the writers, artists, musicians and teachers who have all been created in Nottingham. We use their experience, their understanding and their skills to help you define your own path for after university.

You will be able to build your profile through this module, develop your own career narrative to use in your future work as well as engage in the variety of opportunities that are open to you as an arts graduate.

Through this module, we’ll address what it means to be ‘Made in Nottingham’.

This module is worth 10 credits.

What happens when societies face moments that change everything?

This module dives into the transformative power of crises, revolutions, and ruptures in history. You'll explore:

• dramatic shifts that break ties with the past, from political upheavals and cultural transformations to economic collapses and public health emergencies

• the dual nature of these periods, where destruction is often paired with hope and new possibilities emerge 

• critical points in time when familiar hierarchies, customs, and beliefs are challenged, and entirely new futures become imaginable

Through analysing a variety of primary sources, you’ll uncover how both everyday people and elites experienced these turbulent times. You'll tackle big questions about change and continuity, identity and memory, and how history is made. Crisis, Revolution, and Rupture 1 can be taken on its own or alongside Part 2, each offering unique perspectives on upheaval.

This module is worth 20 credits.

How do moments of upheaval reshape the world?

In this module, you’ll dive into the intense periods of crisis, revolution, and rupture that have accelerated change throughout history. You’ll explore:

• the forces that cause societies to break from the past and envision new futures

• the paradoxes of crisis moments, where despair can give way to hope and reconstruction 

• how established orders, beliefs, and hierarchies crumble under pressure, making room for new possibilities

Using diverse primary sources and different historical approaches, you’ll analyse the impact of these transformative events on political, cultural, and social structures. You'll grapple with questions of change and continuity, identity and memory, and the long-term consequences of upheaval.

Crisis, Revolution, and Rupture 2 offers a unique perspective on these themes, distinct from Part 1, and can be taken on its own.

This module is worth 20 credits. 

Explore the impact and complexities of empires throughout history.

This module examines how empires have shaped human politics, culture, society, and economics. We will focus on:

• different forms and structures of empires across a range of geographical and chronological contexts

• the tension between empires and other forms of organisation like kingdoms and nation-states 

• the interplay between imperial power and various identities, from "imperial subjects" to the experiences of the enslaved

Using a variety of primary sources, you’ll analyse how empires have catalysed both collaboration and resistance, and how these dynamics have been interpreted by historians. This module will develop your skills in source analysis, critical thinking, and independent historical research.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Examine the complexities and impact of empires throughout history.

This module continues to explore the role of empires in shaping human politics, culture, society, and economics. We will focus on:

• the tension between empires and other forms of organisation, such as kingdoms and nation-states

• the diverse forms and structures empires have taken across different geographical and chronological contexts 

• the intricate relationships between imperial power, identity, authority, and resistance

Using a wide range of primary sources, you’ll investigate empires from a specific historical, geographical, or methodological perspective. The module will develop your ability to interpret and critically evaluate primary sources, relate them to historical debates, and think conceptually about the issues at hand. Although this module covers themes similar to Empires 1, it provides a fresh perspective and does not require prior completion of Part 1.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Module description to be confirmed.

Module description to be confirmed.

Ideas shape how societies understand the world and make decisions about their future. This module explores:

• how different societies develop and challenge their "ideological road maps"

• the origins of ideas, their rise and fall in influence, and their movement across time, space, languages, and cultures

• the relationship between ideas and concepts like identity and community 

Using a variety of sources, such as speeches, books, and images, you’ll learn to study ideas in their historical context. You’ll think critically about how these ideas are created, contested, and reinterpreted. Although Ideas and Ideologies 1 shares themes with Part 2, it offers a unique perspective and does not need to be taken alongside Part 2.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Ideas function like road maps, guiding societies on where they are and where they might go. This module examines:

• how different societies create and reshape their "ideological road maps" over time

• the origins and evolution of ideas, their influence, and how they move across different historical and cultural contexts

• the interplay between ideas and concepts such as identity and community 

We will explore how these ideas are contested, mediated, and reinterpreted using a variety of sources like speeches, books, and images. This approach will help you think critically about the ideologies shaping the past and present. Ideas and Ideologies 2 covers themes similar to Part 1 but from a distinct historical, geographical, and methodological perspective, and does not need to be taken with Part 1.

This module is worth 20 credits.

How has warfare shaped the world we live in today?

This module dives into the complex history of conflict, exploring:

• the causes, consequences, and lasting memories of wars through different lenses: military, political, social, cultural, and imperial

• how factors like age, gender, class, race, and sexuality shape individual experiences of war 

• the lived reality of conflict, its humanitarian impact, and how societies rebuild and remember

We’ll analyse a variety of sources - from government records to personal diaries and striking visuals, to understand the human side of war. You'll also examine how different groups and individuals, from states to grassroots movements, have resisted or reimagined conflict. 

We’ll explore the deep questions that surround peace and war, giving you a nuanced understanding of why wars occur, why they inspire both support and opposition, and how their legacies continue to influence us today. Peace and Conflict 1 is a standalone module that pairs well with Part 2 but can be taken on its own.

This module is worth 20 credits. 

Explore how warfare has shaped societies throughout history.

This module investigates:

• the causes, consequences, experiences, and memories of conflict using diverse approaches: military, political, social, cultural, and imperial

• the impact of factors like age, gender, class, race, and sexuality on the experience of war 

• the humanitarian consequences of conflict and the processes of reconstruction, remembrance, and commemoration

Using a range of sources - from official records to personal accounts and visual media. You’ll uncover the lived experiences of war. We will also consider how various actors, from social movements to individuals and states, have resisted or reimagined conflict. 

This module encourages critical thinking about the philosophical and ideological debates that surround war and peace. Peace and Conflict 2 addresses themes similar to Part 1 but from a new perspective and does not require prior completion of Part 1.

This module is worth 20 credits. 

Whose history gets told? This module dives into the stories and experiences of groups whose voices have often been overlooked or marginalised throughout history. We will explore:

• how individuals and communities on the fringes of power interacted with the state and broader society

• perspectives on marginalisation, including religious practices, sexual orientation, gender, and race or ethnicity

• the choices historians make regarding sources, methodologies, and approaches to bring these voices into the historical narrative - or sometimes push them back out 

You’ll engage with various primary sources and consider how marginalised voices have been represented or omitted in historical accounts. While Voices in the Margins 1 shares themes with Part 2, it provides a unique perspective and does not need to be taken alongside Part 2.

This module is worth 20 credits.

Whose history gets told? This module explores the stories and experiences of groups whose voices have often been overlooked or marginalised throughout history. We will focus on:

• how individuals and communities on the fringes of power interacted with the state and broader society

• various perspectives on marginalisation, including religious practices, sexual orientation, gender, and race or ethnicity

• the decisions historians make about sources, evidence, and methodologies to bring these voices into or out of historical narratives 

You’ll work with a variety of primary sources, exploring how different groups have been represented - or omitted - in historical accounts. While Voices in the Margins 2 covers themes similar to Part 1, it offers a unique perspective and does not need to be taken alongside Part 1.

This module is worth 20 credits.