13May
UndergraduateCourse summary
The History with a Foundation Year degree provides a unique opportunity to dive into the past, exploring significant events and cultures from ancient times to the modern world. Starting with a foundation year ensures you have all the essential skills and knowledge you need to succeed. This course is perfect for anyone with a curious mind and a desire to understand the world through the events, people, and ideas that shaped it. You’ll explore the history of Europe, the United States, and beyond, developing a solid base of knowledge through engaging modules and practical study. Throughout the degree, you’ll gain an understanding of how to build a historical narrative by using various sources and evidence. You’ll learn to ask critical questions about the past, gaining insight into the richness and diversity of history. By studying political history, social history, and cultural history, you’ll gain a full picture of how different forces and ideas have shaped societies across time. From your first year, you’ll begin developing valuable research skills and analytical skills through a range of assessments. You’ll use primary sources—such as documents from the period you’re studying—as well as historiographical evidence to build your understanding. This hands-on approach helps you develop critical thinking, allowing you to question, evaluate, and interpret the past more deeply. One of the key strengths of this course is the emphasis on communication skills. You’ll learn how to share your findings in a clear and persuasive way, which will be valuable in many future careers. These skills are central to this degree, helping you grow in confidence as you express your ideas and contribute to discussions on historical topics. This focus on communication prepares you to thrive in a range of careers where presenting complex ideas clearly is essential. By the end of the course, you’ll have the skills to conduct your own research, analyse evidence, and create evidence-based interpretations of historical events. The knowledge and skills you gain are highly valued in the job market, giving you a strong foundation for roles in areas such as research, education, media, and heritage work. Whether you’re interested in history for its own sake or as a path to a future career, this degree offers a deep, practical understanding of the past and its impact on the world today.
Modules
In the foundation year, you’ll build essential academic skills, including writing, research, and critical thinking, while exploring topics in literature, democracy, and human culture. Modules provide a solid grounding, preparing you for the intellectual challenges of university-level study. Academic Survival Skills (20 credits) Introduction to University Life (10 credits) Independent Investigation (10 credits) Introduction to the Humanities (10 credits) Academic Writing (10 credits) Understanding Literature (20 credits) Talking to the Dead (20 credits) Being Human (20 credits) Understanding Democracy (20 credits) The Humanities (20 credits) Knowledge and Belief (20 credits) People across time (20 credits) Language and Culture (20 credits) Year two deepens your knowledge of history, with a focus on political, social, and cultural history. You’ll study themes like ancient life, myth, and civilisation. This year also builds your research skills, allowing you to engage critically with historical sources and diverse perspectives. Death, Burial and the Afterlife (20 credits) Myths and Mythology: How Stories Shape the World (20 credits) Everyday Life in Athens and Rome (20 credits) Historicising Texts (20 credits) What makes civilisation? (20 credits) The Modern World (20 credits) Exploring the Humanities (20 credits) Doing History: Past in Practice (20 credits) The Medieval World (20 credits) People's Worlds: Interaction with the Environment (20 credits) In the third year, you’ll explore specialised topics, choosing from modules that expand your understanding of specific periods and events. A flexible approach means you can select areas that align with your own interests and career goals. (Re)presenting and (Re)constructing the Past (20 credits) Error and Sweet Violence: Shakespeare and Renaissance Comedy and Tragedy (20 credits) From Desert Myths to Sheep Tales: The Cistercians in the Middle Ages (20 credits) Britain and the Great War (20 credits) Classical Mythology and Legends in Roman and Medieval Times (20 credits) Cold war, hot wars. Global perspectives on post-war history (20 credits) Gwlad, gwlad: Aspects of Welsh History 1200 to the present (20 credits) Medieval Prose in Wales (20 credits) Special Collections Research: The Roderic Bowen Library and Archives (20 credits) Celtic Sanctity and Spirituality: Hagiography and Saints' Cults (20 credits) Difficult Heritage/ Dark Tourism (20 credits) Identity and Myth: The Normans and their World (20 credits) The Irish Question 1886-1998: from Charles Parnell to the Good Friday Agreement Exhibiting the Past: Ancient Egypt, death and modern representation (20 credits) Heritage and Archaeology of Conflict (20 credits) The Book, the Body, and the World: Renaissance Humanism, Medicine, and Exploration (20 credits) Women and Religion (20 credits) Professional Placement (20 credits) Your final year offers an opportunity for independent research, where you’ll complete an Independent Project on a topic of your choice. This year also includes advanced modules, providing a comprehensive understanding of history and the skills needed for evidence-based historical narrative construction. (Re)presenting and (Re)constructing the Past (20 credits) Error and Sweet Violence: Shakespeare and Renaissance Comedy and Tragedy (20 credits) Britain and the Great War (20 credits) Classical Mythology and Legends in Roman and Medieval Times (20 credits) Cold war, hot wars. Global perspectives on post-war history (20 credits) From Desert Myths to Sheep Tales: The Cistercians in the Middle Ages (20 credits) Gwlad, gwlad: Aspects of Welsh History 1200 to the present (20 credits) Medieval Prose in Wales (20 credits) Special Collections Research: The Roderic Bowen Library and Archives (20 credits) Please refer to UWTSD course webpage for a full list of module options for Year 4.
Assessment method
The programme is assessed in a variety of ways and will include several of the following type of assessment: essays of 1,000 to 4,000 words in length, document analysis, book/ journal reviews, short reports and reflective journals, time tests, seen and unseen exams, field journals, posters, group and individual presentations, dissertations of 10,000 words, wikis, commentaries and film evaluations.
Qualified teacher status (QTS)
To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:
- Course does not award QTS
How to apply
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- HIF1
- Institution code:
- T80
- Campus name:
- Carmarthen Campus
- Campus code:
- C
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Foundation
International applicants
Visa and funding requirements If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa. For courses of more than six months’ duration you will require a Student visa. International students who require a Student visa should apply for our full-time courses as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. For full information read our visa application and guides. Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff
Applicants are usually expected to hold a minimum of GCSE level education. Grades are important; however, our offers are not solely based on academic results. We are interested in creative people that demonstrate a strong commitment to their chosen subject area and therefore we welcome applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. To assess student suitability for their chosen course we normally arrange interviews for all applicants at which your skills, achievements and life experience will be considered as well as your qualifications.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.0, with not less than 5.5 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.
Acceptable Evidence of English
https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/apply/international-applications/english-language-requirements
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9535 | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £9535 | Year 1 |
| EU | £15525 | Year 1 |
| International | £15525 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
The Faculty has estimated on the assumption that students buy new copies of the books. Students may also choose to spend money on printing drafts of work.
Students may spend up to £300 per year on books and additional related materials.
Students are expected to submit 2 hard copies of their final project, the estimated cost for binding these is £20.
Optional Field trip:
Faculty works to ensure that there are a range of fieldwork and field trip options available both locally and internationally. Thus students can opt to take either more expensive or less expensive placements. The Faculty subsidises these but the cost each year is dependent on airfare, location, and currency exchange rates. Below are the upper end of expected costs based on where students have currently done placements.
Fieldwork (depending on where student decides to do fieldwork): c. £500 - £1,500
Individual trips: c. £5 - £50
Provider information
University of Wales Trinity Saint David
College Road
Carmarthen
SA31 3EP