Course summary

This programme equips you with the core skills and knowledge required for success in the first year of your Undergraduate Degree and beyond. Why study BA History with Politics (with Integrated Foundation Year) at Goldsmiths

• If you do not have the required qualifications for degree-level study, our BA in History with Politics (with Integrated Foundation Year) offers an alternative entry route

• The Foundation Year is closely aligned with our undergraduate history programmes, teaching you a foundational knowledge of the subject and helping you develop the necessary academic skills. You choose the undergraduate degree you wish to study at the point of application, but if your interests change as you progress through the foundation year you can apply to switch to a different degree programme

• You will develop an understanding of the post-colonial world through a historical and historiographical survey of the British Empire from the 17th to the late 20th century

• Learn about social, cultural and political themes, including industrialisation, urbanisation, politicisation, radicalism, democracy, liberalism, constitutionalism and national identity in relation to the Battle for the Ballot

• You will acquire skills in historical methodology, including innovative practices such as oral history, public history, and applied history

• Learn how to effectively communicate information, arguments, and analysis in written form. You will successfully deploy techniques such as source evaluation, critical judgment and referencing

• Develop your ability to think critically about knowledge production and communication; look beyond the words on the page, delve into the emotional meaning of images and spoken word, and dig into the truth behind the data

• Rather than focusing on chronology or strictly demarcated historical periods, combining history and politics encourages and facilitates explorations and analyses of key issues, controversies, themes, and debates.

• The study, analysis and understanding of the past is as important today as it has ever been.

• Understanding past societies fosters emotional intelligence and allows us to appreciate the diversity and adaptability of human life.

• Understanding our pasts can help us to shape our futures and, crucially, help us shape those futures intelligently, insightfully, fairly, and with compassion, contributing towards equality, diversity and social justice.

• Our innovative approaches to the study of politics, peel back the formal veneer of political parties and institutions to reveal the major ideological, economic, social, and cultural conflicts

• By exploring politics in this in-depth manner, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of our world.

• We cross boundaries between the traditional and the more radical understandings of political phenomena.

• Politics is much more than simply what happens in parliaments, it pervades the whole of society, domestically and internationally.