BA (Hons) Contemporary History at University of Brighton

History matters because it helps us understand the world we live in – and how it could be different. At Brighton, the Contemporary History degree uses the past to understand the present, and to question and shape what comes next. You’ll explore the forces that shaped the modern world – from empire and revolution to global conflict, decolonisation and the Cold War – while studying the people and movements that resisted and reshaped these forces.

Faculty: School of Humanities and Social Science  |  Department: Humanities  |  Duration: full-time: 3 years; with placement year: 4 years  |  Study mode: full-time (optional placement year)  |  Intake: 2027 entry  |  Location: Brighton, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

In year 1 of the Contemporary History degree course you take six modules that help develop the skills central to your course. In the modern world, empires used force, economic power and cultural influence to control populations beyond their borders. In this module, you’ll explore the rise of modern nations and empires, the Cold War and American empire, and the rise of China. You will look at how people resisted colonial rule and challenged ideas about who had the right to govern. Why is history political? Modules include Empires: Global Power and Conflict, Politics of the Past, History Workshop: Places and Podcasts, History Workshop: Archives and Filmmaking, Revolutions: The Ideas that made the Modern World, Radical Histories, Politics-History-Ideology, Race and Resistance.

Career pathways

These skills have never been more important with employers increasingly needing graduates who can make sense of change, explain complex information, and communicate persuasively with different audiences. At Brighton, you’ll graduate with more than just subject knowledge and develop these skills in ways that set you apart.

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