Year One
Making of the Modern World
We live in the here and now But what got us here? This module studies the string of major social political and cultural developments that established our modern world Radical (and not so radical) ideas from the Enlightenment the industrial revolution’s structural transformations of how we work build and buy things and the struggles and stumbles of imperialism capitalism and globalisation have gone far to set terms of life in the twenty-first century The module will also help you develop your critical voice as a historian while asking comparative questions about historical difference across the world
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Europe in the Making 1450-1800
Seismic change Gradual shift Both? Or neither?
Between 1450 and 1800 Europe saw profound developments take place whether it was Gutenberg's printing press Columbus’ ‘discovery’ of America or Martin Luther’s challenge to the papacy the events of this ‘Early Modern’ period dramatically changed the social and political landscape of the times
And yet this was a period that could equally be viewed as slow-paced for example did the people of Europe experience significant changes to life expectancy or social hierarchies during the period?
Through this module you’ll consider the differing historical viewpoints of both Europe and the Early Modern period itself You’ll think about the individuals of the time too considering the notions of European identity and understanding encounters and relationships between Europeans and non-Europeans And through the comprehension of key historical and historiographical terms you’ll begin to ascertain the roots of modernity
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Year Two
Historiography I Methods and Theories in their Historical Context 1750-1990
In order to understand your own strengths as a historian it pays to understand to the methods of historians of the past
In this Historiography module you’ll start to ready yourself for the academic challenges of the final of your degree You’ll be asked to think more deeply about the questions posed by notable historians and to ask yourself what questions you should ask about the past Do you pose different questions if you adopt a non-Western viewpoint? How should you go about answering those questions? And why should you study the past in the first place?
During Historiography I you’ll learn about the theoretical approaches adopted by historians since the Enlightenment in the 18th century and appreciate why these historians’ methods retained credibility into the 1990s As the module progresses you’ll develop your own critical approach to historical research and learn techniques to articulate this in word and in speech
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Historiography II Recent and Emerging Trends in History Writing 1990 to Today
For any developing historian it is just as important to reference contemporary historical methods as it is the methods of gone by
This is how Historiography II complements your learning from Historiography I You’ll explore themes from 1990s to the present each week focusing on a different theme theory or methodology These topics which are currently hotly debated among academic historians will be presented by one of Warwick’s experts within that particular area You’ll be given an insight into your lecturer’s individual methodological and theoretical approach while gaining awareness of what’s currently exciting and important in academic history writing
Throughout this module you’ll develop skills and experience to leave you suitably prepared to choose and deliver a dissertation in your final of study
Read more about the Historiography II Recent and Emerging Trends in History Writing 1990 to Today moduleLink opens in a new window including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021 22 of study)
Research Project
History should excite and it should illuminate That’s why a research project is an important platform for demonstrating how history excites you and how that excitement can illuminate others
The second research project allows you to take your curiosity into an area of history that really intrigues you With the support of your seminar tutor you’ll explore your curiosity through the analysis of a broad range of primary source materials all of which will be identified by yourself By bringing your own sources into the development of your research and developing the skills to critically assess those sources you’ll find yourself determining your own independent learning style
As well as uncovering new insight into historical themes you’ll also improve your ability to express and present that insight through oral written and digital formats
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Crossing Boundaries and Breaking Norms in the Medieval World (Renaissance and Modern only)
Cross-dressing witches and prostitution there was much to occupy the thoughts of those living between 800 and 1500 And that’s before we consider the impact of broader themes such as the Hundred Years War or the Rise of the Ottomans
This module provides you with an introduction to this time of great upheaval and non-conformity across Europe Often using a wide range of primary source materials you’ll assess the economic religious and spiritual life of the people of the medieval world Through this study of the later Medieval and Renaissance periods you’ll learn to communicate ideas and findings and develop your own critical approach to analysing the sources that you use
Read more about the Crossing Boundaries and Breaking Norms in the Medieval World (Renaissance and Modern only) moduleLink opens in a new window including the methods of teaching and assessment (content applies to 2021 22 of study)
Year Three
Dissertation
What have you learned? What are you most interested in? And what do you want to tell us about history?
Over the previous of study you’ll have gained skills and understanding that will enable you to research analyse critique and discuss key historical themes – all the attributes you need to become a critical and imaginative thinker
Your final-year dissertation is your opportunity to demonstrate this It’s your platform to choose and explore an area that truly fascinates you based on a module in your second or final or your abroad It’s your chance to prove yourself as a capable historian
By working on your dissertation you’ll undertake a substantive piece of historical research and produce an article-length piece of work You’ll call upon the theoretical approaches you explored in the Historiography modules and critically assess a wide variety of primary sources You’ll have the scope to outline write and sustain a coherent and logical argument
Help is on hand throughout You’ll be allocated a supervisor in term one of the final and there is also a Dissertations Coordinator available for general guidance and queries If you’re spending a term in Venice your tutors there will be able to support you too
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Venice in the Renaissance - Venice Term (Renaissance and Modern only)
One of the first international financial centres A city of enormous architectural and artistic significance A metropolis of myth and empire There is a lot that people already know about Venice; for a budding historian though there is much more to unearth on this remarkable city
This module will give you ample opportunity to learn about Venice through a range of primary textual visual and material sources And by spending a term studying in the city you’ll be able to put your learning into practice through a series of site visits
Through this immersive study of Venice you’ll find yourself getting closer to the city’s history between the late 14th century and the late 16th century Venice will also act as a base from which you can explore wider issues including gender violence and church reform
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Optional modules
At Warwick we encourage you to go beyond simply studying history We can guide you towards developing the worldview and analytical capabilities that mark out the most talented historians
Our options allow you to devote attention to an area of history that really fascinates you while providing you with demonstrable skills development Those options can take you into unexpected and surprising areas For example we offer modules on ‘A Global History of Sport’ and ‘War Sex and the US Military from Cold War to "War on Terror"’ alongside modules on the Holocaust the History of China and 20th-Century Britain and many other topics We cover most of the globe and many many different themes and subjects
Your assessments will reflect the sorts of activities undertaken by professional historians in their everyday working life as well as the many ways in which history features in the world around us By engaging with these tasks you’ll acquire a level of critical and imaginative thinking that’s well-suited for today’s challenging working environment
Optional modules can vary from to Example optional modules may include
Year One
A History of the United States
Latin America Themes and Problems
Mind Body and Society
A History of Africa 1830-1980
History and Politics of the Modern Middle East
Britain in the Twentieth Century A Social History
Year Two
History of Germany from Bismarck to the Berlin Republic
America in Black and White? Contemporary US Race Relations
A Global History of Sport
Corruption in Britain and its Empire 1600-1850
The Supernatural in Early Modern Britain
From Fireplace to Cyberspace The Folklore of the British Isles
Race and Science histories and legacies
Freedom fighting Race slavery and war in the Revolutionary Caribbean 1790-1812
Out of the ghetto Jewish history and culture from 1650 to today
Year Three
From the Blues to Hip Hop
Feminism politics and social change in modern Britain
The Elizabethan Reformation
Conquest Conflict and Co-Existence Crusading and the Crusader Kingdoms
Britain in the 1970s
Socialist bodies Dreams and realities of the physical in Soviet Russia
A History of Human rights in Latin America
India and the problem of postcolonial democracy
Statues must fall? Remembering and forgetting slavery in the Atlantic World
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