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History - Course outline

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A typical weekly timetable

You will be expected to attend about five lectures per week during the first year, participate in regular meetings with tutors to discuss work, research in libraries and write at least one essay a week. In the second and third years students choose from an enormous variety of lectures and their regular diet of tutorials is supplemented by faculty classes where you discuss work with a larger number of students. The thesis gives all students the opportunity to engage in a piece of independent research. Throughout the course, you are very much in charge of your own timetable.

1st year
Courses

Four papers are taken:

  • History of the British Isles
  • General history (primarily European)
  • Historical methods (choice of Approaches to history; Historiography; Tacitus to Weber; Quantification; one of seven foreign texts)
  • Optional subject (choices include Theories of the State; Conquest and colonisation: Spain and America in the sixteenth century; Culture, society and politics in England, 1700–1795; Working class life and industrial work in Britain 1870–1914)
Assessment

First University examinations
Four written papers

2nd and 3rd years
Courses

Six subjects are taken:

  • History of the British Isles
  • General history
  • Further subject (choice of about 30, including: Anglo-Saxon archaeology of the early Christian period; China in war and revolution, 1890–1949; The Near East in the age of Justinian and Muhammad, c.527–c.700; Society and government in France, 1600–1715;
    The first industrial revolution; Imperialism and nationalism, 1830–1980; Modern Japan, 1868–1972; The Soviet Union, 1924–41)
  • Special subject: a paper and an extended essay (choices include: The Norman conquest
    of England; Politics, art and culture in the Italian Renaissance, Venice and Florence
    c.1475–1525; The Scientific movement in the 17th century; English architecture,
    1660–1720; Political pressures and social policy, 1899–1914; The Russian Revolution
    of 1917; India, 1919–39: Contesting the nation; Nazi Germany, a racial order, 1933–45;
    The Great Society era, 1960–70; The Northern Ireland troubles, 1965–85)
  • Disciplines of history
  • Thesis

Assessment

Final University examinations
Five written papers; one extended essay; one thesis; an additional thesis may be offered

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History

UCAS Course Code: V100
Brief Course Outline

Duration of course: 3 years
Degree awarded: BA
Intake: 233
Applications shortlisted for interview: 75.7%
Successful applications: 26.2%

Open days 2012
To be confirmed
Contact details

The Old Boys School, George Street, Oxford OX1 2RL
+44 (0) 1865 615020
Please email us at schools.liaison@history.ox.ac.uk
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