Swansea University

Ancient History and History, BA (Hons)

Swansea UniversitySingleton Park Campus, United Kingdom

Course overview

Our BA in Ancient History and History lets you study across a broad period of ancient, medieval and modern history. You’ll explore a wide range of topics, from Greek city-states and Roman emperors to medieval monarchies, modern revolutions, and the ideas that have shaped societies across centuries. Whether you're drawn to ancient myths and monuments or to themes like human rights and disease, this course allows you to explore history in all its complexity.

Our degree opens up exciting debates about how we as historians organise the study of the past. Rather than treating historical periods as isolated blocks, our course encourages you to think critically about the chronological boundaries we place on the past. Key themes, such as power, gender, belief, and resistance, cut across traditional divisions, helping you to understand the limitations of breaking up the past arbitrarily into chunks of time with fixed labels.

With a broad range of modules open to you across the whole span of history (Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, and Modern), you’ll have the flexibility to tailor your studies to your interests. You might focus on ancient and medieval history, exploring connections between antiquity and the modern world, or examine how ideas and institutions have evolved across different eras. How did power work in different societies?

What was the experience of minority communities across history? How have constructions of sexuality and gender developed over time? We’ll help you develop the tools to compare different periods of history to appreciate what changed and when, and what stayed the same.

Key highlights

  • Covers ancient, medieval, early modern and modern history
  • Topics range from Greek city-states to modern revolutions
  • Cross-period themes include power, gender, belief and resistance
  • Flexible module choice to tailor studies to your interests
  • Critically examines how historians divide the past into periods
  • Develops skills to compare change and continuity across eras

Entry requirements

  • A-level: ABB-BBC — ABB-BBC.
  • UCAS tariff points: 112-128 — ABB-BBC DDM-DMM in Humanities or Social Sciences - minimum of 21 Distinctions and 24 Merits at Level 3 Merit 112 - 128 UCAS Tariff points from 3 highest qualifications 32 points

Scholarships

  • International Excellence Scholarships

    Scholarships are awarded as a discount on tuition fees worth up to £5,000 in the first year of study, with a further £2,000 awarded in Year 2 (for £5,000 awardees only, subject to achieving a 70% average).

  • Swansea University Sport Scholarship

    Financial support (of up to £2000).

  • Thrive Bursary

    The Thrive bursary is a £4,000 reduction in tuition fees for the first year of study, with a progression bursary of £2,000 in subsequent years (applied as a discount off tuition fees).

    Up to £4,000

Careers this course leads to

  • Archivist
  • Museum curator
  • Heritage officer
  • Secondary school history teacher
  • Researcher
  • Journalist

Cost of study

UK/Home: £9,790 per year | International: £18,400 per year

Admission

Applications are made through AHZ at no cost. Share your transcripts, English test scores and personal statement, and your AHZ Counsellor will review your profile, submit your application to Swansea University, and guide you through interview, offer, CAS and visa — right up to enrolment.

Ready to start?

Book a free consultation and we'll map your fastest route to a September 2026 place.

Apply Now
Download Free Guide