At present King Alfred’s has approximately 5,500 students (3,000 full-time, 2,500 part-time). There are approximately 180 students studying History of whom around half are Single Honours. The ratio of male to female is roughly 2:3. King Alfred’s is less than a mile (approximately ten minutes walk) from Winchester railway station. Winchester is less than an hour by train to London (Waterloo) and direct services run to many major towns and cities including Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, York, Newcastle, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.

Winchester has a long history having been the centre of King Alfred’s Wessex and the ‘capital’ city of Saxon and Norman kings in England. There are many famous monuments: the Great Hall houses what is traditionally known as the Round Table of King Arthur; Winchester College; St Cross and its medieval hospital; the City West Gate; and, of course, the Cathedral where the College Graduation ceremonies are held each year. Winchester today is a small but bustling city with a range of theatres, concert and exhibition venues. There is a wide selection of pubs and eating places. More extensive leisure facilities, nightlife, and shopping can be found in Southampton and Portsmouth, both within easy range of the city,

Why study at King Alfred’s?

King Alfred’s has a well-established reputation in the humanities, arts, social sciences, performing arts, business, and primary education. We are constantly updating our programmes and introducing new courses to meet the needs of tomorrow’s employers. King Alfred’s awards degrees of the University of Southampton under the terms of an accreditation arrangement. Although we are currently applying for our own taught degree awarding powers, we expect our links with the University to continue. The College was founded by the Church of England in 1840 to train schoolmasters for church elementary schools but our work now is far more diverse and we welcome students of all races, religions, and backgrounds: this is reflected in the increasingly multicultural nature of the student population. Being quite a small institution by today’s standards, our lecturers are able to get to know their students as individuals and the campus has a relaxed and friendly feel to it.

We offer a programme of History that is distinctive in terms of its global reach and chronological spread. As well as taking modules that give you a firm grounding in History as an academic discipline, you are able to select modules from an attractive range that encompasses Medieval/Early Modern British History and Modern World History, ranging from Western Europe and the United States to Russia and Japan. Given this rich variety of offerings, it is most unlikely that you will not be able to put together a programme of study that you yourself find appealing, stimulating, and rewarding.

The History tutors pride themselves on the quality of their teaching and their commitment to tapping and developing students’ academic potential. We make every effort to ensure that we are available to students should advice be required, and believe ourselves to be both approachable and accessible, so ensuring an effective partnership in the learning and teaching process. Many of the staff operate ‘open door’ policies, whereby students just drop in to see tutors when the need arises.

Courses: BA (Hons) in History (UCAS code V100 BA/His)

Diploma of Higher Education in History (UCAS Code V101 DipHE/His)

History can be studied as a Single Honours subject or in combination with any of the following: American Studies, Archaeology, Business Studies, Dance Studies, Drama Studies, Education Studies, English, Leisure Management, Media & Film Studies, Performing Arts, Psychology, Social Care Studies, Sports Studies, Theology and Religious Studies, Tourism and Heritage Management.

Main study options

Level 1 In Year 1 you can study the medieval and modern periods of British History, the history of Europe, the United States, and Modern East Asia. Other modules on offer introduce History as a discipline or explore forms of evidence or the applications of numeracy and technology to the historian.

Level 2 The emphasis now is on widening perspectives and approaches and developing skills of selection, argument and analysis. Most modules at this level are either Theme Studies, exploring a theme over time, or Civilisation Studies, examining a past civilisation in the round. Examples of the former include: Pre-Industrial Economy and Society 1500-1750; Age of Discovery; American Slavery; Wrongdoing and Retribution; Women in History; Early Medieval Kingship; Soviet Communism; and Freedom and Justice in Modern Western Political Thought. Examples of Civilisation Studies include: Late Medieval Provincial Society; France in the Age of Louis XIV; The American South 1865-1970; The Third Reich; Victorian Britain; and Imperial Japan 1868-1945. All students take New Approaches to History which explores the explosion in historical study and innovation in historical methods and approaches in the 20 ^th century.

As part of your second year you can opt to spend Semester 1 studying in the United States. Currently we have links with the University of Southern Maine, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and the University of Southern Oregon.

A limited number of places are available each year to suitably qualified and motivated students who are keen to embark on an experience that places them for a semester in the workplace and prepares them usefully for later employment. The work placement – which is tailor-made for each individual student – is based on one full day per week in an appropriate setting where existing skills can be put to good use and enriched and extended.

Level 3 All taught History modules at Level 3 are either year-long Depth Studies exploring a major historical period/topic via an active engagement with primary sources, or single module Comparative Studies with an emphasis on comparative perspectives allowing students to compare the histories of different countries, societies, or cultures. Depth Studies include: The Hundred Years War; Alfred the Great; English Monasticism; The French Revolution; Industrial Society in Crisis 1880-1940; Japan in War and Occupation; The United States and the Cold War 1945-63. Comparative Studies include: Supernatural and Witchcraft Beliefs in the British Isles, Continental Europe, and America c1450-c1800; Mediterranean Fascism; War Crimes: Trials and Memories of War in Japan and Germany; Minorities in the Past; and Chivalry.

The third year also provides an opportunity for students to apply their skills of research and analysis in the form of a dissertation, a detailed study of a topic which you yourself define with the aid of your designated supervisor.

King Alfred’s College, Sparkford Road, Winchester, Hants, S022 4NR

Registry: Tel. 01962 827262

Neil Curtin (History Admissions Tutor)

01962 841515 (extn 2576)