Program Overview

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BA History and Sociology

Overview

The History and Sociology degree is designed to give students a unique training in two academic disciplines. By combining the skills and insights of History and Sociology, students achieve a thorough induction into studying the past alongside the approaches and theoretical frameworks relating to the study of society.

Entry Requirements

A-level

• ABB including A in History or Sociology.
• Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
• Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

A-level contextual offer

• BBC including B in History or Sociology.
• Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
• Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

UK refugee/care-experienced offer

• BBC including B in History or Sociology.
• Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
• Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels. If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

International Baccalaureate

• 34 points overall. 6,5,5 in Higher Level subjects including 6 in History or Sociology.
• Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

GCSE/IGCSE

• Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 6 or B in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and 4 or C in Mathematics. GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Other entry requirements

• Other entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.
• Select other entry requirements Scottish requirements Welsh Baccalaureate Foundation year Pearson BTEC qualifications OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications Access to HE Diploma T Level Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Fees and Funding

Fees

• Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

Policy on additional costs

• All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

• Find out more from student finance
• Eligible UK students can apply for bursaries and scholarships
• Funding for EU and international students is on our country-specific pages
• Many students work part-time or complete a student internship

Application and Selection

How to apply

• Apply through UCAS

Home-schooled applicants

• If you are a student who has followed a non-standard educational route, e.g. you have been educated at home; your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course for which you are applying.
• You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the specified academic entry requirements of the course.
• We will also require a reference from somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education.

Non-standard educational routes

• Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.
• Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.
• The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates. If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.

How your application is considered

• We read the personal statements and references of all applicants paying particular attention to A-level (or IB etc.) predictions or achieved grades.

Interview requirements

• Normally, we only interview applicants who are applying with non-standard entry requirements.

Returning to education

• Applications from mature students are welcomed and considered on an individual basis.
• Such applicants will be required to produce a piece of written work, for assessment by the Admissions Tutor.
• Once you have applied, the Admissions Administrator will contact you with a list of topics/questions.
• You will be asked to choose one and produce a piece (1500 words) on that subject, for submission by the deadline given by the Administrator.

Deferrals

• We welcome applications for deferred entry and feel a gap year benefits many students.
• We do ask applicants to let us know as early as possible if they are intending to defer. This helps us to adjust the number of offers we make, in order to achieve the required number of students in a given year.

Re-applications

• If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry.
• In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved.
• We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Transfers

• We will consider applications to transfer to Manchester from other universities and would normally ask for a letter explaining why a transfer was needed, relevant transcripts, a copy of the applicant's UCAS form and a confidential reference from one of the applicant's current university tutors.
• We will consider applications to transfer from other degrees within the University of Manchester but applicants are required to have the A-level grades (or other qualifications) needed for entry to that degree programme.

Course Details

Course description

• The History and Sociology degree is designed to give students a unique training in two academic disciplines.
• By combining the skills and insights of History and Sociology, students achieve a thorough induction into studying the past alongside the approaches and theoretical frameworks relating to the study of society.
• This Joint Honours degree is designed to develop students knowledge of both disciplines, especially through core modules such as History in Practice, which equips students with the key intellectual tools for historical study at university level, and Researching Culture and Society, which develops students' understandings of a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Special features

• Placement year option
• Study abroad

Teaching and learning

• Most course units feature formal lectures supported by smaller tutorials, seminars or web-based seminars, in which you will be able to explore the contents of lectures and recommended reading in greater depth.
• Tutorials and seminars are also key elements in improving your written and oral communication skills through group discussions, essay-writing and presentations. You will spend approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions.
• For every hour spent at University, you will be expected to complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
• You will also need to study during the holiday periods.

Coursework and assessment

• You may be assessed in various ways, including:
  • written and oral examinations;
  • coursework essays;
  • research reports;
  • practical tests;
  • learning logs;
  • web contributions.
• Many course units are assessed through a mixture of techniques.
• In your final year, you will write a dissertation that constitutes 22% of your overall final mark.

Facilities

• The University of Manchester works in partnership with the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre and owns the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Museum and Tabley House, giving you unique access to outstanding cultural and historical resources.

Careers

Career opportunities

• Study History at Manchester and you will come away with a degree that is well-regarded by employers for the outstanding analysis and critical thinking skills you will develop.
• The University of Manchester is the second most targeted university in the UK for top graduate employers (High Fliers Research, 2024).
• Our graduates enjoy success in a wide range of careers, reflecting the high regard in which employers hold a History degree from Manchester, including the BBC - with whom we have well-established links - as well as KPMG, Deloitte, Marks and Spencer, Aviva, Accenture and Barclays.
• Typical professions for History graduates include:
  • teaching and academia;
  • heritage and museums;
  • the Civil Service;
  • policy and thinktanks;
  • creative industries;
  • media and journalism;
  • marketing and public relations;
  • law and accountancy;
  • finance;
  • NGOs.
• Many of our graduates go on to undertake further study such as master's and PhD degrees, PGCEs or law conversion courses before taking up their careers.