Develop your critical abilities and historical knowledge within a vibrant department of committed students and expert scholars.Lancaster’s first-year core History module offers a fascinating survey of world history from Ancient Greece to the twentieth century. The course encompasses histories from Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia and examines pivotal events, transformative processes and historical debates. Weekly lectures and seminars will deepen your critical historical knowledge and support you in developing your own research, essay-writing and presentational skills. The majority of our students choose from a second set of optional first-year modules. These specialised modules include ‘The Fall of Rome’ and ‘Histories of Violence: How Imperialism made the Modern World’. For second and third-year students, the Department offers an extensive range of over thirty modules that includes both short term-length modules and the third-year Special Subjects. You can choose to focus on a particular period, theme or region or to develop a breadth of chronological and geographical knowledge. These module options include British, European, American, Asian and Middle Eastern history, from the ancient world to the twenty-first century. These modules emerge from the research expertise of academic staff in the department. You will be taught by leaders in the field of critical historical research.In your second year you can also choose to undertake a heritage placement project. These placements allow our students to gain invaluable work experience and enhance their employability. Our placements partners include The National Trust, Cumbria County Council and The Duchy of Lancaster.You will have the opportunity to spend Year 3 on placement with a public, private or voluntary organisation in the UK or overseas. This experience will boost your employment prospects and will help you to decide on your career direction and the kind of organisation in which you want to work once you graduate. You will be doing a real, responsible job – with all the satisfaction that brings. Our Placements Team will support you in finding and applying for a suitable placement that will support your professional development. Applying for a placement is a competitive process and the preparatory modules you will complete in years one and two are designed to give you the best chance of success in your placement applications. You will also be provided with dedicated workshops, 1:1 appointments with careers professionals as well as opportunities to speak with employers here on campus.During the placement year you will remain a Lancaster University student which means that you will still be eligible for a student loan, have access to facilities such as the library and receive discounts on transport and council tax. Your tuition fee will be reduced to 20% during the placement year. The placement will enhance your understanding of the connections between theory and practice and this will benefit your final year of study. This is an exciting opportunity to build up experience and transferable skills, as well as to make contacts with potential employers, which will place you a step ahead in the graduate recruitment market.