War Studies & History

The career prospects for King's history graduates are excellent, and our location in the heart of London provides outstanding access to leading employers in many fields. Students develop skills which give them a critical edge in the job market, in particular the ability to process information quickly, think independently and present their ideas in pressure situations. Former King's history students work for national newspapers, in top law firms, in the civil service, in state and private schools, in heritage, banking and business sectors and in many different universities across the globe. Noted King's history graduates include Ronan Bennett (novelist and screenwriter), Janice Hadlow (Controller of BBC Two) and Georgina Henry (Executive comment editor of the Guardian newspaper).

Recent graduates have found employment as…

• Academic Historian
• Dealers’ Assistant, Bonhams
• Research Analyst, Ministry of Defence
• Junior Accounts Executive, Chelgate
• Project Assistant, Heron Evidence Development
• Trusts & Statutory Fundraiser, Crisis UK
• Support Worker, Sense
• Departmental Runner, BBC

You will have regular and varied contact with staff and other students in lectures, seminars and supervisions. Most teaching takes place in seminars, which usually have between 10 and 20 participants and are a forum for discussion in which students have the opportunity to hone their discussion and presentation skills. Our first-year introductory module is taught in small supervision groups of 5 or 6 students, allowing for close discussion of historical texts and sources, and detailed feedback on your written work. If you choose to write a independent piece of historical research in your final year, which can be on any topic, this will also be taught on a one-to-one basis with a tutor. From the beginning of the degree, you will analyse primary sources as well as the writings of historians. We ensure undergraduate students are exposed to many different approaches to history, and encourage you to adopt a comparative approach, looking at the connections and contrasts between different periods and places throughout the degree. The discipline of research and writing is essential to the development of the skills of the historian. At King's, therefore, we require an extensive amount of written work and independent study.

The King’s History degree lasts three years and is assessed through a combination of essays, examinations, presentations and dissertations. Students choose from a wide range of modules, which cover historical topics from Medieval times (c400AD onwards) through to the present day. Optional modules in Ancient History are also available through the Department of Classics. In the first year, students choose modules that span Medieval, Early Modern and Modern History as well as taking ‘Historical Skills, Sources & Approaches’, which is taught in small groups.

In the second and third years, students select more focused options, choosing from around 30 topics, which have recently included:

• Alexander the Great
• British Imperial Policy & Decolonisation, 1938-1964
• Caribbean Intellectual History, c1800 to the present
• The French Civil War, 1934-1970
• The History of Australia since 1788
• History of Political Ideas
• The Norman Conquest
• The Northern Ireland Troubles
• The Origins of Reformation in England
• Political Bonds in Late Medieval and Renaissance Italy
• The Soviet Union and Russia, 1945-2000
• Women and Gender in Early Modern England
• Romans & Barbarians: The Transformation of the Roman West
• Themes in the study of Contemporary Africa.

All our modules are designed by the lecturers in the department and reflect their own scholarly research specialisms.

In the final year, students have the opportunity to undertake a research dissertation on a topic of their choice, working under the one-to-one supervision of a member of staff who is a specialist in the field. As King’s is part of the University of London, second-and final-year students have the option of taking history courses at other institutions (such as UCL, and Royal Holloway), which means our students have an unrivalled choice of modules to choose from. The King’s History programme is unique in its pair of compulsory second-year ‘History and Memory’ modules, where students consider the role of history in the present day, from its social and public uses to the conflicts and controversies it can generate and do so by using London as a real, living source. Field trip teaching on these modules is delivered through downloadable podcasts. Examples of podcasts can be downloaded from our website http://www.kcl.ac.uk/history/podcasts

The Department of History at King’s is centrally located on our Strand campus, and is within walking distance of the capital’s famous landmarks, such as the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the River Thames and the South Bank. London offers unparalleled historical resources, including the British Museum, British Library, Imperial War Museum and National Gallery.

All students are offered the opportunity to study abroad as part of their History degree at King's and recent popular destinations include The University of North Carolina Chapel, The University of Auckland and The University of Hong Kong.

War studies students come from a variety of countries and backgrounds and go on to work in a range of fields including government (most commonly in Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs in the UK and abroad), academia, journalism, banking (often in emerging markets or risk analysis), research and policy think-tanks, humanitarian organisations and international organisations. Recent graduates have found employment as: • Account Executive, IT re-seller • Accounts Assistance, IJS Global • Army Officer, British Army • Consultant, Ernst & Young • Creative Writer, Groupon • Defence Analyst, Vision Gain • Parliamentary Assistant, House of Commons • Special Constable, Metropolitan Police • Trainee Accountant, a legal practice

For more information about career prospects and employability please see: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/sspp/departments/warstudies/employability.aspx

Most of the department's academic staff play a full part in teaching at BA, MA and research level to ensure the maximum cross-fertilisation between teaching and research. A range of teaching methods are used including lectures, seminars and tutorials. The programmes in the Department of War studies are designed to enhance your analytical, conceptual, research and critical thinking skills which will increase your employability and aid professional career development.

The department offers single and joint honours programmes. The assessment method is a combination of essays, examinations, oral presentations and a dissertation.

The prime, central position beside the River Thames brings outstanding advantages, and as a student you will enjoy the excellent social and cultural opportunities of the capital. The department is close to the seat of government, the City, the Royal Courts of Justice and the Inns of Court, the Imperial War Museum and the National Maritime Museum.