BA (Hons) History and Heritage

Why are some aspects of the past celebrated and others removed or destroyed? What and who shapes our understanding of the past? How does the past inform our identities, politics, and sense of belonging today? This distinctive, exciting interdisciplinary degree course provides you with a framework for understanding the role of the past in the contemporary world, as well as the part that heritage plays in shaping our collective futures. You will gain in-depth historical knowledge and understanding of a range of periods, with modules focusing on the social, political and environmental history of Europe, Africa and North America. Through modules on heritage and museums, you will engage with topics such as heritage protection, museum collecting, heritage and identity, cultural politics and decolonisation. Optional modules from other subjects give you the opportunity to build your knowledge, understanding and skills in complementary areas. Throughout the course you will be able to explore topical issues relating to nationalism, conflict, civic society, culture, and race and gender issues. The course will allow you to master a range of academic and practical skills. With a real emphasis emphasis on employability and career development, you will be well-placed to for a career supporting the inclusive, sustainable development of the heritage and museum sectors, amongst others. History and heritage students can be submitted for various prizes, mostly in final year. Some are dedicated solely for history and heritage, others across history, heritage and politics, and others across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. Environmental History Prize An annual prize of £100 to be awarded for the best first-class dissertation in Environmental History. Gordon Donaldson Prize An annual prize of £50 for the best graduating student in History. Robert and Margaret McKean Prize An annual prize of £50 for the best performance by a final year student in European History. Stirling Guildry Prize An annual prize of £100 to be awarded for the best dissertation submitted by a student taking History or Scottish History. Faculty Research based learning prize The Division of History, Heritage and Politics has been granted £250 by the Faculty to reward undergraduate students for contributions to research through their studies (projects, dissertations etc). The Scott Reid Memorial Prize The £200 prize will be open to undergraduates in their final year of study studying History and/or Politics (including combined degrees with either subject). The prize will be awarded to the student who achieved their degree despite facing adversity during their studies and or who have shown outstanding support and selfless giving for their fellow students, local community or family. The Alasdair Ross Memorial Essay prize . The £200 prize is open to all University honours students who have written an essay between 2000 to 5000 words on a topic within the area of Scottish Studies, with an emphasis on environment and heritage. Dee Amy Chin Prize for Gender and Feminist Studies £200 is for the Dee Amy-Chinn prize for Gender Studies and is open to undergraduate students in any discipline within the University and recognises exceptional achievement in the study of gender and/or feminism (essay, dissertation, creative practice).