History and Spanish BA Hons | University of Chester

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Course Summary

Unleash your inner historian and linguist with our BA History and Spanish combined honours degree, offering an exciting journey through time and culture, exploring the rich history of Britain and Spain. Study the history of nearly two millennia in the historic city of Chester, a global landmark with significant Roman, medieval, and Early Modern remains.

Our team of dedicated historians, specialising in the history of Britain, Europe, America and their global influences, will guide you throughout your studies, alongside the talented and enthusiastic Spanish languages team who will help to cultivate your knowledge and skills of the language and culture.

Tailor your studies to your unique interests by choosing from a wide range of history options, including those focused on Spain, such as the Crusades, medieval rebellions, the Age of the Black Death, Early Modern witchcraft and heresy, or the First World War. Gain practical experience working with local organisations and institutions, and contribute to the preservation and interpretation of history.

Study Spanish in small, supportive groups and explore the contemporary history of the Spanish-speaking world. Enhance your studies with a short placement in Costa Rica or Spain during your second year. And spend a year abroad in your third year, in which you could choose to undertake a British Council English Language Assistantship or continue your studies of history in Spanish at one of our partner universities, before returning for the final year back in Chester, where you will acquire valuable skills and knowledge in both history and Spanish for the business world, preparing you for a successful career where you can make a lasting impact.

Why You'll Love It

What You'll Study

The BA History and Spanish course contains core modules in both subjects at each level of study. You will explore the past to allow you to prepare for your future through topics covering a thousand years of local, national and international history. Alongside this, you will develop your Spanish language skills and apply them to real-world situations. Our inclusive curriculum means that you will challenge existing narratives about the past and will be encouraged to think critically about how and why these narratives have developed. You will also explore important themes and issues relating to race, diversity, gender, imperialism, conflict and climate change.

In Year 1 (Level 4), you are introduced to global historical events, are given the opportunity to explore historical debates and are also exposed to key themes in medieval, Early Modern and contemporary history.

Spanish can be studied in a beginner or post A Level set. In Year 1 (Level 4), you will develop your language skills while exploring societies and cultures across the world where Spanish is spoken.

Modules

On Global Histories: Defining Moments we introduce you to historical events and processes from across the world and over the last two millennia which effected substantial change. In doing so, we will transform your perspectives by changing your views on the past, and developing the key skills required of historians. Here you begin the transition to becoming historians who are globally aware, chronologically informed, curious citizens as well as historians who are trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

Our Lectures will focus on historical themes including commercial change, global diseases, religious change, persecutions, genocide and enslavement, rebellions, revolutions, wars, and others.

Your Seminars will discuss related case studies on which you can choose to complete further research for your assignment. During these Seminars you will learn to distinguish, weigh and analyse primary and secondary sources related to the case studies and assess how to deploy them construct an argument.

On completing this module you will emerge equipped with a broad geographical and chronological historical knowledge to inform your preferences for optional modules and your historical thinking throughout the course. Through the Seminars and smaller group discussions you will adjust to university, build community and lay a foundation in the transferable skills required across the course.

History Wars will introduce you to the different ways people have conceived of History and the ongoing debates about what History is and how it should be done. During the module we will transform your perception of what History is and how we make History. By the end of the module you will be well on your way to becoming historians equipped to redefine History and who are trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

Our Lectures will focus on key themes in the way History has been defined and on key issues at the heart of how we do History, such as the relationship between the past and History, the nature of historical truth, the status of sources, the idea of facts or events, and others, opening a wide range of perspectives.

Your Seminars will discuss focused contributions to debates on these themes and issues by particular historians, examining in depth through small group activities.

On completing this module you will emerge equipped with a broad knowledge and understanding to inform your analysis of historians writing about particular times and places on your optional modules and for your dissertation. Through the Seminars and smaller group discussions you will adjust to university, build community and lay a foundation in the transferable skills required across the course.

This immersive module will offer you, as a student of French/Spanish, the opportunity to develop your language from beginner or Post A level through the study of French/Spanish speaking cultures from around the world. A wide variety of materials will be used, appropriate to your level, to support your language learning and allow you to explore the geography, history and diversity of regions of the world where French and Spanish are spoken. For Spanish, the emphasis is on Latin America and, for French, West Africa, North America and the Caribbean. You will build proficiency in grammar, comprehension and written and oral communication and survey cultural themes through film, literature, music and art. You will extend your academic skills, including strategies for independent learning, and apply these in assessments.

Pre-Modern Movements allows you to study major social, religious and cultural movements in particular chronological and geographical contexts before about 1750, such as medieval Crusades and Rebellions or early modern Reformations and Civil Wars.

During the module you will think about how societies are organised and how social organisation relates to changes in religious beliefs or politics, or produces violence and oppression.

Along the way you will hone the skills you developed from Global Histories and History Wars in using primary evidence, analysing historical arguments, and constructing your own historical answers.

By the end of the module you will be well on your way to becoming historians who are chronologically informed, curious citizens, and who are trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

Modern Spaces allows you to study significant cultural phenomena in particular chronological and geographical contexts after about 1750, such as conventions of conflict, ideas of the body, or cultures of leisure.

During the module you will think about how cultural assumptions arise and change in different historical circumstances, and what effects they have on people as individuals and groups.

Along the way you will hone the skills you developed from Global Histories and History Wars in using primary evidence, analysing historical arguments, and constructing your own historical answers. Through working with others to produce a group presentation you will acquire new skills in collaboration, oral and audio-visual communication, and responding to feedback.

This module is designed for students that have completed GCSE or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and learning conventions for spelling and pronunciation. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at an intermediate level.

This module is designed for students that have completed a A-Level or equivalent in Spanish. You will further develop your grammar, vocabulary and expression and apply these to real world situations. You will work with written and recorded texts on a range of cultural, personal and social topics and will develop oral and written communication skills at Post-A level.

You now have the opportunity to pick an optional module to learn a new language or build on your existing language skills as part of your degree. You can choose:

Subsidiary Language for Beginners (choice of German, Italian or Spanish)
French: Intermediate Language Development
Spanish: Intermediate Language Development
Chinese: Intermediate Language Development
German: Communication in Practice
French: Communication in Practice
Spanish: Communication in Practice

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the course that will take the form of either core or option modules and should be used as a guide. We review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects. If during a review process, course content is significantly changed, we will contact you to notify you of these changes if you receive an offer from us.

Year 2 (Level 5) builds on this foundation through more complex learning: you will consider the uses and abuses of history in both the past and present; focus on more specific regions, events or periods; consider the role of history in the workplace; and produce projects with external partners.

In Year 2 (Level 5), your Spanish is further applied to real-world situations in preparation for living, studying or working abroad. You may choose to take a language study placement abroad at the end of Year 2 (Level 5) or undertake a Cambridge CELTA qualification for teaching English to speakers of other languages.

During the year abroad you can live, study or work in countries where Spanish is spoken. You can spend time as a language assistant, find a work placement or attend one of our partner universities.

Modules

If you are on an Equal Weighting or a Major Weighting in History

History at Work will introduce you to the ways in which History is employed in a range of professional contexts – schools, museums, and the media – and provide you with experience of applying History to those contexts. During the Module we will explore the professional frameworks, government legislation, professional bodies, and ethical codes which structure the application of History in these contexts. Along the way, we will meet with professional practitioners to discuss their role, career routes, and experiences of working in these contexts.

Our interactive Lectures will focus on the policy and regulatory frameworks, confronting crucial problems in the intersection between education, heritage, the media, and equality and diversity.

Your small group activities will focus on dissecting those policy and regulatory frameworks, helping you to devise your own, improved professional framework.

By the end of the Module, building on the knowledge and understanding you developed in History Wars of how definitions of history relate to contexts and audiences, you will have a foundation to become a public historian who is professionally informed and experienced, having produced a real world, authentic professional document. This will prepare you for Curious Chester, where you will work to an external brief to produce a professional public history resource and reflect on your professional experiences.

If you are on an Equal Weighting or a Major Weighting in History

Fake History and Conspiracy Theories will introduce you to the ways in which the past and present have been misrepresented in a variety of chronological and geographical contexts. You will be challenged by a range of historical sources revealing the complex nature of historical truth, propaganda, misrepresentation and censorship.

You will be encouraged to reflect on how the past is preserved, taught, understood and evaluated. Notions of ‘truth’ and ‘fact’ will be debated, and, in seminars, students will develop their critical thinking skills, to analyse and discuss different realties and the consequences of how history has been preserved and represented.

By the end of the module, you will be better historians, and better citizens, more capable of rooting out misinformation and ‘fake news’, able to open-up a historical problem for further research, as well as produce more persuasive evidence-based arguments.

If you are on a Minor Weighting in History

On Rewriting History, you study an historical subject from a specific chronological and geographical setting. You will work with a members of staff to re-evaluate what historians have argued about those subjects, and to produce your own histories.

There will be a choice of subjects from which to select your preferences, which may include the following:
• The Vikings – A Local-Global Diaspora
• Witchcraze
• Fear City: Danger, Disorder, and Culture in the Modern Metropolis
• The Holocaust

During this module you will consider how historians have defined the subject, what they have argued about the causes and consequences of the subject, what evidence they have deployed to support their arguments, and how convincing you find their approaches and conclusions.

Along the way you will hone the skills you developed from Global Histories, History Wars, Pre-Modern Movements and Modern Spaces in analysing historical arguments, and constructing your own historical answers.

If you are on a Minor Weighting in History

On Challenging History, you will study an historical subject from a particular different chronological and geographical setting. You will work with a member of staff to re-evaluate what historians have argued about those subjects with a special focus on the primary sources, and you will develop your own analyses of those sources.

There will be a choice of subjects from which to select your preferences, which may include the following:
• The Age of the Black Death
• Europe in the Age of Reason and Absolutism, c. 1660 to c. 1780
• Seeking the Promised Land - Black America, 1865-1977
• Imperial Endings: Britain in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Age

During this module you will consider how historians have approached the subject and its sources, how they have used the evidence to support their arguments, and how convincing you find their analyses.

Along the way you will hone the skills you developed from Global Histories, History Wars, Pre-Modern Movements and Modern Spaces in using primary evidence and constructing your own historical answers.

By the end of the Module, you will be well on your way to becoming a historian who is chronologically aware, historiographically well-informed, and curious, and who is trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

This module will enable you to improve your linguistic proficiency by building on your existing competencies and knowledge, while also developing vocational language skills and intercultural awareness. As part of your language development, you will learn about important shared themes and patterns in the history of Latin America and Spain from a comparative perspective, with a view to understanding how these overlapping histories have shaped contemporary societies in both regions. Using a range of written and audio-visual texts in target language, you will study topics such as revolutions, dictatorships, cultural exchanges, and migration flows resulting from political and economic changes on both sides of the Atlantic.

You will advance towards a B1 or B2 level on the CEFR, depending on your set. All material is tailored to support your language level. Part of the module focuses on practical issues and is orientated towards preparation for your in-person or virtual immersive experience in the Spanish language, as well as for the world of work. You will enhance key skills such as reflecting on your learning and identifying personal and professional development opportunities, language mediation, and carrying out research. For example, you will develop new practical mediation skills by participating in tasks such as film subtitling.

Curious Chester will ask you to work to an external, real-world brief to research the underrepresented past of Chester, its region, or other regions, and produce a professional public history resource.

You will work with internal and external partners, which may include Chester Heritage Festival, Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, the Grosvenor Museum, Chester Cathedral, the University of Chester PGCE in Secondary History, and others.

You will be given a brief to fulfil a real-world need identified by these partners and you will pursue an independent project to produce a public history resource, such as a learning resource, a digital catalogue, a transcription, a monument contextualisation, an exhibition design, a social media campaign, amongst many other possibilities.

You will complete some training in pursuing an independent research project which will prepare you for the Dissertation Module and you will reflect on your experiences as a foundation for applying for a career, assessing and representing your skills, and engaging in employee personal development processes.

By the end of the module, reflecting on the knowledge and understanding you acquired in History at Work, you will be historians trained in a distinctive historical place - Chester and its institutions - and will be prepared to be public historians who are professionally informed and experienced in producing real world, authentic outcomes.

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at intermediate level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes an placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a business or tourism issue in a target language country.

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at advanced level. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a sustainability issue in a target language country. The first half of the module will prepare you for placements abroad where appropriate as well as a deeper understanding of sustainability in target language contexts.

This module provides the opportunity to achieve the University of Cambridge’s CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) qualification, which is an internationally recognised initial ELT (English Language Teaching) teacher qualification. The standards of teaching required in this are in accordance with CELTA standards. The CELTA is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis for the purposes of the University of Chester. There are pass grades A, B & C Pass, which are applied by Cambridge and will be indicated on the certificate issued by them on completion of the course. These grades do not apply to the grading of the university.

Languages Immersive Year Option

With tutorial guidance, you will create a personalised learning agenda through SMART targets and a Learning Agreement, aligned to your individual context and supported by a series of online tutorials. This will include immersive learning experiences. If you study in person, these may be modules studied at partner universities, work placements or English Language Assistantships. If you study all or part of the year virtually, this will include a number of the following: a selection of MOOCs and online learning from the virtual residence abroad menu; tandem learning partnerships, digital language learning tools, Languages for All evening classes and research into socio-cultural issues.

Languages Immersive Summer (40 Credits) Option

Choose this if you are NOT taking the full academic year abroad

This flexible module enables students taking the course in 3 years to undertake a placement or equivalent virtual study which will equip them to progress to the final year with the required linguistic development and cultural and intercultural knowledge.

Choose one of the following:

Professional Placement (40 Credits) Optional
Term abroad (40 Credits) Optional
One of the following Language options

Advanced Language Development and Global Sustainability (40 Credits) Optional

Developing Intercultural Literacy and Cross-Cultural Skills (40 Credits) Optional

The multiple facets of global citizenship
Ethical engagement and practice
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
Intercultural communication
Culture shock
Cultural adjustment
Self- assessment of needs: identification of the range of transferable skills, competencies and attitudes employees need and employers expect graduates to possess-with a strong focus on understanding the intercultural competencies (ICC) needed to live and work abroad.
Critical analysis/evaluation of individual requirements in relation to culture/cultural adjustment/culture shock/visas/medical.
Critical analysis/evaluation of skills already acquired in relation to key skills related to ICC.
Devising strategies to improve one’s own prospects of working abroad in the future.
Devising an action plan to address gaps in transferable skills based on organisational analysis and sector opportunities.

Experiential Overseas Learning (40 Credits) Optional

Preparation for Experiential Overseas Learning will take place at the University of Chester during level 5 and will include:

The multiple facets of Global citizenship
Ethical engagement and practice
Cross-cultural issues and sensitivity
Intercultural communication
Theories, models and strategies of learning

Theories and models Intercultural competence

Theories and models of Integration and Multiculturalism
Critical thinking skills and models of Reflection
Experiential learning models
Self-directed experiential learning

Personal and placement-related skills

Enhanced independence
Improved command of multicultural behaviour
Increased knowledge and confidence in their individual facets of personal identity
Effective time management and organisational skills
Project management – working away from University and independent study
Self-management and personal development
Team building and team work

Part B: Overseas

Students will engage in experiential learning activities overseas for at least 150 hours

Post Beginner Language Development and Global Cultures (40 Credits) Optional

The module will provide the opportunity to further develop your language skills, building on your previous learning at beginner level. The first half of the module includes intensive taught sessions in interactive workshop mode which will prepare you for placements abroad or self-directed language development. The second half of the module includes a placement abroad or, alternatively, a project on a cultural issue in a target language country.

Upper Intermediate Language Development and Global Employability (40 Credits) Optional

Or you can choose ONE of the following:

University Placement Year Optional
Subject Placement Year Optional
International University Placement Year Optional

In Year 3 (Level 6), you will immerse yourself in special subjects which focus on particular historical issues (and relevant primary source material) in greater depth.

At Level 6, you will study Spanish in the business world, translation and mediation, and can delve deeper into the study of languages in their diverse cultural contexts.

You will also undertake a major project in either history or Spanish on a research topic of your choice with support from a supervisor.

The course contains several optional modules which may run depending on the availability of staff expertise and the viability of cohorts. Where available, these options provide you with the opportunity to undertake study in particular areas of interest.

Modules

If you are on an Equal Weighting Minor Weighting in History

History at the Cutting Edge will engage you in analysing an unsolved historical problem with which one of our staff is engaged, opening up the historiography through the Secondary Sources to ask new questions and interrogating the Primary Sources to provide new answers.

You will select an historical problem from those on offer each year, spanning the pre-Modern and Modern periods.

Our Lectures will draw on our knowledge and understanding of the problem to help you review what has been written, break down the problem into logical steps, and identify the relevant evidence.

Your Seminars and small-group activities will involve active, critical discussion and analysis of what has been written and of the evidence to develop new ideas.

Building on your experiences in optional modules across the Course, by the end of the Module you will have advanced experience in applying the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent historical research and argument.

If you are on an Equal Weighting Major Weighting in History

The History Dissertation Module supports you to identify your own historical episode or topic on which to pursue an independent research project.

Our Lectures will focus on the main elements and steps required for a successful independent research project and poster presentation of the results.

Our supervision Tutorials will support you to apply those steps to your own chosen historical episode or topic.

Your project must reflect a thorough grounding in the relevant Secondary Literature and you must use an appropriate and significant range of Primary Sources in your research.

You may take a variety of approaches to the project, including: an in-depth historical analysis based on archival and Primary Sources; an historiographical approach based on extensive critical analysis of Secondary Sources; or an approach based on public or applied history, including placements.

After completing your independent project, you will produce poster presentations of your results to be exhibited in a final celebration of your research.

By the end of this Module, having applied the insights into interrogating historiography you gained from previous modules, including History Wars and Fake History and Conspiracy Theories, your experience of using Primary Sources to develop independent arguments from your History options, and your pursuit of an independent research project in Curious Chester, you will be an historian trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

If you are on an Equal Weighting and Major Weighting in History

On the History Special Subject Part 1 you explore and study in-depth a specialist historical topic based on the academic specialisms of staff members.

There will be a choice of subjects from which to select your preferences, which may include the following:
The Norman Conquest 1066-1154
Court and Culture 1363-1477
Slaves, Samurai and Serpent-Gods: Empires of the Early Modern World
The British Wars and English Revolution, c. 1637 to c. 1660
Freedom, Rights and Justice - American Constitutional History Since 1789
Beauty and the Blitz: The Battle for Modern England (1800-2000)
Gritty City, Urban Wonderland: The Rise of the Modern Metropolis
The Culture of Defeat: Weimar Germany and the Legacies of the First World War
Genocide in History and Memory

This module enables you to develop a critical understanding of your subject, but also of ways that history can be delivered to an audience through an oral presentation.

By the end of the Module, you will have utilised skills relevant to a wide range of future careers including, but not limited to, those in teaching and heritage.

If you are on a Major Weighting in History

On the History Special Subject Part 2 you will continue to study the specialist historical topic you began in History Specialised Subject Part 1, placing greater emphasis on Primary Sources.

During the Module, you will develop a critical understanding of your special subject and its Primary Sources. You will also utilise digital tools to demonstrate how the subject and those Sources can be publicised to a wide audience.

By the end of the Module, you will have produced a digital resource for public and applied history, utilising skills relevant to a wide range of future careers including, but not limited to, those in teaching and heritage.

Level 6 EQUAL

This module will re-engage you in studying more formally and put in context all your previous experiences whether in your placements or taught modules at level 5, by taking a more analytical and in-depth study of salient societal changes in the Spanish speaking world. This module will also offer the possibility of developing your target language skills in a practical, immersive and interactive way. The module offers plenty of opportunities for oral practice and student input through class presentations, discussions and debates.

This module will offer you the opportunity to examine thematically some of the challenges of representing identity and giving voice to diversity in contemporary global societies. You will explore a range of literary, visual, audio and cinematic texts (all available in English translation) from across the different language cultures studied on this course. These texts will be structured around dominant themes drawn from, among others: decolonising the intellectual; ableism, hip hop and oral traditions in the 21st century; visual representations of difference; young voices in protest; identity politics in action. You will analyse and discuss cultural representations of contemporary identities and be invited to suggest and present ideas for new texts to include.

The module begins with an overview of the business world in the relevant target language. You then focus on analysing and developing the specialised language and register required in a variety of business contexts. For example, in the fields of marketing and advertising, and when writing formal correspondence and attending business meetings. You will work with authentic and simulated materials to undertake a business negotiation in target language and produce a dossier that links to career progression. Employer guest speakers will contribute to cross-module sessions delivered in English.

Or Level 6 EQUAL

This module allows you the space to explore an area of language, culture or professional practice in greater depth, giving you the opportunity to steer your degree in a direction of your choosing. With your tutor's support, your guided project can be designed to suit your individual goals. This is an opportunity for you to find out more about a possible career path you may be considering or the scope of using your language in business and industry, you may wish to carry out further academic research on a topic related to languages and cultures or undertake a more practical project in the application of your language skills. Your guided project will consolidate skills and knowledge you have acquired elsewhere on the course and possible categories include: translation revision and post-editing; investigating freelance subtitling; pedagogical practice with school liaison linking theory and practice; business projects and academic research essays. The module allows you greater independence and choice in your final year and further develops transferable and employable skills.

Same as Languages in the Business World in 'Level 6 EQUAL where major project is for the other combined subject '

Or

Same as Social Changes in the Spanish-Speaking World Today in 'Level 6 EQUAL where major project is for the other combined subject '

Same as Voicing Global Identities in 'Level 6 EQUAL where major project is for the other combined subject '

How You'll Learn

This course is delivered in three terms of 10 weeks each. In each term, you will study 40 credits comprising either one or two modules. Scheduled contact hours range between approximately six and 12 hours per week, depending upon the level of study and the complexity of the material being taught.

The vast majority of teaching will be in small groups, in seminars and tutorials, but you will also get the chance to meet everyone in your year in large lectures for the core modules. When possible, we also take students out on field trips to historic locations or heritage sites for ‘hands-on’ learning. You will also undertake some structured activities online, allowing you to make the best use of your independent study time while developing essential digital skills.

Teaching will be delivered by experienced academics in the field. This will be supplemented by talks from practitioners and occasional guest lecturers.

You will be assessed through a wide range of coursework methods, all of which are designed not only to test your subject knowledge and language proficiency but also to allow you to develop and demonstrate skills that are essential for success after university. These may include essays, source analyses, literature reviews and oral presentations, but also reflective exercises, digital assignments including video essays, podcasts and other digital media, poster presentations and portfolios. We continuously review the assessment methods used in order to ensure they adequately prepare students for graduate level employment. There are no exams on our history and Spanish course.

All teaching is delivered by experienced academics and practitioners, with the fundamental principles of the Chester Future Skills Curriculum at its core - building your subject competence, confidence and key transferable skills to shape you into a world-ready Chester graduate.

Entry Requirements

112UCAS Points

UCAS Tariff	112 points
GCE A Level	Typical offer – BCC-BBC The Department requires one of the following subjects: History or a suitable alternative such as Classical Civilisation, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Government & Politics, Sociology or Law. In addition, a GCSE in a modern foreign language at grade C / 4 or above is required.
BTEC	BTEC Extended Diploma: History or a suitable alternative such as Classical Civilisation, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Government & Politics, Sociology or Law. Typical offer – DMM (Can only consider in combination with one of the A Levels listed above.) In addition, a GCSE in a modern foreign language at grade C / 4 or above is required.
International Baccalaureate	28 points (including 5 in HL History, or a suitable alternative such as English, Philosophy or Social and Cultural Anthropology)
Irish / Scottish Highers	Irish Highers – H3 H3 H3 H3 H4 (including H3 in History, or a suitable alternative such as English, Politics & Society or RE) Scottish Highers – BBBB (including History, or a suitable alternative such as English or Religious Studies)
Access requirements	Access to HE Diploma to include 45 credits at level 3, of which 30 must be at Merit or above. Must include 15 level 3 credits in History or a suitable alternative such as Classical Civilisation, English, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Government & Politics, Sociology or Law. In addition, a GCSE in a modern foreign language at grade C / 4 or above is required.
Extra Information	Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced and A Level General Studies will be recognised in our offer. We will also consider a combination of A Levels and BTECs/OCRs. In addition, a GCSE in a modern foreign language at grade C / 4 or above is required.

Students from countries outside the UK are expected to have entry qualifications roughly equivalent to UK A Level for undergraduate study and British Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) for postgraduate study. To help you to interpret these equivalents, please click on your country of residence to see the corresponding entry qualifications, along with information about your local representatives, events, information and contacts.

We accept a wide range of qualifications and consider all applications individually on merit. We may also consider appropriate work experience.

English Language Requirements

IELTS Academic: Undergraduate: 6.0 (minimum 5.5 in each band)
Postgraduate: 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each band)

For more information on our entry requirements, please visit International Entry Requirements.

Fees and Funding

£9,535per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

Our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for Home students entering University in 2025/26 are £9,535 a year, or £1,590 per 20-credit module for part-time study.

You can find more information about undergraduate fees on our Fees and Finance pages.

Students from the UK, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and the Republic of Ireland are treated as Home students for tuition fee purposes.

Students from countries in the European Economic Area and the EU will pay International Tuition Fees.

Students who have been granted Settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans.

Students who have been granted Pre-settled Status may be eligible for Home Fee Status and if eligible will be able to apply for Tuition Fee Loans.

£14,450*per year for a full-time course (2025/26)

The tuition fees for international students studying Undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 are £14,450 per year for a full-time course. This fee is set for each year of study.

The University of Chester offers generous international and merit-based scholarships, providing a significant reduction to the published headline tuition fee. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when your application is reviewed, and any award given will be stated on your offer letter.

For courses with a Foundation Year, the tuition fees for Year 1 are £10,750 and £14,200 for Years 2-4 in 2025/26.

For more information, go to our International Fees, Scholarship and Finance section.

Irish Nationals living in the UK or ROI are treated as Home students for Tuition Fee Purposes.

Your course will involve additional costs not covered by your tuition fees. This may include books, printing, photocopying, educational stationery and related materials, specialist clothing, travel to placements, optional field trips and software. Compulsory field trips are covered by your tuition fees.

If you are living away from home during your time at university, you will need to cover costs such as accommodation, food, travel and bills.

The extra costs associated with your placement abroad will vary greatly depending on where you want to study or work. During your Level 5 core module, you will be advised on the different options available and guided on how to calculate the costs.

Where You'll Study Exton Park, Chester

The location

Modern learning resources and library

Seaborne library, seating and reception area.

Fitness facilities

A male student wearing goggles is swimming in the training pool between the red rope lane marker lines.

Student Services

Chapel, chaplaincy and multi-faith spaces

Accommodation

Catering

Your Future Career

Careers Service

The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.

Careers and Employability aims to deliver a service which is inclusive, impartial, welcoming, informed and tailored to your personal goals and aspirations, to enable you to develop as an individual and contribute to the business and community in which you will live and work.

We are here to help you plan your future, make the most of your time at University and to enhance your employability. We provide access to part-time jobs, extra-curricular employability-enhancing workshops and offer practical one-to-one help with career planning, including help with CVs, applications and mock interviews. We also deliver group sessions on career planning within each course and we have a wide range of extensive information covering graduate jobs and postgraduate study.

History and Spanish BA (Hons)

Course Summary

Why You'll Love It

Customisation and flexibility

International opportunities

Supportive and inclusive learning environment

What You'll Study

Modules

Modules

Modules

Level 6 EQUAL

Or Level 6 EQUAL

Or

How You'll Learn

Entry Requirements

Fees and Funding