Social and Cultural History

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (Hons) in History or a related subject.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This course focuses on the history of people, their societies and cultures. You will explore how people have lived and died across a wide range of historical periods and geographies.

The core modules and dissertation workshops will introduce you to key concepts and issues in social and cultural history and improve your research and writing skills. You will also choose from a wide range of optional modules, allowing you to focus on societies and periods that are of interest to you.

You could study health care in Africa, communities and castes in India, European life courses or the movements of people across the world. You’ll be able to focus on gender, race and religion as well as other issues that have shaped the lives of individuals and communities. Our offering in social histories of health and medicine, from the medieval to the modern, is particularly strong.

Taught by expert researchers within the School of History and across the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, this course uses the latest approaches and thinking in social and cultural history to give you an insight into the lives of others.

This course is also available to study part-time over 24 months.

Specialist resources and facilities

We have a wealth of resources allowing you to explore topics that interest you. The world-class Brotherton Library and its Special Collections contain a huge number of early printed, archive and manuscript materials including the Liddle Collection on the First and Second World Wars, Leeds Library of Vernacular Culture, manuscript and commonplace books, travel journals and one of the best collections of cookery books and household manuals in the country.

Extensive collections of national, regional and local newspapers from over the years are available on microfilm, as well as cartoons and satirical prints from the British Museum and extensive collections of letters and correspondence. There’s even the Yorkshire Fashion Archive and M&S Archive on campus, allowing you to gain a real insight into popular culture over time.

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Information for international students

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in all components. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Arts and Humanities (6 weeks) and Language for Social Science and Arts: Arts and Humanities (10 weeks).

If you need to study for longer than 10 weeks, read more about our postgraduate pre-sessional English course.