History & Media Degrees at Aberystwyth University


History & Media Degree - 3 year Degree (VP13)
with the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies

History & Media Degree

The innovative History & Media Degree scheme is designed for students who wish to pursue and develop their interests in both history and media studies. Its flexible structure, and teaching across the two departments of History and Welsh History and Theatre, Film and Television Studies, offers you the opportunity to study each subject independently and within an interdisciplinary context. This will develop both your historical knowledge and your practical and theoretical understanding of mass media.

This degree scheme makes full use of the National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales, which is based a few minutes walk from campus at the National Library of Wales.

History & Media Degree Year 1

As a student on the History and Media degree scheme you will divide your time equally between the Department of History and Welsh History and the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies.

Both departments have core modules that seek to ease the transition to undergraduate studies and provide an introduction to key skills and approaches. Otherwise, you will enjoy the opportunity to choose modules in both departments.

In History and Welsh History, these include:

  • Post-War Britain: From Baby Boomers to Blair
  • The Making of the American Nation, 1783-2000
  • The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union
  • The Making of Modern France, 1730-1914

In Theatre, Film and Television Studies, these include:

  • Studying Film
  • Studying Television
  • Introduction to Film and Television Production
  • Thinking the Visual

History & Media Degree Years 2 and 3

Both departments seek to build on the principles of study established in Year 1 with a range of different types of modules in the second and third years.

In the Department of History and Welsh History, students will choose a mixture of modules, from surveys of a particular period or theme to in-depth studies of sources. Current modules particularly relevant to media students include:

  • Media and Society in 20th Century Britain
  • Studying Cuban History through Film
  • The History of Cartoons: Studying Georgian Satirical Prints
  • Images of Stalinism

The remaining modules will be taken from the full range offered by Theatre, Film and Television Studies, including:

  • Classic Hollywood Cinema
  • British Film History
  • Contemporary Television Drama
  • Representations of the Holocaust on Film

History & Media Degree Dissertation

Final year students will also have the opportunity to write a dissertation on a topic of their choice. Depending on where your particular interests lie, you can choose to write your dissertation with either department.

History & Media Degree sample module - Module Example

Media and Society in 20th Century Britain

Do we believe what we read in the press? How has modern society become dominated by different forms of media? This module examines the history of mass media (press, cinema, broadcasting) in twentieth century Britain through a chronological and thematic exploration of the media themselves (structure, technology, character); the relationship between media and audience; role of media as both mirror of and influence on twentieth century British social and cultural development; function of media in projecting national identity; and the relationship between state, media and electorate throughout the century.

Study Scheme Information

The information on this page refers to the following study scheme(s)

Key Information Set