AS/A Level History
Key Details
- Available at:Rhos-on-Sea, Pwllheli, Rhyl, Dolgellau
- Study Mode:Full-time
- Course Length:
1-2 years
AS/A Level HistoryFull-Time (Further Education)
Please note: We recommend that you have access to a laptop or Chromebook to enable coursework to be completed digitally at home. There is a dedicated IT Digital Inclusion fund to support those learners who do not have a digital device and are unable to purchase one.
Course Description
Are you interested in how the modern world evolved from the past? This course develops your understanding of British and European history, giving you the critical skills to examine the past.
The course is suitable if you have a GCSE in History, or in another Humanities subject. If you have not previously studied in this area, your suitability for the course can be discussed at interview.
All students should be aware that the course leads to an academic qualification, and is not a general history course. Studying History at this advanced level requires commitment and hard work, but can also be a rewarding experience.
The course can be taken as part of a full-time programme of study, in conjunction with other AS/A Level subjects or possibly with vocational Level 3 qualifications.
Entry Criteria
Applying for A Levels? Click ‘Apply Now’ on any of the subjects you are interested in studying. You will be able to specify your other two A Level choices during the online application process.
In order to qualify for this course, you will need the following:
- 6 GCSEs at grade C or above, including English or Welsh 1st Language
- GCSE History grade B, or GCSE English or Welsh 1st Language grade B if History not studied at GCSE
As part of the application process, you will be asked to attend an interview to give you the opportunity to discuss the course.
Progression to A Level is based on your performance at AS Level.
Delivery
This course is delivered as follows:
- Group work
- Classroom-based learning
- Tutorial support
- Educational visits
- MOODLE (virtual learning environment).
Your programme will include a combination of:
- Essential Skills qualifications and/or
- GCSE resits and/or
- The Welsh Baccalaureate
Welsh Baccalaureate
Welsh Baccalaureate is a valuable qualification which is often studied alongside your Level 3 full-time course.
The qualification is graded A*-E, carrying the equivalent UCAS points at Level 3, and equips you with transferable personal and business skills. It is highly regarded by universities and employers alike.
As part of the qualification, you will learn about Global Citizenship, Enterprise and Employability and take part in community engagement and work experience.
Essential Skills
This may include a combination of Application of Number, Communication, Digital Literacy and Essential Employability Skills
GCSE resits
This may include GCSE Numeracy/Maths and/or Welsh/English Language.
Maths & Welsh/English
If you don't achieve a C or above in Maths and/ or English/Welsh, we will support you to retake these subjects as part of your study programme.
Assessment
- 2 AS Modules studied in the first year - assessment by written examination on all modules in May/June
- 3 A2 Modules studied in the second year - assessment by internally-set assignment (Unit 5) / written examination in June (Units 3 and 4).
Progression
Whether you gain the full A Level or just the AS Level, the course adds to your qualifications and helps you to progress.
You will gain UCAS points and be able to apply for a range of Higher Education courses at many institutions. This includes History and Humanities courses, as well as many other options. History is a well-regarded academic subject and should be a good preparation for many university degree subjects.
In terms of career options, the conventional sectors for history students include education, archiving, archaeology, heritage and museums.
Many professionals in journalism, media, business, law, politics, management, acting, radio and literature have studied history, and may actively draw from historical knowledge in their work. The course also helps you to learn transferable skills such as ordering analyses, writing persuasively and synthesising ideas. These are useful in many jobs and help boost your employability.
Campus Information Dolgellau
The course will give you an insight into 3 very different periods of the past, namely Wales and England 1405 – 1603, Germany 1918 – 1945 and America 1890 – 1990. You will have the opportunity to examine and engage with the periods, whilst also gaining broader skills related to the study of history.
Year 1
Unit 1: Government, Rebellion and Society 1405 – 1603
Unit 2: Weimar Germany 1918 – 1933
Year 2 (A2)
Unit 3: America 1890 – 1990
Unit 4: Nazi Germany 1933 – 1945
Unit 5: Coursework Assignment relating to the Tudor period 1485 – 1603
Campus Information Pwllheli
The course will give you an insight into 3 very different periods of the past, namely Wales and England 1405 – 1603, Germany 1918 – 1945 and America 1890 – 1990. You will have the opportunity to examine and engage with the periods, whilst also gaining broader skills related to the study of history.
Year 1
Unit 1: Government, Rebellion and Society 1405 – 1603
Unit 2: Weimar Germany 1918 – 1933
Year 2 (A2)
Unit 3: America 1890 – 1990
Unit 4: Nazi Germany 1933 – 1945
Unit 5: Coursework Assignment relating to the Tudor period 1485 – 1603
Campus Information Rhyl
In the first year, you will study two periods, one British topic area and one European topic area, and these will be developed further in the second year.
Firstly, we will study the Tudor monarchs from Henry VII to Elizabeth I and the fundamental changes in government, society and religion that the Tudors brought about to begin creating our modern society. There will be battles, rebellions, executions and major changes in peoples’ lives a-plenty to discover. We will meet many historical figures both admirable and unpleasant and there will be debates to address regarding cause and effect and issues of change or continuity.
The European topic is the Rise of Nazi Germany,which is studied for many reasons but particularly to avoid nations making the same political mistakes again. We will study Germany over two years looking at the Weimar Republic and the rise of the Nazis in the first year and then look at life in Nazi Germany and the Second World War including the Holocaust in the second year.
As part of the second year, we will also need to study another topic unrelated to anything we have studied on the course so far. This is to stretch and challenge students to be ready for the potential challenges of University life. This topic will be a study of the causes and events ofthe French Revolution and then subsequently Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte’s career. It will again be full of action: rebellion, revolution, wars, larger-than-life personalities (like Napoleon himself and the notorious Robespierre) and a high body count. It is important too because it triggered our current ideas of democracy and freedom of the individual and that in turn will lead the important political ideologies Socialism and Communism which have dominated the 20th and 21st Centuries.
There is also an individual coursework element in the second year, which will be drawn either from the Tudor topic or from the French topic.
AS Units
Unit 1: Government, Rebellion and Society in Wales and England c.1485-1603 (Tudors)
Unit 2: Germany Part 1 – Weimar and its Challenges c.1918-1933
A2 Units
Unit 3: France – Ancien Régime to Napoleon c. 1715-1815
Unit 4: Germany Part 2 – Nazi Germany c.1933-1945
Unit 5: Historical Interpretations – 4000 Word Essay (Topic to be decided – probably Tudor)
Campus Information Rhos-on-Sea
Unit Information
AS Unit 1
A period study covering aspects of European History in the first part of the twentieth century, for example, the rule of Mussolini in Italy and Stalin in Russia.
AS Unit 2
A depth study which investigates Britain 1625-42 in the years leading up to the Civil War. Through source-work, the decline of the Stuart monarchy is studied, with the rise of Parliamentary demands for greater influence in the government of England, Scotland and Wales.
[AS Exams are taken at the end of Year 1]
A2 Unit 3
For the academic year 2016-17, we will be studying America 1890-1990, which includes the development and achievements of the Civil Right Movements and the attempts by President Roosevelt to solve the economic problems of the Great Depression.
A2 Unit 4
This unit is a continuation of the earlier AS Unit 2, including the English Civil War, the execution of Charles 1 and the period of rule by Oliver Cromwell.
A2 Unit 5
An investigation submitted as coursework.
Other details
Course type: Full-Time (Further Education)
Level:
3
Bilingual:
This programme is available bilingually at the following campus(es):
- Dolgellau
- Pwllheli