BA (Hons)

History including Foundation Year

This course invites you to explore History through engaging themes and topics, while developing essential skills in research, critical thinking and communication.

How to apply Apply through UCAS Book an open day Chat to us

Key Course Details

  • UCAS Code

    V00F

  • Start Date

    September

  • Location

    Cardiff

  • Campus Code

    B

Fees

  • Home students

    £5,760*

  • International students

    £16,800*

  • Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits.
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Throughout the year you’ll learn to analyse sources, think critically about the past, and communicate your ideas clearly. With active teaching, reflective tasks and applied assessments, you’ll gain a strong academic foundation and transferable skills to progress into the History degree and beyond. This course supports your growth, curiosity and readiness for a higher level of study.

DESIGNED FOR

If you love exploring history and want to develop your researching, critical thinking and analysis skills but you do not currently meet the entry criteria for entry onto the degree course, or you are returning to education after a break, this foundation year in History will be perfect for you.

Career paths

  • Teaching
  • Heritage
  • Museums and archives
  • The Civil Service
  • Management

Skills taught

  • Communication
  • Time management
  • Research and Evaluation
  • Critical Thinking
  • IT Skills

We make a difference in practice, not just on paper. Our courses are designed by people who offer jobs - and taught by people who have real work experience.

A student sat in shared study space in the library at Pontypridd Campus, Treforest
Three students sat in Newport campus library studying together
Three students laugh together while stood on a small bridge over a pond at Treforest campus

Course Highlights

Gain a strong academic foundation

Develop a range of essential skills such as IT skills and critical thinking that will prepare you for your degree.

Develop your research skills

Grow your confidence as you are supported to independently research and evaluate sources in a range of contexts.

Taught by experts

You will be taught by passionate academics who are leaders in their field of study. 78% of our research outputs are rated as world-leading and internationally excellent.

Top in Wales

BA History at USW is top for Teaching Quality in Wales (Times University Rankings 2025).

Module Overview

The History Foundation Year builds academic confidence and historical curiosity through active learning, reflection and research, exploring society, culture and change to prepare you for degree-level study with resilience and purpose. 

Starting your University Journey  
Develop academic, personal and professional skills for university study. You’ll reflect on your progress, build confidence, and create an evidence-based portfolio to support your future learning.  

Crime, Media and Culture 
Focusing on crime and justice in contemporary society, this module examines the influence of media, identity and public opinion. You’ll examine key debates and propose evidence-informed reforms to understand justice in contemporary society. 

Childhood through the Ages  
Explore how childhood has changed over time, examining key thinkers, ideas and policies. You’ll develop research and presentation skills while investigating how societies have understood and shaped children’s lives.  

The Impact Challenge: Shaping Real World Solutions 
The Impact Challenge is a Foundation Year project module where students work in teams to tackle real-world issues, developing solutions through research, curiosity, teamwork, and responsible problem-solving.  

For details of the modules you will study after successful completion of the Foundation Year, please see the main course page.

Course Highlights

How you'll learn

You will learn through active, real-world learning experiences that encourage curiosity, collaboration and independent thinking. Teaching helps you understand how learning works at university, while building academic confidence, critical thinking and self-reflection. You’ll work independently and with others through discussions, practical activities and guided reflection, supported by digital tools. Regular feedback helps you recognise progress and plan next steps, supporting wellbeing, resilience and a strong sense of belonging as you prepare for a higher level of study.

How you'll be assessed

You’ll be assessed in different ways, including short tasks, coursework, presentations, and group work. Early assessments are designed to support your learning and help you understand what is expected at university. Most assessments are coursework-based and help you develop key skills such as research, academic writing, teamwork, and communication. You’ll also reflect on your progress and use university systems and digital tools. Clear, timely feedback will help you understand how to improve and support your next steps. 

Placements

The skills you learn on a History degree are highly sought after by employers. Students who progress onto the full degree program will undertake a work placement that will help prepare you for your future career. This will be in your second year of study (third year if you are completing the foundation year).

Our course team and USW careers team will help you to find a suitable placement. Previous students have had work experience in schools, museums and businesses and collaborated on various projects that we run in conjunction with external partners including a Black Lives Matter inspired project in Rhondda Cynon Taf called History on the Edge.

Facilities

Positioned in the Welsh town of Pontypridd, just a 20-minute drive from Cardiff, our Treforest campus is host to a range of creative and inspiring courses. We've invested in the latest technology, software and equipment to make sure you're ready to start your career with confidence and experience. Our Treforest campus also has plenty of dedicated workspaces, allowing you to work collaboratively on creative projects with friends and colleagues.

With an onsite student union, sports centre, restaurants, shops, and more, it boasts a great student community with the added benefit of Cardiff on the doorstep.

Student Stories

Smiling history student seated in a library, writing in a notebook at a table, profile shot with bookshelves in the background.
Becoming a historical Sherlock: how studying History at USW develops critical thinking

Ben Price

History student

Smiling history student seated in a library, holding an open book at a table, profile shot with bookshelves in the background.
From curiosity to curator: my journey studying BA History at USW

Annie Snee

History student

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

USW history graduates enjoy excellent employment prospects. You’ll develop valuable skills in communication, research, analysis, critical thinking, organisation, and project management which are highly sought after across various sectors. Recent graduates have secured roles in museums, archives, and heritage sites like Cyfarthfa Castle. Many have entered teaching, while others have launched high-value careers in publishing, civil service or management.

Industry Partners

We maintain strong connections with museums and heritage bodies, offering placements, industry engagements, and site visits. Our collaborations have extended to institutions in the US, Europe, and Australia. USW’s History Research Group is recognised for its world-leading and internationally excellent impact. This research builds connections with the Welsh Government, the National Museum of Wales, and other key organisations, where our staff serve as historical advisers. Additionally, our staff deliver courses and talks with the Historical Association, providing valuable opportunities to engage with cutting-edge research.

Careers support

You’ll have access to advice from our careers and employability service throughout your studies and when you graduate. This includes one-to-one appointments with career advisers either in person or virtually through video call or email. We also have online resources to help explore career options and ensure you present yourself well to employers. These include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, an interview simulator, and application help. We also have over 2,000 registered employers targeting business graduates, so we’ll sign you up to receive weekly email alerts for jobs that match your interests too. 

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

48 UCAS Points (or above)

Typical qualification requirements:

  • A Level: DD
  • BTEC: BTEC Extended Diploma Pass Pass Pass or BTEC Diploma Pass Pass 
  • Access to HE: Pass the Access to HE Diploma with a minimum of 48 UCAS Tariff points

Additional requirements include:

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 3 GCSEs including Mathematics and English at Grade C/Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

 

We're here to help

Whether you a have a question about your course, fees and funding, the application process or anything else, there are plenty of ways you can get in touch, and we'd love to talk to you. You can contact our friendly admissions team by phone, email or chat to us online.

 

Fees and Funding

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

Foundation Year Tuition Fee

Where applicable, the Tuition Fee for international students is as listed in the fees section above

Further Information

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy.  We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

Fees and Funding

Additional Costs

Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of stationery, printing, or equipment during your foundation year.  For costs after you progress to year 1 of your degree programme, please see the list below.

University Quality Assurance

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

Life at USW

Halls are a big part of your student experience and there’s accommodation at all three of our locations. If you don’t want to live near the campus, there are great transport links to keep you connected.

A student sat smiling and talking to friends off camera in Treforest Student's Union
Student Life
The University's Ty Crawshays building at Treforest, Pontypridd.
Pontypridd Campus, Treforest
A double room at our Pontypridd accommodation featuring a large window.
Accommodation

How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS. You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).

Advanced entry

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.

International admissions

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.
 

Next Steps

How to apply
Apply Through UCAS
Book an Open Day
Chat to Us