FAQs
Here you will find answers to our most frequently asked questions. Click on a question to reveal the answer. You can also access the University of Sheffield's FAQ database which contains answers to hundreds of commonly asked questions.
If your question is not answered here then please contact Beky Hasnip, the Admissions Secretary.
GeneralQ. When do the University Terms Start? A. The History Department's courses all follow the standard semester dates, which are available for each academic year. Q. What sports facilities do you have? A. We have excellent sports and recreation facilities here at the University of Sheffield plus a wide range of established sports clubs, making sport at the University available for everyone. Goodwin Sports Centre is our flag ship facility incorporating 3 full size synthetic turf pitches, 3 small sided synthetic turf pitches, a multi-purpose sports hall, swimming pool, bouldering wall, 4 squash courts, a tennis court, cricket nets and the superbly equipped S10health Fitness Centre. Q. How many students attend your University and Department? A. The University of Sheffield currently has over 24,000 registered students. This includes approximately 18,000 undergraduates and more than 5,000 postgraduate students. The student population includes over 2,300 international students from more than 118 countries. The Department generally has around 160 single honours and 120 dual honours students at each Level of study at any one time. This is the final number of places that we have to offer once A-Level results are released each year. Q. Can I have a copy of your departmental brochure? A. Yes. You can download a copy of our brochure or request a copy using our Undergraduate Information Request Form.
Q. What degree programmes do you offer? A. We offer a wide range of degree programmes. Use the link below to access information about degree programmes, course structure, module choices and entry requirements. Q. What careers are available after I finish my degree? A. There are many possible career paths open to students who have studied History. Q. When will I hear about accommodation? A. The University will send a Home from Home information pack (including information on fees, funding and bursaries) to all undergraduate offer-holders. You will then be able to apply for accommodation either using the paper form at the back of the booklet, or online. Q. What is an average undergraduate week like? A. Some of our undergraduate historians have agreed to record their activities for a week, so you can see how it all fits together. [to follow] Q. Can you recommend any reading for the summer before I come to Sheffield? A. Applicants often ask the Department whether we can recommend any reading for the summer before they come to Sheffield. We do not have a list of books that we require you to have read, and we certainly do not look for any particular book to be mentioned in applications! We would encourage you to delve a little deeper in whatever you find interesting: your teachers may well have advice on this. However, if you do want to try something a little different, here is a selection of books, in approximately chronological order, chosen for their influence, innovative techniques, and readability. They should also all be easy to get hold of, for example through local libraries. Bryan Ward-Perkins, The Fall of Rome: and the end of civilization (2006) Robert Bartlett, The Making of Europe: Conquest, Colonization and Cultural Change (2003) John Darwin, After Tamerlane: the rise and fall of Global Empires, 1400-2000 (2008) Keith Thomas, Religion and the decline of magic: studies in popular belief in 16th- and 17th- century England (1978) Olwen Hufton, The Prospect before Her: A History of Women in Western Europe, 1500-1800 (1995) Bob Shoemaker, The London Mob: Violence and Disorder in Eighteenth-century England (2004) Stephanie Smallwood, Saltwater slavery: a middle passage from Africa to American diaspora (2008) Sheila Fitzpatrick, The Russian Revolution (2008) Ian Kershaw, The End: Hitler’s Germany, 1944-45 (2011) Ruth Harris, Lourdes: body and spirit in the secular age (2008) Mark Mazower, Dark Continent: Europe’s 20th century (1999) |
Course StructureQ. What will the course structure be? A. Use the link below to access information about degree programmes, course structure, module choices and entry requirements. Click on the course content tab to view the course structure. Q. Am I able to take classes from outside of the Department? A. You can choose to take unrestricted modules as follows: Single Honours Students In each year you need to study modules totalling 120 credits (usually 60 credits per semester). You are required to do our core module plus at least one other module from the department. All of the modules within the history department are 20 credits, so doing two modules will give you 40 credits. Your final 80 credits can then either be made up of further history modules (i.e. you can do all six history modules, if you wish) or modules outside of the department ('unrestricted modules'). These modules can be taken from any other department, subject to availability and any restrictions imposed by that department. At level two there is the option to substitute one of your option modules (20 credits) for an unrestricted module but at this stage in your degree is it only subject to the approval of the department at that time. At level three no such option is available. Details of the unrestricted modules available for Level One will be sent out to you in September when you receive your registration pack. -- Dual Honours Students At Level One you will study 120 credits in total over the year: 60 credits in history and 60 in your other subject. You are required to do our core module plus at least one other history module. This will total 40 credits, you other 20 credits can either come from another history module or a module from outside of the department ('unrestricted module'). This module can be taken from any other department, subject to availability and any restrictions imposed by that department. At level two there is the option to substitute one of your option modules (20 credits) in either History or sometimes your dual subject for an unrestricted module, but at this stage in your degree it is not recommended and is subject to the approval of the departments at that time. At level three no such option is available. Details of the unrestricted modules available for Level One will be sent out to you in September when you receive your registration pack. Q. What modules can I study at each Level? A. Use the link below to access information about degree programmes, course structure, module choices and entry requirements. Click on the course content tab to view module information. Q. When will my course end? A. The History Department's courses all end in June, three years after commencement of your course, or four years for dual programmes with languages. Q. Do you offer any student exchange programmes with other institutions? A. The History Department supports the University's Study Abroad scheme, which gives students the opportunity to spend an academic year (or one semester) studying in universities in the USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. The Department also runs exchange programmes as part of the Erasmus Scheme, with Tübingen in Germany and Le Mans in France. Q. What are the class sizes? A. We believe that close contact with full-time lecturing staff is essential, and it is at the heart of our teaching practice. We ensure that groups for seminars, the discussion-based form of teaching, are kept small to encourage participation. In your first year, seminar groups will be no more than 12 students; in your second year, no more than 15; and in your third year, no more than 16 (at which point most of your learning in the Department will be in seminars) These are maximum sizes: often groups are smaller. The sizes of lectures vary from course to course and level to level. Some of your lectures will have more than 200 students, others will have fewer than 20. Q. How many hours contact time will I have each week? A. Learning at university-level is very different from learning at school. Lectures provide a framework for your study, while seminars are where you discuss your reading with the course tutor and other students in small groups: a very different, more intense form of contact. Independent study is therefore a crucial part of our degree, fostering qualities of self-reliance and organisation valued by employers. In addition to the hours listed below, your lecturers and your personal tutors have set office hours each week, and can also be contacted by email, should you have additional questions. Single Honours Students
-- Dual Honours Students At each level you will do half the amount of history modules (i.e. three) and will, therefore, have half the contact time with our tutors. Your overall contact time will depend on your other department's teaching practice, and you should contact them for more information. |
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ApplyingQ. How do I apply for an undergraduate course? A. All applications for undergraduate study must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Please visit the UCAS website for more information on how to apply.
Q. Have you received my application? A. If you are applying for an undergraduate course then you should be notified by UCAS when your form has been received. You can also monitor the progress of your application in Track using your Personal ID and the same username and password that you used to apply. Please note that we will usually not contact you directly until a decision has been made on your application. We will try to make a decision on this two weeks of receiving your application, but please note that we will first need to receive your hardcopy application from UCAS. If we are able to make you an offer you will receive confirmation via email. If there will be a delay in processing your application then we will try to contact you directly to explain this. Q. What is the University's UCAS campus code? A. The University of Sheffield is not based on a multi-campus system. This means that we don't have any campus codes, and you should leave the relevant space on your UCAS form blank. Q. Can I transfer onto an undergraduate course in the History Department from another University? A. This is explained on our dedicated transferring webpage. Q. I have received an offer from you, but would like to change to a different undergraduate course - is this possible? A. This is possible in theory, depending on availability of places on your desired course and subject to consideration of your UCAS form. To discuss your individual case you should contact:
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Open DaysQ. Can I visit the University before applying? A. The University's central Open Days are a great way of finding out whether the University of Sheffield is for you. You can book a place on-line and will be able to attend a History talk at any open day. Find out more about University Open Days and book your place. Personal tours of our facilities are also available on Wednesday afternoons by prior arrangement and you should contact our admissions secretary for availability.
Q. Will I be invited to an open day? A. If we make you an offer for one of our courses you will automatically receive an invitation to one of these Open Days, which are for successful applicants and their families only. To find more details on these open days select a degree programme from the degree programme page and click on the Open Days tab. If you have any questions about visiting the department, then please contact Beky.
Q. How do I travel to the University? A. The University has a very useful Information for Visitors webpage, which provides travel information and downloadable maps. |
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FundingQ. How much are the tuition fees? A. The tuition fees you will be required to pay vary, depending on the course you wish to study and your personal circumstances. The University has now published online guidance and FAQs on tuition fees for undergraduates starting in 2012. Q. Can I get a Bursary? A. While the cost of living for our students is among the lowest in the country, many of the undergraduate students joining the University can still benefit from the extra assistance the University of Sheffield can provide. |
Students UnionQ. What type of clubs and social events are available through the Students' Union? A. There are opportunities to get involved in a wide range of student activities and sporting clubs run through the Students' Union. Many of these societies and clubs have websites which are accessible from the Union web pages. The Students' Union also houses a cafe, several bars, a club with gigs and venues hosted most nights. There are also events and entertainments held throughout the year for all our students. We have our own 400 seat cinema within the Students' Union and play host to high profile concerts and performances on a regular basis. Q. What services are offered by the Students' Union? A. The University of Sheffield Union of Students provides a wide variety of services and opportunities for students at the University and also represents them as a whole. The Students' Union building houses cafes and bars, a cinema, a learning resource and information centre, a bank and a variety of shops, all catering specifically for students. The Union represents our students, both here at the University and also at national level. Each year sabbatical officers are elected to represent and work on behalf of the different groups of people who represent our student body. You can browse the Union's web site for more information about the services it offers and clubs and societies in which you can become involved. |
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International StudentsQ. Where can I find information for international students? A. There is a vast amount of information for potential international students across the University's webpages. Information for international students. Information regarding equivalent offers for alternative qualifications to A-Levels can be found by looking at the particular degree programme you are interested in. You can also contact us directly:
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Entry RequirementsQ. What are the entry requirements for the Department of History? A. Information on standard entry requirements for each course can be found by looking at the particular degree programme you are interested in. |
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Mature StudentsQ. Where can I find information for mature students? A. The Department especially welcomes applications from mature candidates (over 21 years on entry to the University). A substantial proportion of our current students come from non-standard backgrounds and we have a dedicated admissions tutor for mature students. Among the various criteria used in making offers to mature students are study for A levels, Access to Higher Education Diplomas, or professional qualifications. Mature students are sometimes asked for interview, or to submit written work. Information for mature students. For further information within the department please contact:
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Current StudentsQ. As a current student can I transfer courses within the Department? A. This is explained on our dedicated transferring webpage. |
TEL: +44 (0)870 11 22211
