CONTENTS

1. What is a Black history degree?

2. Benefits of Studying Black History

3. Tips for Students Interested in Studying Black History

4. Universities offering courses

What is a Black history degree?

A Black history degree focuses on the lives of Black British people and the history of the places from which they migrated, in particular the Caribbean and Africa. Several important themes are explored include imperialism, slavery and emancipation, and migration. 

Benefits of Studying Black History

Black history has often been taught sporadically in the UK education system and not given recognition as a subject in its own right. Studying Black history will give that big picture perspective as well as gaining a range of different Black perspectives. Students will learn skills and knowledge useful in areas such as community development, charitable and voluntary organisations, local and central government, social research, social work and youth work, to name but a few.

Tips for Students Interested in Studying Black History

Black History degree courses have been taught in America for some time but are a relatively new option at UK universities. We’ve compiled a list of six undergraduate and masters’ course to consider when thinking about studying this emerging subject area.

It’s worth noting that Black History in Britain has often thrived within local community settings and through forms of independent self-learning and activism so there’s a wealth of additional ways to pursue your interest in this subject in addition to an academic course.

Universities offering courses

Black Studies BA – Birmingham City University

Celebrating the different experiences and figures that have helped shape Black culture, the Black Studies BA offered by Birmingham City University (BCU) is the first undergraduate course of its kind in the UK.

You’ll have a range of modules you can choose, from learning about Black sociologists and their initial explorations into urban life to analysing the historical and cultural impact of race in the Western world. You’ll graduate from this course knowing how to think critically, take diverse cultural perspectives and ethnographically evaluate the diaspora of African cultures.

We are proud we have been leading the way in transforming higher education. Our course remains unique in its focus on understanding the history and presenting it through a range of Black perspectives, and it's an opportunity to try to engage with these ideas by working in the voluntary, public or private sectors.

Kehinde Andrews, Professor of Black Studies at Birmingham City University

Course length: three years studying full-time, five years studying part-time.

Fees: £9,250 per year for UK/home students. Students from outside the UK pay £13,500 per year.

Entry requirements: a minimum of 112 UCAS points are required. You must have achieved a grade 4/C or above in GCSE English.

Black British History MA – Goldsmiths, University of London

Interested in learning more about African influence on British culture? This postgraduate degree at Goldsmiths, University of London will give you the chance to understand the history of African culture in the UK and analyse how the Black British experience has developed.

You’ll have three compulsory modules, with one being a 15,000 word dissertation on a Black British history topic of your choice. Two optional modules must also be taken from a choice of four. One of these optional modules can come from the History MA or another department – at the discretion of the programme coordinator.

Course length: one year if studying full-time, two years if part-time.

Fees: £7,540 for UK/home students, or £15,820 for students from outside the UK.

Entry requirements: at least a 2:1 standard degree in History or a related subject will be required. You may be accepted based on work experience and proof of your ability to study at master’s level. Some candidates may have to submit an essay as part of their application.