History
There are usually nine undergraduates in each year studying History at Mansfield.
History is one of the larger subjects at Mansfield and there are around nine students in each year. The University’s History Faculty is one of the biggest in the world, and as such provides unparalleled opportunities for historical study. The course offers a wide spectrum of historical periods and approaches during the three years of undergraduate study. Students study across the chronological span, and examine global and European as well as British history. The course structure also provides multiple opportunities to specialise in particular periods and themes, and to engage with a wide variety of primary sources – including film, literature, and material culture.
Mansfield has three History tutors: Prof Kathryn Gleadle specialises in 18th and 19th century British History, and has a particular interest in gender and women’s history; Dr Helen Lacey is a Lecturer in Medieval History, and is currently working on a major research project on “The People of 1381”; Dr Róisín Watson is a historian of early modern Europe, and is an expert on visual culture and the social and cultural impact of the Reformation. Students are taught by colleagues in other colleges when they study periods beyond these fields, and lectures and seminars are provided on a university basis. Students are therefore able to enjoy the advantages of a large faculty with a very wide range of specialisms, combined with the personal support which is a feature of the college system. Mansfield History students have a track record of securing excellent results in their final examinations.
We like to vary the teaching format, and therefore offer small classes and workshops as well as tutorials. Additional, targeted support is provided to enhance students’ progression across key study skills. We encourage students to push their understanding of what constitutes history, and to experiment with different methodologies and sources. The Oxford history course does not require knowledge of a foreign language, but there are ample opportunities for students to take up or develop a foreign language if they wish, and to put this to use in their work. Students have access to the uniquely fine range of libraries which cater for students of History at Oxford. Mansfield is well-placed near the facilities of the University libraries - primarily the Bodleian and the Faculty Library; and is next door to the Vere Harmsworth Library which specialises in American history. The College Library (open 24 hours a day) has an extensive history collection, and is continually updated to reflect developments in the scholarship.
Applicants pre and post A level (or equivalent) are welcomed equally. During the interviews the History tutors wish to give every applicant the opportunity to demonstrate their intellectual ability and academic potential in as relaxed environment as possible.