A Level History

Why Study History?

History is a popular subject at A Level and the skills learned at GCSE will provide a solid foundation for further study in this subject. History will appeal to those students who wish to improve their analytical skills, enjoy investigation and discovery, enjoy debate and like putting forward a well-argued case.

The History Department at Dunottar has a good tradition of achieving excellent examination results and students benefit from experienced and well qualified teachers, good resources and small classes. We strive to offer students the opportunity to study contrasting periods of History so that a better breadth is achieved and this is particularly valuable for those students who go on to study History at university level and many previous pupils have done just that at a variety of Russell Group universities.

Course Outline and Assessment

In Year 12 students focus on the Tudor period from 1485 until 1558 alongside Italian history in the late C19th and the dictatorship of Mussolini. These topics are built on in Year 13 with the addition of the study of 100 years of Russian history and a compulsory coursework option.

Pupils will complete a number of written examinations (80%) and an individual coursework task (20%).

What are the Career Opportunities?

Although often studied alongside other Arts subjects, History can also be taken by those students taking a more scientific route. In terms of future career pathways, History can lead to possible careers in teaching, law, journalism and heritage although the skills acquired through studying History are respected by many potential employers.