A Level History

With every story there are always two sides - and City of Portsmouth College's A Level in History gives you two carefully curated pathways to choose from.

Whether you're fascinated by early modern Europe or the political ideologies of the 20th century, there's a route to suit your interests and ambitions. Whichever you choose, this A Level provides you with a greater knowledge of history and a more sophisticated understanding of current national and international affairs.

History is a facilitating subject, meaning it is highly valued by the top universities in the country. You may wish to pair it with A Levels in politics and law, although it combines well with other subjects.

Pathway 1: Power, Belief and Revolution (OCR specification)

This pathway explores major shifts in authority, belief systems and popular culture from the 15th to the 18th centuries. Choose this route and you'll examine the consolidation of Tudor power and the English Reformation under Henry VII, Henry VIII and Edward VI; the causes and consequences of the French Revolution and Naploeon's impact on Europe; and the social, religious and political forces behind the witchcraze in early modern Europe and North America.

Pathway 2: Conflict, Ideology and the Modern World (Edexcel specification)

Focusing on the 20th century, this pathway investigates the rise and fall of political ideologies and the impact of warfare. You'll study Germany's transformation from the Weimar Republic through Nazism and reunification; the development of fascism in Italy and Mussolini's regime; and how Britain's military engagements from the Napoleonic Wars to World War One shaped national identity and society.