If you enjoy learning about historical events and personalities, relish looking at both sides of an argument and have an interest in researching information for yourself, our History AS level online course is the perfect choice!

Whilst history is focused on our past, it’s a subject that encourages skills which help to future-proof diverse career plans. History students are highly employable and pursue ambitions across many sectors – from politics and medicine to town planning, law and business.

Our History AS level course is ideal if you:

• Are keen to study history at degree level.
• Want to step back in time to learn about events that changed history and continue to shape today’s world.
• Would like to boost your research, analytical and methodical skills in preparation for higher education.
• Enjoy looking at the evidence at weighing up the facts.

Future opportunities

• Studying history at university.
• A wide range of rewarding career paths in areas such as politics, medicine, town planning, law, finance, business, accountancy, tourism, journalism and research.

Section 1: The growth of parliamentary democracy c1785–c1870

• The unreformed Parliament up to 1785
• Demand for reform c1785–1815
• The Great Reform Act 1815–32
• Towards Chartism 1832–48
• The 1867 Reform Act

Section 2: Industrialisation, protest and trade unionism c1785–c1870

• Industrial growth c1785–c1870
• Living and working conditions c1785–c1850
• Protest and reform c1785–c1870
• Unionism and cooperation c1785–c1850
• New Model Unionism c1850–c1870

Section 3: Poverty and pauperism; the abolition of the slave trade

• Poverty and pauperism c1785–1834
• After the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
• The abolition of the slave trade 1
• The abolition of the slave trade 2
• The abolition of the slave trade 3

Section 4: The unification of Germany 1: c1840–51

• Popular pressure and causes of revolution 1840–48
• Failure of revolution 1848–51

Section 5: The unification of Germany 2: c1852–71

• Austro-Prussian rivalry 1852–66
• Prussia and the Kleindeutschland solution 1866–71

Study AS level History with us and benefit from:

• Flexible learning
• Support from a personal tutor by email, phone or Skype
• Any time enrolment
• Our exam booking service
• Assignments with tutor feedback
• Ongoing support from Student Support
• Forums to discuss your course with other students

learn@nec

Choose when and where you access your course, using learn@nec our 24/7 learning platform.

This easy-to-use learning platform includes interactive checkpoints, quizzes and activities to help you evaluate your progress.

You’ll have access to support from a personal tutor. All NEC tutors are subject experts, with experience of supporting online learners.

Meet Ben who is just one of our first-class History tutors

“I have worked as a distance learning tutor for approximately fifteen years, and with the growth of the Internet and digital technology, it is a booming area of innovative and flexible educational learning.

I have worked in teaching roles across secondary, further and higher education levels, and such experiences have helped my role as a distance learning tutor, where subject knowledge and communication skills are vital.

I have always enjoyed the subjects of History and Politics since I was at school, and have a combined degree in the subject. I have also have gained a Masters degree and PhD in Politics. I have gained practical experience of the subject area with a spell working in Parliament, visiting other political bodies and institutions, while also having various research articles, chapters and books published. When I’m not working I enjoy sport, especially football, and I am a big fan of Everton FC!”

Exam board

• Edexcel 8HI0

Format

• Online learning with support from a personal tutor

Hours

• Complete at your own pace
• Approx. 120-150* hours plus time for completing assignments

*The specification suggests that 150 hours is needed. You’ll also need time to complete assignments and prepare yourself for exams and some courses like English literature involve a lot of reading.  Everyone is different so it’s impossible to say with certainty how long a course will take you, but you should expect to spend longer than 150 hours. Taken across the length of time we recommend, this equates to approximately 4 hours per week. This will increase if you choose to take it over a shorter time frame or may be less if you are retaking a subject and have covered a lot of of the course content.

Assignments

• 6 assignments (one introductory) – these do not contribute towards your final grade

Resources

Set textbooks – included as a free ebook with your course:

• Edexcel AS/A level History, Paper 1 & 2: Challenges to the Authority of the State in the Late 18th and 19th Centuries, M Collier, R Rogers and A Kidson, Pearson Education, 2015

Set textbooks – not included in the course fee:

• Access to History: The Unification of Germany and the challenge of Nationalism 1789-1919, A Farmer and A Stiles, Hodder Education, 2015

Requirements

• Internet access
• Computer operating system and browser to support learn@nec

Our course fees are open and honest to help you plan for any additional costs.

Your course fee includes:

• Access to learn@nec
• All the course materials you need to complete the course
• Support from a personal tutor for up to 24 months from your date of enrolment
• Assignment marking
• Marking for one past paper
• Guaranteed exam place
• Free e-book version of essential textbooks where available
• Discount code for textbooks not available as an ebook
• NEC’s guide to study skills: How to Succeed as an Independent Learner
• Spelling, punctuation and grammar guide
• Time planner to help you plan your study timetable
• Information on how to apply for exams

Your course fee does not cover:

• Exam entry fees
• Certain set texts unavailable as ebooks / recommended textbooks for additional reading

Optional extras:

• Additional past paper marking
• Revision tutorial
• Optional tutorial
• Additional review
• UCAS application service

Two exams:

• 2 hours 15 minutes, 60% of marks
• 1 hour 30 minutes, 40% of marks

Non-exam assessment (NEA):

• None

We know that our younger students often need an extra helping hand with their studies. In our experience learning online works best when either a parent or guardian are involved. This is why NEC has developed our unique Progress Tracker to help you to support your child.

NEC’s Progress Tracker will allow you to easily track your child’s progress across their subjects and gain insight to how well they are doing through access to their assignment grades and tutor feedback.  

Read more about how we work with young students who are studying at home or through a school.

Would you like to talk to our Course Advice Team about the best route for you? Visit our Contact Us page, fill in the form and a member of the team will get back to you!