Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in Local History

Course details

Learn how to uncover the stories, challenge the evidence – and think like a historian. 

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Quick links

• Who is the course for?

• How you will study
• The course in detail – course content and assessment
• IT requirements

• Recommended reading list

• Teaching staff and contact information
• Application details – how to apply, fees, award and credit transfer

• English language requirements

• Pathways and other levels of study

Online info session: Thursday 16 October, 12:00-12:45 BST

Join us online for 45 minutes to learn more about our Advanced Diploma in Local History. Led by Course Director, Dr Ismini Pells, this will be your chance to learn more about the programme and have your questions answered by our friendly team.

► Register your place

Who is this course for?

As the course is delivered entirely online, you can join it no matter where you live. There are no formal entry qualifications, but you should have a lively interest in the localities and communities of the past, and some experience of local history. This might have been gained through a course, through the study of family history and genealogy, or investigating local, rural, public or labour history using sources in libraries and record offices. If you are in any doubt about your experience, please contact undergraduate@conted.ox.ac.uk for advice.

This course is particularly relevant:

• if you want to learn how to use original sources and databases for your own research into local and family history (although please note it is not designed as a family history course);

• if you are pursuing a career in the heritage, archives or library sector, or if you are a history teacher or local studies librarian, you are likely to find the course professionally useful;

• if you volunteer in a museum or historic property or are involved with a local history society or research project.

Past students have gone on to work in a number of related fields, including as historians and in the heritage industry. The transferable nature of the skills you acquire will be valuable in a wide range of jobs, and equally useful if you are retired or not currently working.

You should be familiar with the use of computers for word processing, using email and searching the Internet. It is advisable that you have some experience of Access, Excel, or other database or spreadsheet programs before starting the Advanced Diploma. Short introductory courses are often available locally and online.

The content of the course is entirely devoted to English local history, although the skills learned may be applied more widely and the final project may concern the local history in your own region or an area of your own choice. Students outside Britain are encouraged to apply; you should understand that some knowledge of British history, society and institutions will be assumed.

How you will study

All the course material will be provided on our e-learning platform. In addition to the course units the material will include readings, documents, spreadsheets and database files. You will also have access to a wide range of online resources. A reading list of recommended books will be sent to you well before you join the course (see below for a selection).

The units will be published on the course website and you will study them in sequence. Normally you will have two weeks to study each unit, and within this framework you can study in your own time and at your own pace. There will be online material to guide your work on each unit, which will involve a mixture of downloading and studying selected passages from historical sources, exploring wider reading online or in a library, doing self-study exercises with spreadsheets and databases, and participating in online discussion with your tutor and fellow students. You must also complete your assignments and submit them via the course website by the deadlines given.

The Advanced Diploma is a rewarding and challenging course demanding a sustained commitment over one year. You must be sure that you will be able to devote enough time to studying alongside all your other commitments. The time needed will vary, but you should be prepared to commit at least 15 hours a week for the length of the course.

The course in detail

Course content

The course begins with a short preparatory unit to familiarise you with study and discussion online. Module 1 usually begins in late September and Module 2 in March.

In addition to the modules, live study skills sessions via Microsoft Teams will be run by the Course Director throughout the course and the recordings made available afterwards. Attendance at these sessions is not mandatory but may be useful to those returning to study or studying at university level for the first time.

Module 1: Concepts and methods of local history

This module consists of eight units, making extensive use of original sources and case studies. There will be four written assignments, allowing you to practise historical skills and to write some local history. The units cover approaches to local history, finding primary and secondary sources, the critical use of evidence, personal testimony as a source, a practical guide to the use of statistics for history and the use of Excel, record linkage, and effective writing and publication.

Module 2: Databases for historians

The second module consists of six units and uses data sets for two contrasting communities, the Lancashire port of Liverpool 1650-1750 and the Oxfordshire market town of Woodstock in the 17th century, as well as criminal records for London from the Old Bailey online database.  Students will practise methods for querying existing databases, then move on to learn how to design, create and use their own database for the analysis of historical data. Two further units introduce some of the exciting ways in which historians are now using databases. There will be two assignments, the first to design a database to answer an historical question, based on data supplied. The final project is a longer piece of historical writing using data analysis.

Full module details

Assessment

The award of the Advanced Diploma is based on successfully completing the five written assignments (including the database for assignment 5) and the final project. There is no written examination.

All students are strongly encouraged to participate in the group discussions and activities which are an essential part of the course. The weekly tutorial is conducted in the form of an online chatroom.

IT requirements

This course has a substantial IT element. Students are required to register on the course website, to receive and respond to course emails, to access online course information, use an electronic library catalogue and online library account to find and borrow books, articles and other materials to write their assignments, complete online study modules, word process essays and other coursework and to submit assignments online.

Guidance is provided but students need to have regular access to a computer and the internet and a good level of experience and skill including the proficient use of Microsoft Word or similar word-processing package, email and internet browser such as Firefox or Google Chrome.

The computer you use must meet our recommended minimum computer specification.  Please also read the Advanced Diploma in Local History System Requirements, which provides further details of the specific equipment and software you will need to study this course. 

Recommended reading list

The books listed here are all on the course reading list. They provide a good introduction to local history and to the kind of reading recommended for the course.

• Kate Tiller, English Local History: an Introduction (Boydell & Brewer paperback, 3rd edn 2020, ISBN 9781783275243). The standard introduction to English local history, from Anglo-Saxons to the 20th century.
• John Tosh, The Pursuit of History (Longman paperback, 6th edn 2015, ISBN 9781317542001). This widely used textbook is recommended for its coverage and for its approachable style.
• Tracy Loughran (ed.), A Practical Guide to Studying History: Skills and Approaches (Bloomsbury Academic, paperback, 2016 ISBN 1472529987)
• Eamon Duffy, The Voices of Morebath (Yale paperback, 2003, ISBN 0300098251). A fascinating study of the Reformation in a tiny Tudor village.
• Sonja Cameron & Sarah Richardson, Using Computers in History (Palgrave paperback, 2005, ISBN 1403934169). A jargon-free guide to computing skills for anyone interested in history.
• Pat Hudson and Mina Ishizu, History by Numbers (Bloomsbury paperback, 2nd edn 2016, ISBN 9781849665377). Introducing some of the ways historians use quantitative information, which is one of the themes of this course.
• Anyone returning to study after a period of time away will find it helpful to look at Andrew Northedge, The Good Study Guide (Open University paperback, 2005, ISBN 0749259744).

Teaching staff

Tutorials

Having the support of a dedicated tutor is an essential feature and benefit of studying at the University of Oxford, a tradition which is continued in this online course. You will be assigned to a tutorial group of about 15 students, led by a tutor with whom you can communicate via email or the online conferencing system for general advice and for assistance with any problems. Your tutor will also mark your assignments and provide feedback on your progress. An experienced IT help team is available to advise on any technical problems.

Contact information

How to apply

• A written statement of 300-400 words stating why you wish to study Local History at this level. This should include any examples of local history projects, societies, historical sites or other local history activities you are involved with. You should also explain why the level of this course (FHEQ Level 6 i.e. third-year undergraduate level) is appropriate for you.
• A short summary of your computing experience, showing your ability to use basic computer tasks and digital tools.

• Proof of English language ability if a non-native English speaker. Further information on English language requirements can be found here. Please note that candidates are required to have the higher-level score.
• Contact details for two referees.

Selection criteria

Even if a course has no specific academic entry requirements then: (a) assessment of an applicant’s academic ability and suitability for the course of study will still take place and (b) since applications for many courses often significantly exceed places available, each application will be judged against the gathered field of applicants for each course each year.

The University is committed to promoting diversity, equality, inclusion, and widening access, including during the admissions process. We fully endorse the Equality Policy and our admissions procedures are kept under regular review to ensure compliance with this policy.

Short-listed applicants will be invited for interview.

The final decision on admission to the course rests with the Department.

Award and credit transfer

Fees

Fees for 2026-27 will be £4,095 (Home, Islands, and Republic of Ireland students) or £7,025 (Overseas students). 

Please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. 

Information for applicants from the EU, EEA and Switzerland

Financial Declaration

All undergraduate offer-holders are required to complete a Financial Declaration Form (FDF) to demonstrate how they will meet the financial conditions of admission.  If you are offered a place on this course, you will be asked to complete this form. It demonstrates that you can, or are likely to be able to, afford the course, and must be accepted before you can be considered to have met the conditions of your offer.

Pathways

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