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Accessibility statement
Qualification dates
StartEnd
03 Oct 2026Jun 2027
This module explores themes that have shaped the British Isles, from medieval lordship and conflict through the spread of Protestantism and the industrial revolution to political protest and the rise of nationalism in an era of globalisation. By studying this module, you'll gain the skills you need to write a final 7,000-word dissertation, in which you'll carry out an in-depth investigation of a topic that you select. Throughout this module, you'll work with other students to form a tight-knit ‘learning community’, sharing ideas and sources and helping to improve one another’s work. Knowledge of the Welsh language is not required.
The first half of this module provides an introduction to Welsh history from the twelfth to the twenty-first century. The second part then gives you the chance to research and write a dissertation on a Welsh history topic of your own choosing.
Throughout this module, the issue of national identity will be a major theme (and a topical one in the wake of devolution and Brexit). Some of the key questions it seeks to address include:
In order to explore these issues and lay the groundwork for the dissertation, the first part of the module consists of the following five study blocks:
National identity is the theme that ties the module together, but it also acts as a jumping-off point for a much broader engagement with the past. You will be looking at some of the events, trends and movements that have shaped the history, not just of Wales but of Britain and, in some cases, of Western Europe as a whole. Indeed, a central question that this module asks is the extent to which Wales constitutes a microcosm for those wider issues. So, while this module is focused on Welsh history, it also serves as a case study for examining bigger issues.
The five topics listed above do not represent a full coverage of Welsh history. Instead, they are intended to provide opportunities to explore how Welsh identity has changed over time whilst simultaneously giving you a springboard for your own research. This is a really important point because, in the second half of the module, you'll be researching and writing a dissertation on a question of your own choosing.

Examples of dissertations written by previous students can be seen on Open Research Online.
This is an OU level 3 module, which builds on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from previous modules at OU levels 1 and 2. This module is intended for students who have already studied history or classics at OU levels 2 or 3, and who wish to conduct an extended piece of independent research.
Knowledge of the Welsh language is not required.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
You are not required to do any formal preparatory work before the module starts. However, we recommend reading Geraint Jenkins’ A Concise History of Wales (2007), which offers a scholarly yet highly readable introduction to the history of Wales from before the Romans to the present day. If you have the time, you could also read John Davies’ A History of Wales (1994 or 2007), which traces the political, social and cultural history of Wales from prehistoric times to the modern era.
Both are available from most booksellers, and Geraint Jenkins’ A Concise History of Wales can also be accessed as an ebook via The Open University library.
In addition, you may already have some ideas about which areas of Welsh history you would like to focus on in your dissertation. Please feel free to start reading up on them (remembering that your dissertation needs to relate in some way to one of the five module blocks).
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
This module is entirely online. It centres on a module website which will take you step-by-step through the module, give you access to a large number of online resources, and enable you to work closely with your fellow students. The website includes:
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying A329 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
The making of Welsh history starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2027.
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