Kira makes history in the classroom

Kira Hancock always knew she wanted to study a degree in history. She chose to study at Derby, on a course ranked number one for student satisfaction and teaching. Here, she turned her passion for the past into skills and confidence to inspire the next generation, perfectly aligning her degree with her goal of becoming a teacher.

A warm welcome

After researching options for university, Kira attended an open day at Derby where she felt warmly welcomed by the teaching team and current students. Talking to students currently studying BA (Hons) History gave Kira an in-depth insight into course content, and she found it reassuring to hear how well students are supported in their studies, from personal academic tutors to the Student Services wellbeing support.

History at Derby is ranked 1st for student satisfaction in the Complete University Guide 2026 as well as being ranked 1st for both student experience and teaching quality in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026. Kira's experience with studying at Derby aligns with those rankings:

"The staff are always willing to have tutorials to discuss their modules and any difficulties you may be having, meaning that you feel fully supported in whatever you need help with."

Broadening her horizons

Kira knew studying history was the right choice for her, having a keen interest in Victorian history and the history of world wars, and was intrigued by the broad span of the course at Derby.

"I chose to study at the University of Derby as I could see how broad the modules were, allowing me to learn about all different time periods and parts of history."

Some of Kira’s favourite modules were ones that allowed her to become fully immersed in a chosen topic. She has enjoyed being able to take control of her studies, as she spent a year researching and writing about a chosen area of interest.

Kira has appreciated learning about the historical interests her lecturers have outside of teaching and seeing their enthusiasm about their areas of research. Alongside her studies, Kira attended inaugural lectures around topics that interest her, such as Professor Ian Whitehead’s inaugural lecture Britain and the World Wars: Experience, Identity and Public History.

The path to primary teaching

Kira’s career goal is to become a primary school teacher, and she had a clear path in mind from the start. She planned to study history at undergraduate level, allowing her to build her transferable skills whilst studying something she was passionate about.

As a second-year student, Kira was involved with the Literature and History Public Conference. She worked with coursemates to lead the writing of a research paper, which she later presented at the conference. The experience provided her with opportunities to develop her skills in public speaking, academic collaboration and networking, all whilst building her confidence.

"The conference helped me to feel confident when presenting topics to large audiences, and allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of a topic I was interested in. History events involving History students in different years of their degrees, have allowed me to make connections with people who I otherwise may have never met. Similarly, alumni events have allowed me to explore the different career paths I can take after university."

Learning beyond the classroom 

Derbyshire is an ideal location to study history, with its rich industrial past and thriving heritage industry. The BA (Hons) History course offers opportunities for real-world learning, including study visits and fieldtrips to museums, parks and heritage sites to explore the past and bring learning to life.

"One of the highlights has been the trips to different parts of the country. This has allowed me to see the importance of different historical sites , especially when looking at Country Houses and their families."

Brodsworth Hall and Gardens and Nostell Priory are pictured.

During her first year, Kira witnessed the planting of an Auschwitz sapling on campus. Involved in this poignant event were Jewish people whose families had been affected by the Holocaust, who told short stories about their lives as well as singing in Yiddish. Kira recalls how this experience brought course content to life, giving her an emotional and immersive connection to a topic she had studied in the classroom, and linking her academic study to lived experience.

Gaining real-world experience

Kira secured an internship at our Markeaton Street site, home to our Fashion courses, which provided Kira the opportunity to apply her historical research skills through documenting an archive whilst assessing its provenance. She was supported throughout by a supervisor, but had the freedom to direct the project and created a database for the items being archived into categories as she saw fit.

"During my internship, I was able to work at Derby Museum and Art Gallery, documenting some of the archive that they had borrowed for an exhibition. This allowed me to experience how museums work behind-the-scenes, which I found to be very interesting."

Writing her own history

Kira graduated with First-Class Honours and has started plans for a teaching career with our PGCE Primary (Provider-Led, School-based). In the future, Kira wants to apply her skills and passion for history in her dream role as a primary school teacher.