History BA (UCAS V100)
General entry requirements
A levels
A level typical offer
AAA to include History.
A level contextual offer
We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is ABB including grade B in History. See if you're eligible.
General GCSE requirements
Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
IB
IB typical offer
38 with at least a 6 in Higher Level History.
IB contextual offer
We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is 34 including 5 in Higher Level History. See if you're eligible.
General GCSE requirements
Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
BTEC
We welcome applications from students taking BTECs alongside one or two A levels, including A level History. Our typical BTEC offers are as follows:
- BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate plus 2 A levels: D* plus AA including History
- BTEC Level 3 National Diploma plus 1 A level: D*D* plus A in History
International qualifications
Language requirements
All applicants have to meet our English Language requirements. If you cannot demonstrate that you meet these, you may be invited to take part in our Pre-sessional English course at Warwick.
Frequently asked questions
Warwick may make differential offers to students in a number of circumstances. These include students participating in a Widening Participation programme or who meet the contextual data criteria.
Differential offers will usually be one or two grades below Warwick’s standard offer.
All students who successfully complete the Warwick IFP and apply to Warwick through UCAS will receive a guaranteed conditional offer for a related undergraduate programme (selected courses only).
Find out more about standard offers and conditions for the IFP.
We welcome applications for deferred entry.
We do not typically interview applicants. Offers are made based on your UCAS form which includes predicted and actual grades, your personal statement and school reference.
Course overview
History at Warwick asks you to look critically at the motivations, context and characters behind the events that define world history from the Renaissance to the present day. Our far-reaching approach allows you to explore historical topics in depth from around the globe. The department is studded with expertise spanning the British Isles, continental Europe, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin and North America.
In your first year we'll support you as you develop a foundational understanding of the past. You'll then be ready to choose between working towards a Modern or Renaissance and Modern History degree. The Modern History degree offers a diverse, global curriculum of important historical themes and topics. The Renaissance and Modern degree gives you the chance to explore your historical interests while also spending a term in Venice. Throughout your degree you'll have the freedom to develop your own independent view on the historical themes that most excite you.
Students will be offered the opportunity at the start of their second year to apply for an optional Year Abroad. Following the application process, those students who are offered and take up a Year Abroad place transfer to the four-year History (with a Year Abroad), with the Year Abroad as the third of the four years.
Study abroad
On Renaissance and Modern, students spend the autumn term of their final year studying with Warwick tutors in Venice. All students also have the opportunity to apply for an intercalated year abroad at one of our partner universities. The Student Mobility Team based in the Office for Student Opportunity offers support for these activities, and the Department's dedicated Study Abroad Co-ordinator can provide more specific information and assistance.
Core modules
In your first year, you'll be given a foundational understanding about the study of European and global history. Before coming to university you may have had to limited opportunity to explore your own ideas; now you can establish your own critical take on sources, evidence and arguments. Your first year will provide you with a firm grounding in historical study, at the same time as you begin to explore new topics and ideas - there are a range of options for you to begin developing your own historical worldview. As you progress through your first year, you'll become confident and skilled to make the most of the choices open to you in the second and third years of your study at Warwick.
By the end of the second term, you'll be ready to choose between working towards a Modern History or Renaissance and Modern History degree. If you're drawn to history in its broadest, more global sense, you can choose Modern. This provides you with numerous opportunities to explore a wide range of historical themes, and to test your developing research capabilities. Renaissance and Modern will be your selection if your historical interests are more focused on the Middle Ages and the events and people of the 14th to 17th centuries. By choosing this, you have the option to apply for a term in Venice in your third year; if you choose the Italian Language module in your first year, you'll be a guaranteed a space in Venice. This is one opportunity to test your expanding worldview in the international domain.
If you choose Renaissance and Modern, you'll spend the first term of your third year in Venice. You'll take the core module Venice and the Renaissance, which gives you the opportunity to study the history of a great Mediterranean city by actually living in it. Guided tours of major monuments in the city are a key part of the Venice term. For either degree path, you'll also be working on a dissertation, and taking advanced options for which you will be assessed in a variety of ways.
Year One
Making of the Modern World
We live in the here and now. But what got us here? This module studies the string of major social, political, and cultural developments that established our modern world. Radical (and not so radical) ideas from the Enlightenment, the industrial revolution’s structural transformations of how we work, build and buy things, and the struggles and stumbles of imperialism, capitalism and globalisation have gone far to set terms of life in the twenty-first century. The module will also help you develop your critical voice as a historian while asking comparative questions about historical difference across the world.
Europe in the Making 1450-1800
Seismic change. Gradual shift. Both? Or neither?
Between 1450 and 1800, Europe saw profound developments take place: whether it was Gutenberg's printing press, Columbus’ ‘discovery’ of America, or Martin Luther’s challenge to the papacy, the events of this ‘Early Modern’ period dramatically changed the social and political landscape of the times.
And yet, this was a period that could equally be viewed as slow-paced: for example, did the people of Europe experience significant changes to life expectancy or social hierarchies during the period?
Through this module, you’ll consider the differing historical viewpoints of both Europe and the Early Modern period itself. You’ll think about the individuals of the time too, considering the notions of European identity, and understanding encounters and relationships between Europeans and non-Europeans. And, through the comprehension of key historical and historiographical terms, you’ll begin to ascertain the roots of modernity.
Year Two
Historiography I
In order to understand your own strengths as a historian, it pays to understand to the methods of historians of the past.
In this Historiography module, you’ll start to ready yourself for the academic challenges of the final year of your degree. You’ll be asked to think more deeply about the questions posed by notable historians and to ask yourself what questions you should ask about the past. Do you pose different questions if you adopt a non-Western viewpoint? How should you go about answering those questions? And why should you study the past in the first place?
During Historiography I, you’ll learn about the theoretical approaches adopted by historians since the Enlightenment in the 18th century, and appreciate why these historians’ methods retained credibility into the 1990s. As the module progresses, you’ll develop your own critical approach to historical research, and learn techniques to articulate this in word and in speech.
Historiography II
For any developing historian, it’s just as important to reference contemporary historical methods as it is the methods of years gone by.
This is how Historiography II complements your learning from Historiography I. You’ll explore themes from 1990s to the present, each week focusing on a different theme, theory or methodology. These topics, which are currently hotly debated among academic historians, will be presented by one of Warwick’s experts within that particular area. You’ll be given an insight into your lecturer’s individual methodological and theoretical approach, while gaining awareness of what’s currently exciting and important in academic history writing.
Throughout this module, you’ll develop skills and experience to leave you suitably prepared to choose and deliver a dissertation in your final year of study.
Research Project
History should excite and it should illuminate. That’s why a research project is an important platform for demonstrating how history excites you, and how that excitement can illuminate others.
The second year research project allows you to take your curiosity into an area of history that really intrigues you. With the support of your seminar tutor, you’ll explore your curiosity through the analysis of a broad range of primary source materials, all of which will be identified by yourself. By bringing your own sources into the development of your research, and developing the skills to critically assess those sources, you’ll find yourself determining your own independent learning style.
As well as uncovering new insight into historical themes, you’ll also improve your ability to express and present that insight through oral, written and digital formats.
Crossing Boundaries and Breaking Norms in the Medieval World (Renaissance and Modern only)
Cross-dressing, witches and prostitution: there was much to occupy the thoughts of those living between 800 and 1500. And that’s before we consider the impact of broader themes such as the Hundred Years War or the Rise of the Ottomans.
This module provides you with an introduction to this time of great upheaval and non-conformity across Europe. Often using a wide range of primary source materials, you’ll assess the economic, religious and spiritual life of the people of the medieval world. Through this study of the later Medieval and Renaissance periods, you’ll learn to communicate ideas and findings, and develop your own critical approach to analysing the sources that you use.
Year Three
Dissertation
What have you learned? What are you most interested in? And what do you want to tell us about history?
Over the previous years of study, you’ll have gained skills and understanding that will enable you to research, analyse, critique and discuss key historical themes – all the attributes you need to become a critical and imaginative thinker.
Your final-year dissertation is your opportunity to demonstrate this. It’s your platform to choose and explore an area that truly fascinates you, based on a module in your second or final year, or your year abroad. It’s your chance to prove yourself as a capable historian.
By working on your dissertation, you’ll undertake a substantive piece of historical research and produce an article-length piece of work. You’ll call upon the theoretical approaches you explored in the Historiography modules, and critically assess a wide variety of primary sources. You’ll have the scope to outline, write and sustain a coherent and logical argument.
Help is on hand throughout. You’ll be allocated a supervisor in term one of the final year, and there is also a Dissertations Coordinator available for general guidance and queries. If you’re spending a term in Venice, your tutors there will be able to support you too.
Venice in the Renaissance - Venice Term (Renaissance and Modern only)
One of the first international financial centres. A city of enormous architectural and artistic significance. A metropolis of myth and empire. There is a lot that people already know about Venice; for a budding historian though, there is much more to unearth on this remarkable city.
This module will give you ample opportunity to learn about Venice through a range of primary textual, visual and material sources. And, by spending a term studying in the city, you’ll be able to put your learning into practice through a series of site visits.
Through this immersive study of Venice, you’ll find yourself getting closer to the city’s history between the late 14th century and the late 16th century. Venice will also act as a base from which you can explore wider issues, including gender, violence and church reform.
Optional modules
At Warwick, we encourage you to go beyond simply studying history. We can guide you towards developing the worldview and analytical capabilities that mark out the most talented historians.
Our options allow you to devote attention to an area of history that really fascinates you, while providing you with demonstrable skills development. Those options can take you into unexpected and surprising areas. For example, we offer modules on ‘A Global History of Sport’ and ‘War, Sex and the US Military: from Cold War to "War on Terror"’, alongside modules on the Holocaust, the History of China, and 20th-Century Britain, and many other topics. We cover most of the globe and many, many different themes and subjects.
Your assessments will reflect the sorts of activities undertaken by professional historians in their everyday working life, as well as the many ways in which history features in the world around us. By engaging with these tasks, you’ll acquire a level of critical and imaginative thinking that’s well-suited for today’s challenging working environment.
Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:
Year One
- A History of the United States
- Latin America: Themes and Problems
- Mind, Body and Society
- A History of Africa, 1830-1980
- History and Politics of the Modern Middle East
- Britain in the Twentieth Century: A Social History
Year Two
- History of Germany from Bismark to the Berlin Republic
- America in Black and White? Contemporary US Race Relations
- A Global History of Sport
- Corruption in Britain and its Empire, 1600-1850
- The Supernatural in Early Modern Britain
- A History of Modern Mexico
- Race and Science: histories and legacies
- Freedom fighting: Race, slavery and war in the Revolutionary Caribbean, 1790-1812
- Out of the ghetto: Jewish history and culture from 1650 to today
Year Three
- From the Blues to Hip Hop
- Feminism, politics and social change in modern Britain The Elizabethan Reformation
- Conquest, Conflict and Co-Existence: Crusading and the Crusader Kingdoms
- Britain in the 1970s
- Socialist bodies: Dreams and realities of the physical in Soviet Russia
- A History of Human rights in Latin America
- India and the problem of postcolonial democracy
- Statues must fall? Remembering and forgetting slavery in the Atlantic World
Assessment
Assessments include source analysis, research projects, and presentations, alongside more traditional assessments such as essays and exams.
Some of our assessment tasks also include writing for different audiences; for example, you might be asked to design a museum exhibition, or create blogs, podcasts and websites, or to write a book review. You might be asked to use an object - a piece of clothing, or a painting - to explore a historical topic, or to discuss the ways in which a historical event is represented in film or literature. Or you might address fundamental historical questions through essays of different lengths.
In all cases, the assessments are designed to let you get to the heart of the historical matter you're studying.
Teaching
Teaching is delivered through lectures, seminars and tutorials, web forums, podcasts, workshops, presentations, film analysis, group work and field trips. This is beautifully exemplified by our Venice term, which uses the city - its geography, art and architecture - as essential teaching materials, but our use of surprising and inspiring sources is a feature of all our teaching.
Modules focus on important themes in political, religious, cultural or social history and many explore topics far removed from the usual A level syllabus.
Class sizes
Seminar groups are small (normally under 16), providing a valuable opportunity for you to work closely with your lecturers and to learn from other students.
Typical contact hours
For first year modules there are usually one or two lectures and an hour-long seminar either weekly or fortnightly.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees cover the majority of the costs of your study, including teaching and assessment. Fees are charged at the start of each academic year. If you pay your fees directly to the University, you can choose to pay in instalments.
Undergraduate fees
If you are a home student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be £9,535. In the future, these fees might change for new and continuing students.
How are fees set?
The British Government sets tuition fee rates.
Undergraduate fees
If you are an overseas or EU student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be as follows:
- Band 1 – £24,800 per year (classroom-based courses, including Humanities and most Social Science courses)
- Band 2 – £31,620 per year (laboratory-based courses, plus Maths, Statistics, Theatre and Performance Studies, Economics, and courses provided by Warwick Business School, with exceptions)
Fees for 2025 entry have not been set. We will publish updated information here as soon as it becomes available, so please check back for updates about 2025 fee rates before you apply.
Fee status guidance
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.
Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?
If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.
Find out more about how universities assess fee status.Link opens in a new window
Additional course costs
As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.
For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on this web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module CatalogueLink opens in a new window (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).
Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:
- Core text books
- Printer credits
- Dissertation binding
- Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Further information
Find out more about tuition fees from our Student Finance team.
Scholarships and bursaries
Learn about scholarships and bursaries available to undergraduate students.
We offer a number of undergraduate scholarships and bursaries to full-time undergraduate students. These include sporting and musical bursaries, and scholarships offered by commercial organisations.
Find out more about funding opportunities for full-time students.Link opens in a new window
If you are an international student, a limited number of scholarships may be available.
Find out more information on our international scholarship pages.Link opens in a new window
You may be eligible for financial help from your own government, from the British Council or from other funding agencies. You can usually request information on scholarships from the Ministry of Education in your home country, or from the local British Council office.
Warwick Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarship
We believe there should be no barrier to talent. That's why we are committed to offering a scholarship that makes it easier for gifted, ambitious international learners to pursue their academic interests at one of the UK's most prestigious universities.
We provide extra financial support for qualifying students from lower income families. The Warwick Undergraduate Bursary is an annual award of up to £3,000 per annum. It is intended to help with course-related costs and you do not have to pay it back.
As part of the 'City of Sanctuary' movement, we are committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for those seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. We provide a range of scholarships to enable people seeking sanctuary or asylum to progress to access university education.
Further information
Find out more about Warwick undergraduate bursaries and scholarships.
Eligibility for student loans
Your eligibility for student finance will depend on certain criteria, such as your nationality and residency status, your course, and previous study at higher education level.
Check if you're eligible for student finance.
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your tuition fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you can receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won’t have to set up any payments.
Maintenance Loan for living costs
You can apply for a Maintenance Loan towards your living costs such as accommodation, food and bills. This loan is means-tested, so the amount you receive is partially based on your household income and whether you choose to live at home or in student accommodation.
If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you usually must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement SchemeLink opens in a new window to get student finance.
Tuition Fee Loan
If you are an EU student and eligible for student finance you may be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you may receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won't have to set up any payments.
Help with living costs
For the 2024 academic year, you may be eligible for help with your living costs if both of the following apply:
- You have lived in the UK for more than 3 years before the first day of the first academic year of your course
And
- You have Settled Status (see further details on Settled Status)Link opens in a new window
If you are coming to the UK from 1st January 2021, you may need to apply for a visaLink opens in a new window to study here.
Please note: Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Find out more about government student loans for EU studentsLink opens in a new window
Repaying your loans
You will repay your loan or loans gradually once you are working and earning above a certain amount. For students starting their course after 1 August 2023, the repayment threshold is £25,000. Repayments will be taken directly from your salary if you are an employee. If your income falls below the earnings threshold, your repayments will stop until your income goes back up above this figure.
Find out more about repaying your student loanLink opens in a new window.
Placements and work experience
Our Careers and Skills department offer a wide range of workshops, from developing confidence and interview techniques to learning how to articulate what you have to offer in order to impress potential employers. Online resources are also available, including training in drafting CVs and covering letters, practice aptitude and psychometric tests, practice online interviews, and other resources to help you research job opportunities.
You will also be able to book an appointment with the History Department careers advisor at any point during your degree. Whether you have no idea what you want to do, or a clear direction in mind, you can take advantage of this focused advice and guidance.
Your career
Graduates from these courses have gone on to work for employers including:
- Admiral Group
- Advent
- Amnesty International
- BBC
- Bloomsbury Publishing
- Civil Service
- Deloitte
- ESI Media
- Ipsos Mori
- KPMG
- Lloyds Banking Group
- M&S
- Ministry of Defence
- Penguin Random House
- Sky
- Teach First
- UBS
They have pursued roles such as:
- Archivists and curators
- Arts officers
- Producers and directors
- Actuaries, economists and statisticians
- Barristers and judges
- Business sales executives
- Chartered and certified accountants
- Conservation professionals
- Financial account managers
- Historians
- Journalists, newspaper and periodical editors
- Public relations professionals
- Researchers
- Solicitors
Helping you find the right career
Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant to support you. They offer impartial advice and guidance, together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:
- A Career to suit you
- Discovering Careers in the Creative Industries
- Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
- History – CV review session
History at Warwick
Each year, we attract excellent students like you to Warwick.
We will help you develop the skills needed to conduct research, including in the archives, engage critically with your sources, and support you in developing critical thinking skills.
Whether you’re working with classmates in seminars and workshops, or getting involved with the History Society, at every turn you’ll find like-minded people who share your fascination with the past and its significance in the present.
Get to know us better by exploring our departmental website
Explore our new Faculty of Arts building
The department recently moved into the brand new £57.5 million Faculty of Arts building.
This means, as an Arts student at Warwick, you’ll find your home amongst brand new teaching, learning and social spaces, including specialist facilities, all designed to support collaborative working and to enable your creativity and innovation to flourish.
The sustainably built, eight-storey building is located next to the newly refurbished Warwick Arts Centre in the heart of the University’s creative and cultural arts quarter.
Image credit: Hufton + Crow
Our courses
Related degrees
Life at Warwick
Within a close-knit community of staff and students from all over the world, discover a campus alive with possibilities. A place where all the elements of your student experience come together in one place. Our supportive, energising, welcoming space creates the ideal environment for forging new connections, having fun and finding inspiration.
Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.
Warwick Accommodation
Finding the right accommodation is key to helping you settle in quickly.
We have 12 self-catering undergraduate halls of residence on campus.
Our student property management and lettings agency manages more than 8,000 rooms both on and off campus, and provides advice to all full-time undergraduates.
Our campus
You won't be short of ways to spend your time on campus - whether it's visiting Warwick Arts Centre, using our incredible new sports facilities, socialising in our bars, nightclub and cafés, or enjoying an open-air event. Or if you need some peace and quiet, you can explore lakes, woodland and green spaces just a few minutes’ walk from central campus.
Food and drink
We have lots of cafés, restaurants and shops on campus. You can enjoy great quality food and drink, with plenty of choice for all tastes and budgets. There is a convenience store on central campus, as well as two supermarkets and a small shopping centre in the nearby Cannon Park Retail Park. Several of them offer delivery services to help you stay stocked up.
And don't miss our regular food market day on the Piazza with tempting, fresh and delicious street food. Soak up the atmosphere and try something new, with mouth-watering food for all tastes.
Clubs and societies
We currently have more than 300 student-run societies.
So whether you’re into films, martial arts, astronomy, gaming or musical theatre, you can instantly connect with people with similar interests.
Or you could try something new, or even form your own society.
Sports and fitness
Staying active at Warwick is no sweat, thanks to our amazing new Sports and Wellness Hub, indoor and outdoor tennis centre, 60 acres of sports pitches, and more than 60 sports clubs.
Whether you want to compete, relax or just have fun, you can achieve your fitness goals.
Studying on campus
Our campus is designed to cater for all of your learning needs.
You will benefit from a variety of flexible, well-equipped study spaces and teaching facilities across the University.
- The Oculus, our outstanding learning hub, houses state-of-the-art lecture theatres and innovative social learning and network areas.
- The University Library provides access to over one million printed works and tens of thousands of electronic journals
- Three Learning Grids offering you flexible individual and group study spaces.
Travel and local area
Our campus is in Coventry, a modern city with high street shops, restaurants, nightclubs and bars sitting alongside medieval monuments. The Warwickshire towns of Leamington Spa and Kenilworth are also nearby.
The University is close to major road, rail and air links. London is just an hour by direct train from Coventry, with Birmingham a 20-minute trip. Birmingham International Airport is nearby (a 20-minute drive).
Wellbeing support and faith provision
Our continuous support network is here to help you adjust to student life and to ensure you can easily access advice on many different issues. These may include managing your finances and workload, and settling into shared accommodation. We also have specialist disability and mental health support teams.
Our Chaplaincy is home to Chaplains from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. We provide regular services for all Christian denominations and a Shabbat meal every Friday for our Jewish students. There is also an Islamic prayer hall, halal kitchen and ablution facilities.
How to apply
Learn more about our application process.
Key dates
Key dates for your application to Warwick.
Writing your personal statement
Make an impression and demonstrate your passion for your course.
After you've applied
Find out how we process your application.
Our Admission Statement
Read Warwick's Admission Statement
3 ways to connect
Talk to us
Join us at a live event. You can ask about courses, applying to Warwick, life at Warwick, visas and immigration, and more.
Warwick Experience
Take a virtual, student-led campus tour. Then join an interactive panel session, where you can hear from and chat to our current students and staff.
Student blogs
Explore our student blogs in OurWarwick. You can read about campus life from students themselves, and register to post questions directly to students.
Explore campus with our virtual tour
Our 360 tour lets you:
- Watch student videos
- View 360 photography and drone footage
- Learn about facilities and landmarks
Explore our campus virtually through our 360 campus tour now
Come to an Open Day
Don’t just take it from us, come and see for yourself what Warwick is all about. Whether it's a virtual visit or in-person, our University Open Days give you the chance to meet staff and students, visit academic departments, tour the campus and get a real feel for life at Warwick.
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