The School of History - Our Vision
Our vision: ‘History drives social empowerment, inclusive change and democracy’
The School of History is a research-intensive learning environment that is consistently inclusive, pluralist, international, collaborative, and committed to student support, empowerment and mobility. Providing global leadership in medieval, early modern, modern, contemporary and international history, we work with other schools in the Faculties of Arts, Humanities and Cultures and Social Science as we research and teach in socially- and politically-engaged ways. We are committed to disciplinary and interdisciplinary excellence and real-world impact, ensuring that we are active contributors to positive social and political action alongside a diversity of local, regional, national, international and global partners.
The School of History is one of the largest in the United Kingdom. It is home to the internationally recognized Institute for Medieval Studies, International Medieval Congress and International Medieval Bibliography, and boasts 50+ scholars from around the world. This collective of excellence supports a broad array of research groups to attend to the intellectual curiosity of our students at all levels. Our students are trained by an impressive array of award-winning scholars whose work underscores the necessity and usefulness of an international perspective, even as national subjects are studied in diversity, imaginatively and with impact.
Students not only study history, they do history. Year 1 provides foundational training that is strengthened in Year 2 and culminates in a substantial research project in Year 3. Students develop these valuable skills with partners inside and outside the University by working with a wide range of primary sources, including ancient coins, medieval illuminated manuscripts, travel journals of the early modern era, and newspapers that tracked global change from New York to Shanghai, Buenos Aires to New Delhi (with the University Library, as well as an array of partner archives, museums and galleries). Whether you are interested in the history of medicine or cultural artefacts of the past, the School of History can offer you an intellectual home to discover new specialisms, cultivate your interests and provide access to a multiplicity of transferable skills. All students are also supported by an academic personal tutor throughout their degree.
Rankings
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Top 75 in the world QS World University Rankings 2024
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14th in the UK for studying History by Complete University Guide 2025
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100% in “world-leading” or “internationally excellent” submitted research environment – Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021
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Additionally, the School of History has recently been acknowledged by the 2024 National Student Survey (NSS) for exceeding benchmarks in the categories of Learning Opportunities, and in Organisation and Management.
Course Options
Note: Students in our BA programmes can enjoy study abroad opportunities via the University’s extensive international networks, and are also supported to strengthen their employment profiles through work/industrial placements at the end of year 2 of study in an array of global and national entities (in recent years, our students have been employed by companies such as Renault, BMW, Warner Brothers, Rolls Royce, IBM, The Royal Armouries, Transport for London, The National Trust etc. via this scheme).