Economic & Social History/Philosophy

Economic and social history occupies a distinctive intellectual position, combining the historian's concern with evidence, narrative and the particularity of past experience with the social scientist's interest in structures, processes and patterns across time and place. Philosophy, in this pairing, adds the rigorous analytical tools of argument, logic and the examination of fundamental concepts to the mix. Together the three fields equip you to ask how economic systems and social structures have developed historically, what forces drive change, and what philosophical frameworks allow us to make sense of historical and social knowledge.

At the University of Glasgow you will study economic and social history with a particular focus on how people in the past lived and worked and how those conditions shaped the development of the world today. You will examine social and economic structures, activities and experiences across different periods and places, engaging with questions about class, poverty, industrialisation, migration, labour and welfare. Alongside this you will pursue philosophical inquiry into the nature of historical knowledge, social causation and the conceptual frameworks that underpin both disciplines.

The programme runs over four years full time, reflecting the Scottish honours degree structure, and includes a year abroad, extending the full course and giving you the opportunity to study in a different academic environment.

You will develop skills in primary source analysis, quantitative and qualitative historical methods, philosophical argument, extended research writing and the synthesis of evidence from multiple disciplines.

Graduates pursue careers in research, archiving, policy, the civil service, journalism, education, heritage and the charitable sector. The combination of historical depth, social science methodology and philosophical rigour is also valued in law, finance and management. Postgraduate study in economic and social history, philosophy, social policy or a related discipline is a well-established route.