History and Business Management

History and business management is a combination that develops two very different but mutually enriching sets of skills. History trains you to read evidence carefully, to think about causation and contingency, to construct arguments from incomplete information, and to understand how the past shapes the present. Business management provides the analytical frameworks, commercial knowledge, and practical understanding of how organisations function, how markets work, and what effective leadership looks like.

Together they produce a graduate who can think historically and act commercially, which is an unusual and genuinely valuable combination.

At the University of Derby, you will explore the early modern and modern historical period alongside key business and management themes, enhancing your understanding of how businesses and societies operate over time and in the present. The programme is three years full time and includes a foundation year for students who need additional academic preparation, a sandwich year giving you the opportunity to gain professional experience before your final year, and integrated work placements throughout. This structure makes the programme particularly strong on employability: by the time you graduate you will have both the intellectual formation of a humanities degree and the practical experience that business employers look for.

The typical entry tariff is 104 points.

You will study historical periods, sources, and debates alongside topics in strategy, marketing, finance, operations, and management, developing skills in research, written argument, commercial analysis, and professional communication that are valuable across many fields.

Graduates move into careers in business, finance, public administration, the civil service, journalism, education, heritage, and a wide range of management roles. The placement and sandwich year often provide direct routes into employment. Further study at postgraduate level in history, business, or related fields is another option.