History and International Relations

History and international relations is a combination that gives you both the long view and the analytical framework needed to understand how the world has been shaped and how it continues to change. History situates events in context, tracing the long chains of cause and consequence that connect past decisions to present realities. International relations provides the conceptual tools to understand how states, institutions, non-governmental actors and transnational forces interact in the contemporary world.

Studied together, they produce graduates who can think historically about international affairs and analytically about the past.

At the University of Exeter you will study this three-year full-time programme, which includes a sandwich year with work placement opportunities and a year abroad, both of which add significant professional and international depth to your studies. Exeter is a research-active university with strong provision in both history and politics, and the combination benefits from the quality of teaching and research expertise across both departments. The typical entry tariff for this programme is around 152 UCAS points.

You will develop your skills in historical research, archival work and the critical reading of primary and secondary sources alongside analytical engagement with theories of international relations, foreign policy, conflict and cooperation, international law and the global political economy.

Graduates of history and international relations programmes are exceptionally well placed for careers in the civil service, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, international organisations, think tanks, journalism, NGOs, development agencies and the private sector. Roles requiring the ability to understand complex historical and political contexts, analyse competing interests and communicate clearly to different audiences draw on exactly the skills this combination builds. Postgraduate study in international relations, history, law, politics or security studies is a natural progression for those who wish to develop specialist expertise.