History and Politics

History and politics is a natural pairing, since the two disciplines share a deep concern with power, how it is exercised, contested, and transformed over time. History provides the chronological depth and the methodological tools for understanding how the world came to be as it is, examining evidence from the past to explain the forces that have shaped societies, nations, and international relations. Politics examines how power operates in contemporary institutions, how political systems are structured and governed, and how ideologies and interests shape the decisions that affect everyone.

Together they develop graduates who can think with both historical perspective and analytical rigour about the most significant questions in public life.

At the University of Northumbria at Newcastle, this four-year extended degree offers a comprehensive programme that incorporates a sandwich year with a work placement and a year abroad alongside the main academic curriculum, providing exceptional scope for professional and international experience within the degree. You will study British and world history across a range of periods, examining political, social, and cultural change, while also engaging with comparative politics, political theory, international relations, and contemporary policy analysis. The extended structure and the placement year are particularly valuable for students who want to develop clear professional direction and experience before graduation.

History and politics graduates go on to careers in the civil service, local government, journalism, education, law, international organisations, NGOs, research institutes, political parties, and the wider public affairs sector. The combination of historical understanding and political analysis is valued wherever organisations need people who can think clearly about complex situations with an awareness of context and consequence. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in history, politics, international relations, or law.