History and Politics

History and politics is one of the most coherent and professionally useful combinations available to undergraduate students, developing rigorous analytical skills in both the study of the past and the analysis of political life in the present. History provides the long record of human decision-making and its consequences, showing how political institutions and ideas have been forged and contested over time. Politics offers the theoretical frameworks for understanding power, governance, ideology, and the behaviour of states and citizens.

Together they produce graduates who can situate the present in its historical context and analyse it with conceptual precision.

At Manchester Metropolitan University, this three-year full-time BA in History and Politics provides specialist training in both subjects while encouraging an interdisciplinary perspective. The history component covers a broad range of time periods and regions, from the ancient world through to modern global conflicts and revolutions, while the politics component engages with both theoretical and contemporary political questions. The programme includes a sandwich year and work placement, giving you professional experience alongside your academic study and demonstrating that your skills can be applied in real-world contexts.

Graduates from history and politics programmes are well placed for careers in the civil service, journalism, law, policy research, political campaigning, international organisations, education, the charity sector, and public affairs. The combination of historical knowledge and political analysis is particularly valued in roles that require understanding how present situations have been shaped by past decisions, which is a capability in demand across many sectors. Postgraduate study in history, political science, international relations, or public policy is a natural continuation for those who wish to develop specialist expertise or pursue academic careers.