History and Politics

History and politics are natural companions. History traces the development of human societies and the forces that have shaped them, while politics analyses how power is organised, exercised, and contested in the present. Together they offer a combined perspective that is both temporally deep and analytically rigorous, allowing you to understand not just how the world works now but how it came to be this way, and what that might tell us about where it is heading.

At the University of Aberdeen, this four-year full-time degree gives you wide and deep study of all aspects of human activity in the past alongside a thorough grounding in national, European, and global politics. You will be taught by researchers who are regularly engaged in public commentary on the events shaping the contemporary world, which means your learning connects directly to what is actually happening in politics and geopolitics. The programme develops your capacity for rigorous argument, careful evidence evaluation, and analytical writing, skills that are valuable across an exceptionally wide range of careers.

A year abroad is included in the degree, giving you the opportunity to study history and politics in an international context and to broaden your perspective beyond the UK. The typical entry tariff is 184 UCAS points.

Graduates of history and politics degrees pursue careers in the civil service and public administration, politics and policy research, journalism and media, international organisations, law, think tanks, education, and the charity sector. The combination of historical perspective and political analysis is particularly valued in roles that require understanding how institutions and power relations develop over time. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in history, political science, international relations, or law, finding that the breadth of their undergraduate preparation gives them a versatile foundation for advanced work in any of these areas.