History and Politics with a Placement Year

History and politics is one of the most naturally coherent subject combinations in the humanities and social sciences. History examines how the world we inhabit came to be, tracing the events, structures, and contingencies that have shaped political institutions, international relations, social movements, and ideas over time. Politics examines the present, asking how power is organised and exercised, how democracies and authoritarian regimes function, and how political decisions are made and contested.

Together, the two subjects provide both the depth of historical understanding and the analytical framework for political analysis that neither offers on its own.

At the University of East Anglia, this four-year programme includes a placement year, which gives you the opportunity to gain professional experience in a context relevant to your interests, whether in political organisations, heritage institutions, journalism, education, the civil service, or research. The placement year develops practical skills and professional awareness alongside the intellectual work of the degree, and many students find that it sharpens their sense of direction for the final year and for their careers after graduation. Throughout the programme, you will study British, European, and international history alongside political theory, comparative politics, and international relations, developing your skills in source analysis, argumentation, essay writing, and empirical research.

UEA has particular strengths in modern British and international history and in contemporary politics, and the programme benefits from teaching staff who are active researchers in both fields. Norwich is a manageable city with good connections to London and the political and cultural life of the wider country.

Graduates of history and politics programmes work in the civil service, politics and public affairs, journalism, think tanks, the law, education, international organisations, and a wide range of public and third-sector roles. The placement year strengthens the practical dimension of the degree and often plays a significant role in shaping graduates' early career choices.