History and Politics with a Year Abroad

History and politics with a year abroad takes the natural combination of these two complementary disciplines and adds an extended period of international study that enriches both the academic experience and the professional outlook of graduates. History provides chronological depth and the methods needed to understand how the present world emerged from the past, examining political, social, and cultural change through the analysis of evidence. Politics offers analytical frameworks for understanding power, institutions, ideologies, and the processes through which societies make collective decisions.

The year abroad adds to both, exposing you to how history is interpreted and how political systems work in a different national context.

At the University of East Anglia, this four-year full-time programme gives you a thorough grounding in both disciplines while building towards the international study year. You will study British, European, and world history across a range of periods alongside contemporary political science, including comparative politics, political theory, and international relations. The year abroad takes you to a partner institution where you can engage with these subjects from a different academic and cultural perspective, encountering interpretations of history and models of political organisation that expand your analytical frameworks and challenge your assumptions in productive ways.

History and politics graduates with international experience are particularly well placed for careers in the civil service, international organisations, diplomacy, journalism, education, law, political parties, NGOs, and research institutes. The combination of historical awareness, political analysis, and international experience is valued wherever organisations need people who can think contextually about complex situations and communicate clearly about them. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in history, politics, international relations, or law, with some going on to academic careers in these fields.