History

History is the discipline of understanding the human past through careful engagement with the evidence that survives, asking not just what happened but how we know, why it matters, and what the past can tell us about the present. It trains habits of mind that are among the most valuable a university education can develop: critical reading, the evaluation of sources, the construction of arguments from evidence, and the ability to see events in context.

Studying history part time at Goldsmiths, University of London gives you access to a distinctive programme in an institution known for its critical and interdisciplinary approach to the humanities and social sciences. You will engage with a wide range of historical periods and places, from the medieval world through to contemporary history, and you will encounter methodological debates about how history is practised and whose voices have historically been heard or excluded. Goldsmiths brings particular strength in social and cultural history, the history of colonialism and empire, and histories of everyday life alongside more conventional political and diplomatic history.

The part-time format makes the degree accessible to students with professional or personal commitments who want to pursue serious academic study without giving up other aspects of their lives. Goldsmiths' London location also provides access to archives, museums, and libraries that enrich historical research.

Graduates go on to careers in education, journalism, publishing, the civil service, heritage and museums, arts administration, the legal profession, and many other fields where analytical and communication skills are valued. Many also continue to postgraduate study in history, archival studies, heritage management, or journalism. The Goldsmiths approach to history produces graduates who are both rigorous analysts and genuinely independent thinkers.