History

History at King's College London is taught by one of the largest history departments in the UK, with expertise spanning every continent and all periods from 300 AD to the present. This breadth is reflected in the degree itself: the BA History gives you the freedom to shape your programme around your own intellectual interests while developing the rigorous analytical and research skills that historical study requires. Over three years of full-time study, you will engage with primary sources, debate competing interpretations, and develop the habits of critical thinking that distinguish historical expertise from simple familiarity with the past.

Studying history at this level means learning to work with evidence that is incomplete, contested, and shaped by the biases and purposes of those who created it. You will develop the ability to read documents and sources critically, to situate events within their broader political, economic, social, and cultural contexts, and to construct well-argued accounts that are honest about what the evidence can and cannot support. The diversity of King's history syllabus means you can engage with global, European, British, or area-specific history according to your interests, and the wide range of optional modules allows you to build genuine expertise in particular periods or themes.

King's location in London provides access to archives, museums, and the broader intellectual life of one of the world's great cities.

History graduates from King's and other leading departments have consistently strong career outcomes. The skills the degree develops, above all the ability to research rigorously, think critically, write clearly, and engage honestly with complex and contested questions, are valued across almost every sector. The civil service, law, journalism, teaching, publishing, heritage and museums, the charity sector, finance, and consulting all recruit history graduates in substantial numbers.

Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in history, law, international relations, or public policy. The analytical and written communication abilities that a strong history degree develops are among the most transferable of any undergraduate qualification, and King's combination of breadth and depth provides an exceptional foundation.