History

History is the discipline that takes the whole of human experience as its subject. It is the study of power and its limits, of ideas that changed the world, of ordinary lives lived in extraordinary circumstances, and of the slow or sudden forces that shape societies over generations. Far from being a fixed record of what happened, history is an ongoing argument about evidence, interpretation, and meaning, and studying it develops the kind of rigorous, evidence-led thinking that is valuable in almost every field of work.

At Royal Holloway you will engage with history as a genuinely controversial and living discipline. You will explore justice and injustice, innovation and continuity, freedom and oppression, race, religion, health, and much else besides. The programme builds skills in archival research, critical reading, and analytical writing, asking you to weigh conflicting accounts and construct well-evidenced arguments.

The three-year structure incorporates a sandwich year giving you the chance to apply your skills in a professional setting, and a year abroad that allows you to encounter different national traditions of historical scholarship and expand your perspective on the past. The programme also includes a work placement, strengthening your professional profile before graduation.

History graduates are equipped for careers in a remarkably broad range of sectors. The discipline's emphasis on research, communication, and the ability to make sense of complex information is valued by employers in law, journalism, the civil service, politics, education, heritage, publishing, and the arts. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study, whether to deepen their historical specialism through a master's or doctoral programme or to pursue professional training in areas such as law, archiving, or museum curation.

Whatever direction you take, a history degree from Royal Holloway prepares you to think carefully about the world, to communicate ideas clearly, and to ask better questions of the evidence in front of you.