History

History is the study of the human past through the critical analysis of evidence, and it is a discipline far more demanding and intellectually rewarding than the simple accumulation of facts about what happened. Historians interrogate sources, evaluate competing accounts, situate events and processes in their broader contexts, and construct arguments about causation, change and continuity that must stand up to scholarly scrutiny. It is a training in rigorous thinking about evidence and argument that has applications far beyond the study of the past itself.

At Northumbria University, this three-year full-time programme is particularly rich in practical and international opportunities. It includes a sandwich year for extended professional or research experience, a year abroad at a partner institution overseas, and work placement experience built into the programme. This combination gives you substantial exposure to professional and international contexts alongside your academic studies.

You will engage with a range of historical periods and themes, developing your skills in archival research, source analysis, historiographical debate and extended academic writing. The programme encourages you to think about how history is constructed, contested and used, as well as what it reveals about the societies of the past.

History graduates are valued across a wide range of careers, including the civil service, law, education, journalism, publishing, heritage organisations, museums, archives, the voluntary sector, public affairs and management. The analytical skills, research competence and communication ability developed through historical study are genuinely transferable and widely recognised by employers. Many history graduates also proceed to postgraduate study, taking masters programmes in history, heritage management, archives, law, journalism or public policy, often as a route toward specialist professional roles.