History

History is the scholarly discipline concerned with understanding the human past: how societies have changed, what forces have driven that change, and how we can know and interpret events and periods that we did not experience directly. It develops a set of intellectual skills that are genuinely transferable and highly valued: the ability to evaluate evidence critically, to construct a sustained argument from incomplete or conflicting sources, to understand context and causation, and to communicate complex ideas with clarity and precision. These are capabilities that matter in a wide range of professional contexts.

At the University of Plymouth, this three-year full-time degree gives you a broad and rigorous historical education, developing your ability to work with primary sources and to engage seriously with the arguments of historians who have interpreted the same events from different perspectives. You will develop skills in archival research, historiographical analysis and extended essay writing, moving from broader survey work in the early stages toward independent research in your final year. A sandwich year placement, a year abroad, and a work placement are all available, giving you substantial professional and international experience that connects your historical education to the real-world contexts where analytical and communication skills are valued.

The placement and work experience elements are particularly important for students who want to enter heritage, archiving, the civil service or related professions where prior practical experience is valued.

Seminar discussion, critical reading and sustained writing are central to the experience. You will be expected to develop and defend your own well-supported interpretations of historical questions.

Graduates from Plymouth's history degree move into education, journalism, archiving and heritage, law, the civil service, public policy, business management, the third sector, and a wide range of other careers. Postgraduate study in history, law, public administration or related fields is a common pathway.