History

History is the intellectual discipline through which human beings make sense of the past, examining events, processes, and people across time and asking why things happened as they did, what evidence we have for our interpretations, and what the past tells us about the present. It is a discipline that develops close reading, critical evaluation of evidence, structured argument, and the capacity to manage large amounts of complex and sometimes contradictory information. These are skills that are valuable well beyond historical study itself, which is why history graduates are found in a very wide range of careers.

At the University of the West of England in Bristol, this part-time degree develops your historical understanding across a genuinely global range, covering the history of Britain, Europe, America, Asia, and Africa. You will engage with different periods and approaches to historical study, including political history, social history, cultural history, and the history of ideas, developing both breadth of knowledge and the specific research skills that historical investigation requires. A placement or work experience year is built into the programme, and a year abroad is also available, broadening your experience and adding professional and international dimensions to your studies.

The part-time structure makes the degree accessible to students who are balancing study with work or other commitments.

You will develop the capacity for precise argument, the habit of questioning received narratives, and the skill of finding and evaluating evidence, all of which transfer readily into professional contexts that value careful thinking and clear communication.

Graduates from history degrees work in education and teaching, the civil service, heritage and archives, publishing and journalism, law, the third sector, business, management, and public policy. The degree is excellent preparation for postgraduate study in history, public history, archives and records management, or related fields. Employers across many sectors recognise the intellectual rigour that a history degree represents.