History

History is the discipline that investigates the human past, using primary sources, analytical methods, and interpretive frameworks to understand how events unfolded, why they happened, and what their consequences have been. It is a discipline that develops habits of mind, critical thinking, careful use of evidence, and the ability to construct clear and persuasive arguments, that are valued across almost every profession that requires serious engagement with information and ideas.

At York St John University, you will explore history from the Viking age to Soviet Russia, delving into a huge range of periods and places and exploring the answers to historical questions great and small. The programme is located in York, a city with an extraordinarily rich historical past that provides a living context for your studies. You will encounter diverse approaches to history, develop your capacity for archival research and historical argument, and engage with the ways in which the discipline continues to evolve.

The programme includes a foundation year, a sandwich placement year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you an exceptionally broad academic and professional experience within the degree. It runs full-time.

Graduates of history degrees pursue careers in education, the civil service, publishing, journalism, museums and heritage, law, archiving, public policy, and a wide range of other professions where critical thinking and strong communication are central. The analytical and writing skills developed by historical study are genuinely transferable across sectors. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in history, archival science, museum studies, or public policy, building on the depth of research training and critical engagement developed during the degree.