History/Politics

History and politics are disciplines that illuminate each other with particular clarity. History explains how the political world came to be as it is: which institutions formed, which ideologies competed for dominance, how democratic systems developed and sometimes failed, and how the distribution of power within and between states has shifted over centuries. Politics provides the theoretical frameworks for analysing how power operates in the present, why states behave as they do, what drives political behaviour among citizens and leaders, and how change happens in political systems.

Studied together, they offer both the depth of historical understanding and the analytical tools needed to engage seriously with contemporary political life.

At the University of Glasgow you will engage with a broad range of historical periods and themes alongside the major fields of political science, including political theory, comparative politics and international relations. The Scottish four-year honours degree structure gives you additional breadth in your earlier years before you develop the depth and specialisation characteristic of honours-level work. The programme also includes a year abroad, which extends the full course and gives you the opportunity to study political and historical questions in a different national and institutional context, broadening your perspective and developing the personal resilience and adaptability that come from sustained study away from home.

You will develop skills in archival and primary source analysis, political theory, comparative argument, extended research writing and the critical evaluation of competing interpretations.

Graduates from history and politics programmes pursue careers in the civil service, politics and public affairs, journalism, law, international development, think tanks, education and the not-for-profit sector. Postgraduate study in political science, international relations, history, public policy or law is also a common route for graduates who want to develop specialist expertise.