People who study History have an interest in the past and studying the past helps us to understand our present, to see it in perspective, and could help us better understand events that may occur in the future.
Although a History degree doesn’t lead to an obvious career you’ll learn many valuable skills that are highly prized by employers from all industries.
One important thing to remember if you’re thinking about applying for History is that there’s going to be a lot of reading involved in your course. It doesn’t matter which period of history you study, you’re going to have to do many hours of independent research outside of lectures.
Here’s more about studying History at university.
Not all History courses are the same. Some courses are very specialist, others more broadly based so it’s vital that you make sure you read the course description carefully and apply for the course you really want to do.
For example, if you are interested in Medieval History then picking a course with a 20th Century focus on International History isn’t going to lead to a happy time at university.
The majority of universities also offer the option of taking a joint degree, so History and another subject.
Some popular joint options include:
Of course you could also look at less common options if you wanted to combine two areas of interest or gain a degree that has obvious career benefits for the future – for example, History and Business.
History is one of the most popular, and therefore most competitive, university courses so you’re going to need the best grades you can to be successful.
Not all universities will ask that you’ve studied History at A Level but it’s important to check the entry requirements of each university you’re interested in before applying.
Other good A Level subjects to take include:
Exact grade requirements vary between universities but you can expect that they will usually be at the higher end of the spectrum – AAA, ABB for example.
As well as an excellent academic record you’ll also need a strong personal statement to be a successful History applicant.
Here are some tips for a brilliant History personal statement:
History is an extremely popular course and the majority of the universities in the UK offer it.
Of course all of the Russell Group universities offer History and expect their students to have near perfect academic record.
Some other universities that offer History include:
Remember that there is no universal curriculum for a History degree like there is at A Level, so choose the course that best suits you in terms of content, not just because the university itself has a good reputation or an award winning SU bar.
A History degree could lead on to you doing anything and everything. There is no set career path after graduation. The skills gained during your course are highly valuable in all industries from those obviously connected to History to those in the corporate world.
It’s important to get work experience either from paid work or volunteering whilst you’re at university so that you’re “job ready” as soon as you graduate.