Ancient History and History

Ancient history and history is a programme that spans the longest possible range of human time, from the civilisations of ancient Greece, Rome, and Persia through the medieval and early modern periods to the twentieth century and beyond. Ancient history asks you to engage with societies that are both foundational to Western culture and deeply foreign to modern assumptions, reconstructing their politics, religion, economy, and daily life from fragmentary evidence that includes inscriptions, coins, papyri, and archaeological material as well as literary texts. Modern history uses a different but overlapping set of methods to understand more recent societies and events, many of which have left richer documentary records but require no less critical interrogation.

At the University of Leeds, this three-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year in industry with work placement and a year abroad, giving it a rich combination of professional and international dimensions alongside the core academic content. Leeds has a strong history faculty with expertise across many periods and regions, and the combination of ancient and modern history is taught with the breadth of geographical scope, encompassing the history of ancient Greece, Rome, and Persia as well as more recent history across the globe, that distinguishes a genuinely comparative historical education. A typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the academic demands of a well-regarded Russell Group history department.

Graduates of history programmes work in education, the civil service, journalism, heritage and museums, law, publishing, archival work, and a wide range of roles where the ability to research, analyse, and communicate complex material is valued. The ancient element opens particular opportunities in classical education, museum curation, and archaeology. Postgraduate study in history, ancient history, classical studies, or heritage management is a natural next step for many graduates.