Central & East European Studies/Scottish History

Combining Central and East European studies with Scottish history might seem geographically distant, but as an intellectual pairing it has genuine coherence. Both fields are concerned with the experience of nations that have existed in complex and often contested relationships with larger powers, navigating questions of sovereignty, identity, and self-determination in ways that illuminate each other. Scottish history encompasses the distinctive political, religious, economic, and cultural development of Scotland from its medieval origins through the Union, the Enlightenment, the industrial revolution, and the ongoing questions of national identity and devolution.

Central and East European studies brings the twentieth and twenty-first century drama of a region that has experienced war, revolution, communist consolidation and collapse, democratic transition, and now the pressures of populism, the Russo-Ukrainian war, and instability across the Caucasus and Central Asia.

At Glasgow this part-time programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study in Central or Eastern Europe and to experience the region directly. The Central and East European studies component charts the key issues from the Baltic to the Balkans and from Berlin to Vladivostok, engaging with the history, politics, and social change of a region whose transformations have been among the most consequential of modern times. The Scottish history component develops your ability to analyse historical sources critically and to understand the distinctive trajectories that shaped Scottish society, culture, and institutions.

Together, the two subjects develop strong research, analytical, and writing skills alongside a genuinely broad comparative perspective.

Graduates find careers in area studies research, diplomacy, journalism, international organisations, public history, heritage, education, and the civil service. The combination of knowledge of an often-overlooked region of Eastern Europe and the distinctive perspective offered by Scottish history is unusual and genuinely distinctive in competitive applications. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in Central and East European studies, Scottish history, modern history, or international relations.