Geography/History

Geography and history is a pairing that examines the world from two perspectives that are fundamentally complementary. Geography studies the surface of the Earth as the site of human living and working, examining the physical processes that shape landscapes and the human geographies of migration, urbanisation, trade, and environmental change. History studies how human societies have developed over time, examining the events, structures, and forces that have shaped the world we inhabit.

Together, the two disciplines provide an unusually powerful framework for understanding why the world is as it is, combining the spatial perspective of geography with the temporal depth of history.

At Glasgow this part-time programme includes a year abroad, which enriches your understanding of both the geographical environments and historical contexts you are studying and gives you the opportunity to study in an international academic setting. The geography component develops key skills including qualitative and statistical data analysis, independent research, and critical engagement with contemporary issues from coastal management and environmental hazards to migration, solidarity, and urban geography. The history component at Glasgow offers a wide-ranging programme from medieval to modern times and across the globe, building your ability to read historical sources critically and to place events in their broader political, social, and economic contexts.

Graduates find careers in education, research, the civil service, public policy, heritage and museums, environmental management, journalism, international development, and a wide range of organisations where the combination of spatial thinking and historical understanding is valued. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in geography, history, urban planning, or environmental studies, or move into professional qualifications in areas such as teaching, planning, or archive and heritage management.