History and Heritage

History and heritage is a degree that pairs the academic study of the past with the applied practice of preserving and interpreting it for contemporary audiences. History as a discipline develops the skills to find, evaluate and synthesise evidence from primary and secondary sources, to construct rigorous arguments about what happened and why, and to situate events and processes in the broader contexts that gave them meaning. Heritage studies extends this into the practical and professional dimensions of how the past is managed, presented and contested in museums, historic sites, archives, conservation projects and cultural institutions.

At the University of Stirling this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, which deepens your perspective on both disciplines by exposing you to how different societies understand and manage their pasts. Scotland's distinctive historical landscape, from its medieval castles and industrial heritage to the living traditions of Gaelic culture and the complexities of its relationship with the British state, provides a rich context for the programme, and Stirling's own setting in a historically significant region gives tangible depth to the heritage dimensions of the course. The course listing notes that places are available for students from England, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, EU countries and international markets.

You will study a range of historical periods and geographical contexts alongside the theory and practice of heritage management, including issues of authenticity, memory, community engagement, digital heritage and the ethics of conservation.

Graduates pursue careers in museums, galleries, historic houses, national parks, archives, local government conservation, tourism, education and cultural policy. Many go on to postgraduate study in museum studies, heritage management, conservation, digital humanities or historical research. The combination of analytical historical skills and applied heritage knowledge makes graduates well placed for the range of roles that the heritage sector increasingly requires.