History and Politics
History and Politics is a combination that approaches the question of how power operates and societies change from two complementary directions. History gives you the tools to understand how the present came to be, using evidence from the past to trace the forces of transformation and continuity across time. Politics examines how power is organised, contested, and exercised in the present, analysing institutions, ideologies, and collective decision-making from theoretical and comparative perspectives.
Together, the two disciplines provide a particularly coherent framework for understanding public life.
At Liverpool Hope University, this full-time, three-year programme includes a sandwich year and a year abroad, as well as work placement opportunities. You will explore a wide range of historical periods from the early modern era to the present, engaging with themes of nationalism, imperialism, colonisation, decolonisation, gender, and identity. The politics strand develops your understanding of democratic theory, political institutions, international relations, and the ideological debates that shape contemporary politics in Britain and beyond.
The year abroad broadens your perspective by placing you within a different political and cultural context, while the sandwich year and placements give you professional experience in research, policy, journalism, or public sector settings.
Graduates of History and Politics are well placed for careers in the civil service, local government, public policy, political research, journalism, law, education, think tanks, and international organisations. The analytical rigour and written communication skills both disciplines develop are valued broadly across the labour market, and the combination's direct engagement with politics and its history makes graduates particularly competitive for roles that involve understanding institutions and advocating for change. Many pursue postgraduate study in history, politics, public policy, or law, building specialist expertise for research or senior professional careers.