History and Psychology

History and psychology is a combination that might not be the most obvious pairing, but it reflects a genuine intellectual insight: both disciplines are ultimately concerned with understanding human behaviour and human experience, one through the empirical and experimental methods of science, the other through the interpretation of evidence from the past. History develops your capacity to understand how people and societies have lived in the past and how those experiences shape the present. Psychology develops your scientific understanding of how individuals think, feel, and behave, and why.

At Liverpool Hope University, this three-year full-time degree lets you explore both dimensions of human experience in depth. The history strand ranges widely across periods from the early modern era to the present day, engaging with key themes including nationalism, imperialism, colonisation, decolonisation, gender, and identity. You will engage with and challenge interpretations, developing the research and critical thinking skills that history demands alongside a genuine understanding of the complexity and contingency of the past.

The psychology strand provides scientific training in human behaviour and cognition, introducing you to the major theories and research methods of the discipline. A sandwich year provides extended professional experience, a year abroad broadens your intellectual horizons, and work placement is integrated throughout the degree.

You will graduate with a distinctive combination of historical understanding, scientific literacy in the study of behaviour, and strong analytical and communication skills.

Graduates go on to careers in education, social research, mental health and social care, heritage, journalism, public sector roles, and a wide range of positions where both analytical rigour and human understanding matter. Many pursue postgraduate training in psychology, counselling, teaching, or social work, and some continue to research in history or related fields.