History and Religion

History and religion together offer a powerful lens through which to understand the world we inhabit. History examines the processes, events and forces that shaped the past and brought us to the present, developing the skills of evidence-based enquiry, critical reading, and analytical narrative that make the past intelligible rather than merely chronological. The study of religion brings a different but complementary perspective, exploring the beliefs, practices, institutions and texts that have motivated human beings across cultures and centuries, and which continue to shape politics, ethics, conflict and community today.

At York St John University this programme includes a foundation year, which provides an entry route for students who need to build the academic skills and contextual knowledge required for degree-level study. The part-time structure allows you to study alongside other commitments. The programme also includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you extensive opportunities to gain professional experience and to engage with history and religion in international contexts.

You will develop research skills, the ability to handle primary and secondary sources critically, and the capacity to construct sustained written arguments, capabilities that are valuable well beyond academia.

The combination of history and religion is particularly valuable for understanding social change, political conflict, cultural identity, and ethical debates in the contemporary world. Graduates move into careers in education, journalism, the civil service, heritage, archives and museums, social and community work, chaplaincy and pastoral roles, publishing, and the charitable sector. The analytical and communication skills the degree develops are broadly applicable, and many graduates go on to postgraduate study in history, theology, religious studies, education, law, or social policy.

For students drawn to understanding why people believe what they believe and how those beliefs have shaped the world, this combination offers a rigorous and rewarding intellectual home.