History and Sociology

History and Sociology is a combination that approaches the question of how human societies are organised, change, and perpetuate themselves from two complementary angles. History examines how people and communities lived in the past, using the evidence of documents, objects, and images to reconstruct experience and trace the forces of change over time. Sociology analyses the structures, institutions, inequalities, and cultural patterns that shape social life in the present, drawing on theory and empirical research to understand how society works.

Together, the disciplines provide a powerful set of tools for understanding the world both as it is and as it came to be.

At Liverpool Hope University, this full-time programme runs over three years and includes a sandwich year and a year abroad, along with work placement opportunities. On the history side you will explore periods from the early modern era to the present, engaging with themes of nationalism, imperialism, colonisation, decolonisation, gender, and identity. You will learn to evaluate and challenge interpretations, developing the critical reading and evidential reasoning that historical study demands.

The sociology strand introduces you to classical and contemporary social theory, methods of social research, and the analysis of social stratification, culture, and institutions. The year abroad broadens your perspective, while placements and the sandwich year give you professional experience before graduation.

Graduates of History and Sociology work in research, education, social care, policy, the civil service, journalism, community development, and heritage. The combination of analytical rigour, awareness of social structure, and historical perspective is valued in any role that requires understanding people and institutions. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in history, sociology, social research, or related fields, and others pursue professional training in teaching, social work, or law.