History and Welsh History

History and Welsh history is a degree that situates the story of Wales within the broader context of British, European, and global history, asking how a small nation with a distinctive language, culture, and political identity has developed and changed over centuries and how the particular experience of Wales illuminates and complicates the larger historical narratives of which it is a part. Aberystwyth is one of the best places in the world to study Welsh history, as the university is at the heart of Welsh cultural and academic life and the library holds some of the most important collections of primary source material relating to the history of Wales.

This three-year full-time programme develops the full range of historical skills: reading and interpreting primary sources, engaging with competing historiographical perspectives, constructing well-evidenced arguments, and producing clear and rigorous academic writing. You will study Welsh history from medieval to modern periods alongside broader British, European, and comparative history, developing both specialist depth and wider chronological range. The Welsh dimension of the programme asks you to consider questions of national identity, language, culture, and political representation that are of direct relevance to contemporary Wales as well as to the historical record.

History graduates pursue careers in education, journalism, the civil service, heritage and archives, the law, arts administration, publishing, broadcasting, and many other fields where analytical thinking and clear communication are valued. Welsh history graduates are particularly well placed for roles in Welsh government, the heritage sector in Wales, Welsh media, and organisations concerned with Welsh language, culture, and civic life. Postgraduate options include Welsh history, British and Irish history, archive and records management, museum studies, and heritage conservation, and Aberystwyth provides an excellent research environment for all of these areas.