History

History at Goldsmiths, University of London is taught with the critical and interdisciplinary approach that characterises the college's approach to the humanities. It does not simply survey the past in a conventional progression from ancient to modern but asks searching questions about which histories have been told, whose voices have been heard or suppressed, and what methodological assumptions shape historical knowledge. This is a degree for those who want to think seriously about the past rather than simply learn its contents.

You will study history across a range of periods and places, from the medieval world through to contemporary history, with particular strengths in social and cultural history, the history of colonialism and empire, urban and everyday life, and the history of ideas. You will engage with primary sources, secondary scholarship, and theoretical debates about how history is practised, developing the skills of close reading, source evaluation, and analytical writing that are central to the discipline.

Goldsmiths' location in south-east London provides access to the extraordinary range of archives, libraries, and museums that the city contains, and the college's broader intellectual culture in the humanities and social sciences enriches the historical conversations available to you.

This is a three-year full-time programme. You will develop strong analytical and communication skills that are valued across many professional contexts, from education and journalism through to the civil service, law, arts administration, and publishing. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in history, heritage, cultural studies, or related disciplines.

The Goldsmiths approach to history produces graduates who are both careful scholars and genuinely independent thinkers, capable of asking better questions as well as finding better answers.