History

History is one of the oldest and most demanding of the humanities disciplines, concerned with understanding the human past through the rigorous analysis of evidence. It develops a distinctive way of thinking, one that is alert to context, sensitive to change over time, suspicious of anachronism and oversimplification, and trained to evaluate conflicting accounts and reach defensible conclusions from incomplete and imperfect sources. The knowledge and skills that historical study develops, the ability to research, synthesise, argue, and write clearly and convincingly about complex material, are among the most transferable of any undergraduate education.

The history programme at the University of Durham is an unusually rich structured experience. The degree includes a foundation year, a sandwich year with a work placement, and a year abroad, alongside the core three-year programme. The foundation year provides a thorough preparation for degree-level historical study, developing the reading, writing, and research skills needed to engage fully with the demands of the undergraduate curriculum.

The sandwich year work placement gives you direct professional experience in a context related to your studies, which may be in archives, heritage organisations, journalism, public policy, or many other sectors. The year abroad provides the opportunity to study history in an international academic environment, developing a comparative perspective and building the personal confidence and independence that international experience fosters.

History graduates are among the most employable across the humanities, not because of specific vocational knowledge but because the discipline develops skills of analysis, argument, and communication that are valued in almost every professional context. Careers in the civil service, public policy, law, journalism, media, education, heritage, archives and records management, publishing, and finance are all common destinations. Many graduates find that their historical training is directly relevant in roles that require the ability to research complex questions quickly and to communicate findings clearly to non-specialist audiences.

Academic research, at masters and doctoral level, is the path for those who want to pursue historical scholarship professionally. Teaching, at secondary and further education level, is another significant route.