Modern History and Philosophy
Modern history and philosophy is a combination that develops two of the most important and complementary intellectual disciplines. Modern history takes you into the past five centuries of human experience, examining the political, social, economic, and cultural transformations that have made the contemporary world: revolutions, empires, wars, social movements, and the long processes of modernisation and globalisation. Philosophy asks the deepest questions about knowledge, reality, ethics, and human nature, using reason and argument to examine what we can know, how we should live, and what it means to act well.
Together, they develop a sophisticated capacity for critical analysis, careful argument, and the evaluation of evidence that is genuinely valuable across a wide range of professional contexts.
At the University of St Andrews, this four-year MA (Hons) programme gives you access to two distinguished departments, each with strong research reputations. In modern history, you will analyse events from the past five centuries with a broad chronological, geographical, and thematic range, developing skills in archival research, historiographical debate, and historical writing. In philosophy, you will engage with the major traditions of philosophical inquiry, from ethics and epistemology to the philosophy of mind and language.
The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner institution and experience a different academic and cultural environment. The typical entry tariff is 200 UCAS points.
Graduates of modern history and philosophy go on to a very wide range of careers. Law, the civil service, journalism, policy analysis, publishing, teaching, heritage, and academic research are all common destinations. The combination of historical understanding and philosophical rigour is particularly valued in roles that require both contextual sensitivity and analytical precision.
Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in history, philosophy, law, or related disciplines.