Politics and History

Politics and History is a combination that offers one of the richest possible educations in how the world came to be as it is and how it works today. History provides the depth and breadth of understanding needed to see how political ideas, institutions and power structures have developed over centuries, examining the events, decisions and forces that have produced the contemporary world. Politics provides the analytical frameworks to understand how power operates, how governments function, how policies are made and contested, and how political actors, institutions and citizens interact in the present.

The two disciplines illuminate each other profoundly: politics without history lacks context, and history without political analysis risks missing what drove events.

At the University of Newcastle, this full-time three-year programme includes a sandwich placement year, a year abroad and work placement opportunities, giving you substantial professional and international experience alongside the core academic curriculum. You will study with highly-regarded researchers who engage actively with contemporary political and historical debates, and the year abroad gives you the opportunity to study politics and history from a different national perspective, deepening your comparative understanding significantly.

Politics and History graduates go on to careers in government, the civil service, law, journalism, broadcasting, academia, international organisations, NGOs, think tanks, political consultancy, education, publishing and the voluntary sector. The combination of analytical rigour, research skill and deep contextual understanding that the degree develops is valued across an exceptional range of professional contexts. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in politics, history, international relations, law or journalism, and the degree provides a strong foundation for doctoral research in social science or the humanities.