History

History is the academic discipline concerned with understanding the human past through the careful analysis of evidence, the construction of interpretive arguments and the recognition of how our own perspectives shape what we see in the past. At degree level, history is not simply about knowing what happened: it is about understanding how we know what happened, evaluating the reliability of sources, identifying the forces that drove change over time, and constructing well-evidenced arguments about complex human situations. It is a discipline that develops habits of mind, in reading, evidence evaluation and clear writing, that are valued across many professional contexts.

At the University of Kent you will study history over three years of full-time study, exploring over 1,500 years of history in Britain, Europe and across the world. You will examine the fall of the Roman Empire, the formation of medieval kingdoms, the upheavals of the early modern period, the transformations of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the challenges of the twenty-first century, considering throughout how political, social and cultural changes have shaped class, gender, race, injustice and power. The range of thematic and chronological perspectives available at Kent reflects a department with breadth across historical periods and regions, and the typical tariff of 120 reflects a programme accessible to students from a range of backgrounds who bring genuine engagement with the past.

History graduates work in the civil service, education, journalism, publishing, heritage, museums, archives, the law, the voluntary sector and a wide range of commercial and public roles. The research, analysis and communication skills developed through historical study are valued by employers across sectors, and history graduates consistently perform well in competitive graduate recruitment. Many go on to postgraduate study in history, international relations, law, education or policy, using the analytical formation of the degree as the basis for specialist or professional study.