History and Politics BA (Hons)

University of Cambridge

History and Politics at Cambridge

This new course balances a strong grounding in the two component subjects with the chance to explore the ways in which historical and political understanding together illuminate the modern world.

Our course provides the opportunity to undertake intensive study in political science, the history of political thought, a wide variety of modern British, European, American and world history, conceptual issues in political science, and quantitative methods.

Teaching and resources

You’re taught by some of the most eminent academics in the world in their subjects. Staff in the Faculty of History and in the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) have a wide range of shared interests in political and international history, and the historical origins of contemporary domestic and international politics and political ideas.

The Faculty of History has a teaching staff of more than a hundred, and the Seeley Library (one of the largest history libraries in the world) contains books and journals covering history and politics and international relations.

The Department of POLIS has particular research strengths in international politics (including foreign and security policy), comparative politics and political thought, and is home to four research centres and around 30 teaching staff.

The University Library is also situated nearby, which means that finding the right book is rarely a problem, and there is a wealth of rare materials and manuscripts within collections in Cambridge suitable for students’ research.

After Cambridge

Students who take this degree will acquire a range of skills that are attractive to employers: the ability to work independently, to evaluate and discriminate between evidence, and to present arguments clearly and persuasively.