History

Explore past movements and people and how they have shaped the present with our expert-led History degree

Immerse yourself in the global histories of revolution, power, and people from the past to the present day with our BA History degree. You’ll study:

• global histories

• the role of history and heritage today

• a range of subjects from the 16th to the 21st century

You’ll build your curriculum around topics that excite you most. As well as studying lots of History, you will choose some modules from subjects like politics, film, and literature. This flexibility in our curriculum reflects the increasingly diverse and complex societies in which we live. It also allows you to:

• Thoroughly examine global issues such as the environment, migration, and war and conflict

• Build nuanced perspectives

• Develop career-boosting skills

Our approach works. We continue to be one of the best performing History courses in the country for teaching and student support. And 96% of students are in employment, vocation, or further study within 15 months of graduating (HESA, 2024).

Hands-on learning

Our students tell us that St Mary’s is the perfect location to explore history at London’s many museums, archives and historic houses, such as:

• Migration Museum

• Imperial War Museum

• Hampton Court

• London Docklands

• The National Archives

As a student here, you’ll have easy access to be able to undertake your own first-hand research.

A history programme led by experts and research

Our curriculum is designed on the principle of research-led teaching by historians who are experts in their fields.

We genuinely care about our students and will encourage you to think critically, which has positioned our university in the top 10 for student experience (Times Good University Guide 2024).

Recently, one of our history lecturers, Prof Glenn Richardson, guested on the Not Just the Tudors podcast to discuss his biography of Cardinal Wolsey and his rise to and sudden fall from power.

Hear from our students

Steph, History student – “St Mary’s has given me invaluable insights and learning experiences”.

Meg, History graduate – “I loved my St Mary’s experience! My lecturers knew my name and had an open-door policy, they were all super approachable and always available when I needed them.”

Why St Mary’s?

You will gain skills and support to make a positive impact – for yourself and for others – through high-quality teaching, real-world experience, and a community that lifts each other up. Our campus is a London oasis – blending city energy with open green spaces to think, connect, and grow

Level 4 is an introductory year during which you are introduced to new ideas, new periods of history, and new ways of making connections across themes, topics and geographical areas. With support from your tutors, you will begin to develop the skills you need to study history in greater depth. The Level 5 modules are designed around broad themes, and are all taught through lectures and seminars, using a wide range of primary and secondary sources. Single Honours students typically take the core module and choose five optional modules across the academic year. You study subjects in much greater depth, using original source material as evidence. Single Honours students (and students majoring in History) must complete a dissertation in history, and choose four more modules from the list of options. The dissertation is a piece of independent research: it is a significant piece of supervised academic writing that takes a full academic year to complete.