History (with Placement Year)

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

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.

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).

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.”

About the Placement Year
A placement year enables you to undertake a year of experience in an organisation between your second and final year. It will enable you to:

• apply the knowledge and skills you gain from your course in a work setting

• build your commercial awareness and insights into organisations and industries you might want to work in

• develop your professional skills through company training, networking skills and confidence in the workplace

• get some great experience for future job applications or even land a graduate job.

Support from St Mary’s every step of the way
Securing a placement can really help you develop your job search skills and the Employability Service placement and Careers Teams can support you to find and apply for available opportunities.

Please note: in the event that you cannot secure a placement you will be able to transfer onto the three year version of your degree programme.

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.