Why Study History at Queen Mary?

We’re a large, friendly and distinguished School which cares deeply about teaching and the student voice.

The School of History was founded in 1912 to teach history and undertake world-class research. More than a century later, we continue to combine these crucial elements of the historian’s craft, with students and staff working together to develop their expertise about the past and understand their responsibilities for the present and the future, through an increasingly diverse range of historical periods, figures and outlooks. 

We offer an extraordinary range of modules, enabling students and staff to pursue their passions while maintaining their curiosity. Historians in the School range widely in their chronological and geographical reach and the ways in which they study the past: from the birth of Islam to the lives of early modern nuns, via pirates in the Pacific; from African monarchs and American presidents to the architecture of London and the capital’s depiction on film. The diversity of our offering underpins our students’ ability to construct a degree that suits them. As a result, our undergraduate historians are consistently among the most satisfied in the Russell Group.

From the day you join the School of History, you’ll get one-to-one supervision in the shape of an academic adviser and this support will remain with you through until your final year dissertation.

Teaching is by a mixture of larger classes and small, highly-interactive seminars.  Assessment varies from module to module but is usually through a mix of essays, presentations, source analysis and take home exams.

You'll experience the real benefits of studying history in London. Key historical sites, museums and archives are just a short tube journey away. Our social groups such as the History Society and Public History Unit regularly invite speakers to campus, or run trips to historical sites across London.

A history degree is a degree which allows you to keep your options open. To explore existing passions whilst working on key writing, presentation and analytical skills. You can find out more about where a history degree can take you.