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We really care about making the study of the past available and relevant to as many people as possible.

The Department of History at Reading is unique in its expansive reach across time and space. Our histories of health, religion, culture and revolutions stretch across the Western world, the Middle East, India and Africa.

Explore topics as diverse as medieval medicine, the music of the ‘Arab Spring’ and hidden histories of slavery. Our leading scholars collaborate with the BBC, the British Museum and British Parliament as well as local communities here in Reading.

Get a flavour of our outreach activities and how you can engage with the global expertise in our department:

Funded schemes for school children

Enjoy a range of lectures and seminars, designed to develop your knowledge and experience of History.

You will experience teaching from a range of our academic staff and learn from our existing students about their experience of studying the subject.

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Reading Scholars programme

The Reading Scholars Programme gives Year 12 students a real taste of life as a university undergraduate.

You will participate in a range of lectures and seminars, designed to develop your knowledge and experience of History. You will experience teaching from a range of our academic staff and learn from our existing students about their experience of studying the subject.

Subject requirements: you should be studying towards an A-Level in History or equivalent, and have an interest in applying for a related subject at university.

For more information, visit the Reading Scholars page

Activities for school

The wider University offers a huge range of free events, programmes and activities for students to give them all the information they need about higher education and to enhance their subject knowledge and experience.

For further information, please visit our activities for schools page

Subject taster sessions

During the summer the University hosts a number of subject taster sessions, where students can discover what it would be like to study their favourite subject at University.


Open access resources for schools

Digital archives

The digital archive, Egypt Revolution, provides access to a range of artwork produced in Egypt during the so-called ‘Arab Spring’.

Explore a variety of digital media from graffiti to satire and reflect on the relationship between politics and popular culture through our resources and learning guides.

Online courses

Anarchy in the UK: A History of Punk from 1976-78

An exciting free online course on the history of British punk and its effects on culture and society.

Find out how young people used music to make their voices heard and challenge authority.


Stenton lectures

Our Stenton lectures cover a range of fascinating themes and are open to the public.

In 2021, Dr Sadiah Qureshi explored the Natural History Museum’s depiction of endangerment and extinction and collaborated with the British Museum in a series of workshops on ‘Collecting and 19th Century Empires’. 

The 2022 Stenton lecture will be delivered by Professor Brenda Stevenson, a global leader in research on race, slavery and gender studies. Her work puts women – and particularly women of colour – at the centre of accounts of political and social change.

Read more about the Stenton lectures

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Meet the team

Meet the staff who will work with you and enable you to pursue your passions.

Nancy Astor sits on a mans shoulders in a crowd of people

Our research

The department contributes to a number of important and prize-winning impact projects, seeking to inform the future and influence change.

Photograph of Sian David

News and events

Explore the latest news stories from the Department of History.