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Study in a department that is known for it's educational excellence and research innovation.
The University of Reading is ranked in the top 100 in the world for Arts and Humanities (=92 in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
You'll gain a thorough grounding in different historical periods and approaches, and help shape the world through the exploration of humanity's diverse past - in a way that suits you.
The University of Reading is in the top 125 in the world for History, Philosophy and Theology (Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
At Reading, we strive to maintain a close-knit, community feel within our Department.You will be welcomed and supported by friendly academics, peers and your academic tutor.
We believe our personal approach offers you space to develop and grow as an individual, while ensuring your work and study benefits from support and structure.
BA History student Sarah talks about why she loves studying in the Department of History.
Sarah also mentions ancient history. You can expand your chronological studies on our wonderful joint degree programme BA Ancient History and History. Find out more about this degree on our course page.
Whether you have a particular passion or want to learn about a broad range of historical topics, you can create your own pathway throughout your degree.
You can pursue your passions right from your first year or try a variety of historical periods and themes before making an informed choice as to where to focus your interests.
You also have the opportunity to explore a range of subjects and follow these pathways through centuries of history. Subject areas include health and medicine; magic, witchcraft and heresy; politics, revolts and revolutions; and woman and gender history.
You can diversify your studies with a joint degree or can choose to study one of our language modules or a university wide module on current issues such as climate change, offered by departments outside of the Department of History.
As a joint-honours degree student, if at the end of your first year, you decide that a joint degree isn’t for you, we will support your transition to our single honours degree. This flexibility allows you to make an informed decision, without delaying your studies.
Explore an exceptional range of modules, spanning the last thousand years from, medieval, to early modern, to modern history.
Teaching at the University is also geographically diverse covering British and European history as well as American, African, Middle Eastern and South Asian history.
A wide range of modules enables you to pursue your passions as they develop through your degree, and allows your focus to be as broad or as narrow as you would like.
Learn from academics that are acknowledged as experts at the forefront of their disciplines. Their advanced research informs their teaching, exposing you to a wealth of knowledge and the latest developments in thinking.
University of Reading historians are experts in a huge range of fields, including political, cultural, social, gender and transnational history, the history of ideas and beliefs and the history of science and health.
Rosie discusses the wide range of modules that were available to her during her studies.
We offer a range of different employability modules:
Going Public: Presenting the Past, Planning the Future, convened by British historian, author, and television presenter Professor Kate Williams, gives second-year students the chance to work with external partners on a public-history project.
History Education is a placement module for prospective teachers offering valuable experience in working in the education sector.
Discovering Archives and Collections is a placement module that provides students with archival and museum experience, providing for careers not only in the archival and heritage sectors but also in journalism and postgraduate studies.
For further information visit our practical learning page
Stand out in an increasingly competitive job market with relevant experience, transferable skills and expert guidance. We support you to achieve a successful career in your chosen field, with employability modules and work placements built into your course.
Employers of past graduates include:
Our courses also offer you the opportunity to develop essential transferable skills, desirable to employers in a range of fields, such as the ability to think clearly and critically, research and analyse data, communicate with confidence, and work effectively both individually and in teams.
Previous graduates have used their History degree as a springboard for various employment sectors such as accountancy, banking and commerce, law, publishing, information science, museum work, teaching and social work.
Step off campus and you'll find yourself in a bustling town centre offering a variety of shops, restaurants and activities. We're also well-connected – you can reach London Paddington within half an hour by train.
