History University of Oxford

Overview

The History course from the University of Oxford combines vigorous debate over questions of interpretation with rigorous attention to source material, while the constant enrichment by cross-fertilisation from other disciplines leads to new questions about the past.

Oxford is celebrated for the broad chronological sweep of its courses and the enormous amount of choice offered. Students can study options on any part of British and European history from the declining years of the Roman Empire to the present day. The geographical range is also broad: there are options on North American, Latin American, Asian and African history (see the department website for further details). Students are encouraged to adopt a variety of interdisciplinary approaches to their work, and the faculty is strong on intellectual and cultural history options. The Oxford History Faculty is at the forefront of research. 

Careers

History graduates go on to follow diverse careers in fields such as the law, investment banking and consultancies, advertising, accountancy, the Civil Service, publishing, journalism and the media, global charity work, museums, librarianship and archive work, and teaching. 

Edward, a curator, says: ‘My degree helped me acquire a position with the Pendle Heritage Centre and then at Historic Scotland. Afterwards I became a curator for the National Museum of the US Navy.’

David is a history teacher at Taunton School. He says: ‘A History degree was a prerequisite to teaching history to A-level and IB, but the Oxford degree accelerated my career path, allowing me to step straight into a position at an academic school. I use my degree on a daily basis, in teaching a wide range of historical topics as well as advising students about Oxford.’