History and Politics

This exciting joint Honours degree allows you to study a range of subjects from our highly regarded History and Politics and International Relations courses, together with creative new papers which explore overlaps between the two disciplines.

History and Politics at Cambridge

This new course balances a strong grounding in the two component subjects with the chance to explore the ways in which historical and political understanding together illuminate the modern world.

Our course provides the opportunity to undertake intensive study in political science, the history of political thought, a wide variety of modern British, European, American and world history, conceptual issues in political science, and quantitative methods.

Teaching and resources

You’re taught by some of the most eminent academics in the world in their subjects. Staff in the Faculty of History and in the Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) have a wide range of shared interests in political and international history, and the historical origins of contemporary domestic and international politics and political ideas. .

The Faculty of History has a teaching staff of more than a hundred, and the Seeley Library (one of the largest history libraries in the world) contains books and journals covering history and politics and international relations.

The Department of POLIS has particular research strengths in international politics (including foreign and security policy, comparative politics and political thought), and is home to four research centres and around 30 teaching staff.

The University Library is also situated nearby, which means that finding the right book is rarely a problem, and there is a wealth of rare materials and manuscripts within collections in Cambridge suitable for students’ research.

After Cambridge

Students who take this degree will acquire a range of skills that are attractive to employers: the ability to work independently, to evaluate and discriminate between evidence, and to present arguments clearly and persuasively.

Recent graduates from the History degree and from the Politics and International Relations track of the Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS) course have gone on to careers in the media, law, public administration, finance, teaching, and the charity sector. See the History course and HSPS course pages and the Careers website for more information about what our students go on to after Cambridge.

You take four papers in each year. Teaching is provided through Faculty/Department lectures and classes and College supervisions, for which you typically write an essay and which give you the opportunity to discuss your ideas with a senior academic.

In the first year, you can expect between eight and 10 hours of lectures and classes a week, along with one or two supervisions.

You’re assessed at the end of every year – mostly by three-hour written exams, though some papers are assessed by coursework and in the final year you can substitute one paper for a dissertation.

Year 1 (Part IA)

The first year provides a core grounding in historical knowledge, intellectual history, political science and international relations.

In Year 1, all students take Evidence and Argument (a paper unique to this course that brings together key thinking from both disciplines), Analysis of Politics, and International Relations.

Your fourth paper is chosen from the following:

• British Political History 1688-1886
• British Political History Since 1880
• European History 1715-1890
• European History Since 1890

Year 2 (Part IB)

The second year offers more specialised papers in the history of political thought, international relations, comparative politics, and European and extra-European history.

You choose one of two History of Political Thought papers, either covering the period from the ancient Greeks to c1700, or c1700-c1890. For the second paper you take either International Relations or Comparative Politics; and you select your third from four further history papers, covering periods of world history, American history or British social and economic history.

Your final paper is chosen from:

• Statistics and Methods Conceptual Issues in Politics and International Relations – exploring an aspect of politics and/or international relations (assessed by two 5,000 word essays)
• a history project (leading to two 5,000 word essays)

Year 3 (Part II)

All students take an interdisciplinary paper that considers general and thematic issues in history and politics and the relationship between them.

You then choose three papers from a range from the Politics and International Relations and History courses which allow you to specialise further. The papers available each year may vary – see the website for those currently offered.

Alternatively, you can replace one of these three papers with a dissertation of 10,000-15,000 words on a topic of your choice within the scope of the course.

• All applicants to the University of Cambridge must submit an application to UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) by the relevant deadline.
• The Attestat o (polnom) Srednem Obshchem Obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education) is not considered to be suitable preparation for a competitive application to the University of Cambridge. We strongly recommend that you undertake further study if you wish to apply for an undergraduate degree. Examples of the qualifications that would be considered suitable for admission to Cambridge are A Levels, the International Baccalaureate (IB), five or more Advanced Placement (AP) courses, or possibly the first year of an undergraduate degree at a university outside the UK. We recommend that you contact the College that you wish to apply to directly for further advice and guidance.
• IELTS – normally a minimum overall grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each element.
• Cambridge English: Advanced – grade A or B.
• Cambridge English: Proficiency – grade A, B or C.

Admissions assessments

You must be registered in advance (separately to your UCAS application) to take the assessment – the registration deadline is Sunday 15 October 2017. Your assessment centre must register you for the pre-interview assessment; you’re not able to register yourself. See the written assessments page for information about assessment centres and registration.

Assessment format

• Section 1: Reading Comprehension (60 minutes)
• Section 2: Essay/text response (60 minutes)

The pre-interview written assessment for History and Politics will be taken on 2 November 2017. Please check the Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing website for scheduled start times.

Please note that your performance in the pre-interview assessment will not be considered in isolation, but will be taken into account alongside the other elements of your application.

Mature students (aged 21 or over) applying to one of the mature Colleges should refer to the relevant information about pre-interview assessments on the written assessments page.

• Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust

Your living expenses may be higher than for a Home student (eg if you stay in Cambridge/the UK during vacations). The minimum resources needed in Cambridge for the year (excluding tuition and College fees) are estimated to be approximately £10,080 in 2017-18 and £10,310 in 2018-19, depending on lifestyle (you should allow for increases in future years).