History and Politics at Cambridge is an exciting Honours degree which offers subjects from our highly-regarded History and Politics and International Relations courses, together with bespoke papers which will allow students to explore the space between the two disciplines. Students will develop skills in analysing the operation of power and politics across histories, institutions, and societies around the world. Students will also be able to build strengths in understanding the nature of evidence, methodology, and approaches in both History and Politics. They will be able to choose from a wide range of topics in British, European, American and World history and politics.
Cambridge is uniquely placed to teach History and Politics and International Relations together. Both Faculties are widely regarded as world-leading. The History Faculty is one of the largest in the United Kingdom and is consistently ranked as the best in research and teaching assessments. It has internationally recognised experts in all relevant fields of study. The Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) is a medium-sized department with about 30 academics with a huge range of specialisms. It has particular research strengths in international politics, international history and international law, comparative politics and political thought.
Staff in the Faculty of History and at POLIS have a wide range of shared interests in political and international history, the origins of contemporary politics and international relations, and the history of political ideas. This new degree balances a strong grounding in the two component subjects with the opportunity to explore the ways in which historical and political understanding together illuminate the modern world.
Faculty websites: www.hist.cam.ac.uk and www.polis.cam.ac.uk
With strong traditions in both History and Politics, and active communities of students and Fellows in each subject, St Catharine’s is an excellent college in which to study History and Politics. The breadth of areas and approaches covered by the Fellows in both subjects means that you are likely to be supervised in College for much of your work. Attracting students from all over the world to study History and Politics, St Catharine’s will provide you with a stimulating, supportive community in which to pursue your studies.
We require an A Level (or equivalent qualification) in History, but not necessarily formal qualifications in politics. Applicants will have a variety of relevant examination qualifications; they will be expected to demonstrate an interest in both subjects and will be assessed on their potential to succeed in them.
Candidates should normally expect two interviews. Applicants should be prepared to discuss their relevant interests and potential directions they may wish to follow. Applicants should also submit two examples of recent work in History, which will be available to interviewers and may be discussed at interview.
Our typical conditional offer for History and Politics is A*AA at A Level. IB offers are usually for a total of 40-41 points, with 776 at Higher Level.
Find out about the general advice for anyone applying for undergraduate courses at St Catharine's.
Beatriz Vasconcelos de Sousa (second-year History & Politics undergraduate) |
"The course at Cambridge offers some really exciting and wide-ranging module choices like World History and Comparative Politics and helps me gain a richer, more comprehensive understanding of the world. The Catz community complements my degree by providing an open, friendly, and inclusive space for debate, and one that is sympathetic to all sorts of political causes and activism. Moreover, university life, and particularly joint honours degrees, can be quite intense so having access to such a wonderful welfare team at Catz has been a really important aspect of my positive experience." |
