History

Information for applicants to our History programmes.

At Edinburgh, our history department is one of the largest and most diverse in the UK.  

Our academics are internationally recognised experts in the field whose teaching is directly informed by their research. This programme reflects these strengths.

We offer an exceptionally wide range of courses, covering:

  • historical periods from the early Middle Ages to the contemporary world  
  • geographical regions including Britain and Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas

Our history courses also cover a wide variety of approaches to the past, including:  

  • political history  
  • cultural history  
  • social history  
  • economic history  
  • intellectual history  
  • gender history  
  • global and transnational history  

Degree programmes and structures

Need a refresher on the details of the degree programme you've applied for? Our Degree Finder provides more information about your programme, such as:

  • what you will study
  • where you will study
  • career opportunities
  • fees, costs and funding 

History degree programmes: 2025 entry 

 

A Degree Programme Table (DPT) provides comprehensive information about the structure of a degree programme, including both compulsory and optional courses. The detailed programme content for 2025/26 is available below. 

 

History degree structures 2025/26

This is an example of what your timetable could look like in Semester 1 of Year 1 of History if you took Archaeology 1A as your option course, for example. There is a high level of flexibility in the other courses you can study. You can discuss this with your academic cohort lead and student adviser. Courses may be subject to change and availability and your timetable may be different.

In addition to the sample timetable below, academic staff have weekly Office Hours where you can visit a lecturer or tutor to discuss elements of course content or assessment.

Monday

  • 10am to 10:50am Medieval Worlds: A Journey through the Middle Ages (lecture)
  • 3:10pm to 4pm Archaeology 1A (lecture)

Tuesday

  • 10am to 10:50am Historian’s Toolkit (tutorial)
  • 3:10pm to 4pm Archaeology 1A (lecture)

Wednesday

  • 10am to 10:50am Medieval Worlds: A Journey through the Middle Ages (lecture)
  • 12:10pm to 1pm Historian’s Toolkit (lecture)

Thursday

  • 2:10pm to 3pm Archaeology 1A (tutorial)
  • 4:10pm to 5pm Medieval Worlds: A Journey through the Middle Ages (tutorial)

Friday

  • 2:10pm to 3pm Historian’s Toolkit (lecture) 

This is an example of what your timetable could look like in Semester 1 of Year 1 of History and Politics if you took Medieval Worlds as your History option course, for example. There is a high level of flexibility in the other courses you can study. You can discuss this with your academic cohort lead and student adviser. 

Courses may be subject to change and availability and your timetable may be different.

Monday

  • 10am to 10:50am Medieval Worlds: A Journey through the Middle Ages (lecture)
  • 3:10pm to 4pm Politics and International Relations 1A (lecture)

Tuesday

  • 5:10pm to 6pm Historian’s Toolkit (tutorial)

Wednesday

  • 10am to 10:50am Medieval Worlds: A Journey through the Middle Ages (lecture)
  • 12:10pm to 1pm Historian’s Toolkit (lecture)

Thursday

  • 3:10pm to 4pm Politics and International Relations 1A (lecture)
  • 4:10pm to 5pm Medieval Worlds: A Journey through the Middle Ages (tutorial)

Friday

  • 10am to 10:50am Politics and International Relations 1A (tutorial)
  • 2:10pm to 3pm Historian’s Toolkit (lecture) 

This is an example of what your timetable could look like in Semester 1 of Year 1 of History and Economics if you took The History of Edinburgh as your option course, for example. There is a high level of flexibility in the other courses you can study. You can discuss this with your academic cohort lead and student adviser. 

Courses may be subject to change and availability and your timetable may be different.

Monday

  • 9am to 9:50am The History of Edinburgh (tutorial)
  • 4:10pm to 5pm Economics 1 (tutorial)

Tuesday

  • 10am to 10:50am Historian’s Toolkit (tutorial)
  • 1:10pm to 2pm The History of Edinburgh (lecture)
  • 4:10pm to 5pm Economics 1 (lecture)

Wednesday

  • 11:30am to 1pm EconPALS (Optional)
  • 12:10pm to 1pm Historian’s Toolkit (lecture)

Thursday

  • 1:10pm to 2pm The History of Edinburgh (lecture)
  • 4:10pm to 5pm Economics 1 (lecture)

Friday

  • 2:10 to 3pm Historian’s Toolkit (lecture)

Why study History at Edinburgh?

A historic city 

Edinburgh is a modern, thriving, and cosmopolitan city, but also a historic one where the earliest human habitation is traced back to a Mesolithic campsite dated to around 8500BC. Since then, the city has seen the rise and fall of kings and queens. It has witnessed wars, rebellions, plagues, and the flowering of the Enlightenment. 

Edinburgh’s rich historical resources and archives feature prominently in our teaching. This will help you become acquainted with the city you are studying in. It will also allow you to use the events that have happened here to enhance your general understanding of history. 

A world-leading university 

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s leading universities. We are consistently ranked among the top 50 best universities in the world, and we attract some of the world’s brightest staff and students. History at Edinburgh is ranked 22nd among all history departments in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024). 

Our historians have won many international prizes, produce award-winning publications, and are often quoted in the media as experts on a wide range of issues. 

Join us, and you will experience the best in teaching, working alongside world-leading academics whose research directly informs their teaching. 

Flexibility and choice 

We are one of the largest departments of history in the UK, covering an enormous range of subjects: from Charlemagne to Gandhi, from the Industrial Revolution to the Chinese economic miracle, from Scotland to the Caribbean, and from political radicalism to the history of financial crises. 

By taking one of our four-year degrees, you will have the flexibility to study subjects outside of History in Years 1 and 2. These may complement your History courses, or be something completely different. This flexibility ensures you are adaptable and allows you to develop a wide variety of skills attractive to future employers. 

A degree with employability at its core 

A History degree at Edinburgh is not just about studying the past. It’s about combining academic study with employability to develop the skills you need, both to become a successful historian and to excel in any career after you graduate. We offer skills courses to support your successful progress through your degree and help you hone the transferable skills that employers value. 

Have you applied for a joint honours degree? Don't forget to look at the information for each of your subjects. 

Not sure which School looks after the other subject of your degree? Check our School list for information on the subjects they manage. 

College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences: Schools and subjects 


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