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Join a department with a vibrant research culture where 100% of our research is of international standing. (REF 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – History.)

The University of Reading is in the top 100 in the world for Arts and Humanities (=92 in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).

You will be working with research active academics focusing on creating a research network to support your career. At the Department of History, our links with other departments across the University, as well as with external organisations, mean that the programmes we offer you are truly interdisciplinary.

Follow your interests

Create your own degree pathway and pursue your specialist interests on our flexible master's degrees. Optional modules allow you to focus on a specific historical case study.

Our modules cover a vast geographical area including Britain, Europe, Africa, America, the Middle East and South Asia, and explore a range of themes from gender and women’s history, political and economic history, maritime history, global history, post-colonial history to animal history, environmental history and the histories of medicine and science.

Learn from experts

Our academics are acknowledged experts at the forefront of their disciplines and active researchers. This advanced research informs their teaching, exposing students to a wealth of knowledge.

Our research strengths are concentrated in areas of gender history, black and non-western history, and medical history included in health humanities. In particular, we focus on questions of political and religious ideology, political patronage, minorities, and aspects of political, socio-cultural and economic change.

Visit our stories page to learn more about our academic research

Lottie shares her experiences

In this video, MA History student Lottie Jacob talks about why she loved studying History at the University of Reading.

Gain essential skills

Studying history at Reading will equip you with transferable skills which are highly sought-after by top employers across a range of fields. These include:

  • collecting and analysing large quantities of information
  • understanding and applying complex ideas
  • constructing reasoned and articulate arguments
  • public speaking
  • writing for academic and wider audience
  • writing for social media
  • audio visual skills
  • research (archival and digital)
  • training in digital humanities.

All students will have to attend compulsory careers and employability training organised by the University’s careers team.

Many of our graduates pursue careers in teaching, and government. Others move into doctoral research, or build on our sessions in Public History and Public Engagement to gain the practical and theoretical experience needed to work in archiving, museums, heritage and conservation, or in the media sector.

Strong networks of contacts

Our staff have partnerships with a variety of prestigious institutions including: 

Access to unique resources

We are proud to hold unique resources of international significance, all of which are available for your use and to enhance your learning. We encourage a collections-based approach to studying, and actively teach students how to use these resources to bring their research to life.

Highlights include:

Flexible study

Our postgraduate courses are designed to recognise that every student is unique. Our courses enable you to fit your studies around your commitments and to create a flexible course to suit your needs and interests.

You can undertake our courses full-time, over 12 months, or part-time, over 24 months. Alternatively, you can undertake our courses on a modular basis, which can be spread over up to five years. If your circumstances change during your degree, it is possible to change your registration status.

Meet the team

Meet the staff who will work with you and enable you to pursue your passions.

Stories

History is no ordinary subject - which makes the stories we have to tell, extraordinary.

How you'll study

Looking to acquire new skills, change career paths or learn more about a subject you're passionate about? We'll support you to achieve your goals.