The course information on this page is for 2024 entry. Details for 2025 entry will be published in March 2024.
Across centuries and continents
History at Cambridge reflects the quality and breadth of interests of our expert historians and our course has been ranked among the top three of the world’s best for several years. The History degree gives you the opportunity to explore the past from many different angles, as well as the interaction between history and other disciplines, including politics, anthropology, sociology, economics and archaeology.
There is ample scope to pursue personal interests and experiment with different historical approaches. Specialist papers allow you to work with source materials as varied as Hollywood movies, Middle Eastern newspapers or medieval plague records. Our academics are active researchers, who publish books and scholarly articles as well as writing and speaking regularly for the wider public and media.
Studying History in Cambridge
Cambridge is an ideal place to study History. There are many libraries, offering a wealth of rare books and manuscripts to students as they embark on their own research projects. The city’s museums offer access to an even wider range of sources, unlocking the study of art, material culture, and the history of science.
All undergraduate historians are encouraged to study foreign languages, and specialist support is available in the University Language Centre.
Course costs
Tuition fees
Information on tuition fee rates for History is available on the tuition fees page.
Additional course costs
There are no compulsory additional course costs for History. Students are not required to buy books in support of their course. Students may choose to write an optional dissertation in the third year of their degree. These students may incur additional costs in researching their dissertations (for example, for travel to archives). Some departmental and College funding may be available to cover such costs. Full course details are available on the Faculty of History website and if you have any queries about resources/materials, please contact the Faculty.
Changing course
Students may transfer into History after one or two years studying another subject. Some students also change to another subject after completion of either their first or second year of History.
To be able to change course, you need the agreement of your College that any change is in your educational interests, and you must have the necessary background in the subject to which you wish to change – in some cases you may be required to undertake some catch-up work or take up the new course from the start/an earlier year. If you think you may wish to change course, we encourage you to contact a College admissions office for advice. You should also consider if/how changing course may affect any financial support arrangements
Careers and research
Cambridge historians acquire a range of skills that are attractive to employers: the ability to work independently, to evaluate evidence, and to present arguments clearly and persuasively.
In the past, our graduates have secured rewarding jobs across sectors, ranging from journalism and broadcasting to teaching and research, finance, consultancy, law and public administration.