History Repeating

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There’s much more to history than dusty books, lecturers with tweed jackets and learning about trench warfare. An exciting and dynamic subject, history can give you knowledge and skills that will open doors to a huge range of careers.

History at school can feel like it’s all world wars and ancient battles, but there’s so much more to discover, and a degree in history will give you the chance to broaden your horizons and study some really interesting subjects in depth. Whether it’s the technology created by ancient Roman civilisations or the development of the industrial revolution in Scotland, women’s roles in the Enlightenment or witchcraft, magic and the occult in the Early Modern era, there are many fascinating subject areas to explore. And Scotland is a great place to do it, with a wealth of history on our doorstep and a number of Scottish universities offering highly respected history courses, which can often be combined with other interesting subjects to create a joint degree.

WHAT CAN I STUDY?
With its esteemed past and ancient setting, it’s no surprise that Scotland’s oldest university is home to some of the best history courses in the country, according to the Times Good University Guide. The history department at St Andrews is one of the largest in the university, and here, like many other Scottish universities, you can choose from a range of degrees, including Scottish history, mediaeval history and modern history. The selection of modules on offer includes ‘Ideas on Nature and Animals in the Middle Ages’, ‘Filth and the Disease of Poverty in 19th Century Britain’ and ‘The Kennedy Years’.

Likewise, the University of Glasgow also offers a variety of different courses. First year history students study the development of Europe from 800AD to the present day, looking at issues as varied as religion, state formation, ethnicity and urban development, and studying subjects ranging from feudalistic mediaeval societies to the impact of the Cold War. In the second year, students can study American history, from the austere lifestyles of the Pilgrim Fathers to the debauchery of jazz age America, or undertake a course in Scottish history, from the bread riots of the 18th century to the growth of Communism on Clydeside and the international importance of devolution.

Many students are particularly interested in the history of their home country and all the Scottish universities offer courses in Scottish history. But the University of Aberdeen takes a fairly unique angle on the subject, as lecturer Dr Frederik Pedersen explains: “We put it in a European context rather than aligning it with the history of the British Empire. We’re trying to emphasise our own history.”

HOW WILL I LEARN?
History students are taught using a variety of methods, combining lectures, seminars and private study. Lectures make up the majority of classroom time, especially in the first and second years, when you’ll learn crucial subjects, theories and issues. These are complemented by seminars and tutorials where you’ll focus on key themes, often taking part in group discussions allowing you to share ideas on what you’ve covered in lectures. In addition, you’ll be required to carry out further reading to fill in any gaps in your knowledge and prepare yourself for lectures – late nights in the library and group study sessions in the union bar often become an integral part of life during the last couple of years of a history degree!

Specialised courses around history research techniques or evidence gathering will involve the use of IT and other technology, and some courses offer the opportunity for field trips. You might also find yourself organising your own expeditions to public record libraries and museums in order to carry out independent research. Students at Aberdeen have the opportunity to take part in a placement during their fourth year – previous participants have worked at the BBC and the National Archives of Scotland. And many degrees offer the chance to study abroad for a year of the course, allowing you to get up close and personal with ancient civilisations in Greece, or find out more about the birth of the renaissance in Italy.

During a history degree, you’ll be assessed in a number of ways, with regular essays giving you the chance to demonstrate your knowledge of a specific topic and show off your research skills, and end-of-term exams to assess your understanding of key issues. You’ll usually be required to complete a dissertation too, which involves writing an extended essay – around 10-15,000 words – on a subject of your choice, and allows you to really get to grips with a specific area of interest.

IS IT FOR ME?
Although studying history at university might sound a little daunting, it needn’t be. It’s fair to say that you do need to be academically-minded though, and most departments have fairly high entrance requirements – St Andrews requires two As and two Bs at Higher level, Edinburgh asks for four Bs, and Dundee expects undergraduate applicants for its history programme to have at least four Bs at Higher level. Universities are also looking for a certain kind of person. Aberdeen’s Dr Pedersen told us: “We want to be able to see the results of what we put in. That means that we’re looking for students who are willing to put in an effort.”

Don’t be discouraged by some of the stereotypes of history – the concept of stuffy lecture theatres and tweed-jacketed lecturers is an outdated one. For example, the University of Aberdeen is currently building a £55 million library which will be an iconic landmark for the city, housing special collections in state-of-the-art facilities. The majority of history departments are very forward thinking, with new research projects starting all the time, groundbreaking teaching initiatives and a good understanding of the need to prepare undergraduates for a career in the real world using the skills they’ve gained during their degree.

WHY SHOULD I DO IT?
It’s been said that if you don’t learn history you’ll only repeat it. But that’s not the only reason to study the subject. Because the areas covered by a degree in history are so broad, you’ll get an understanding of a huge range of issues – gender, art and culture, psychology, politics, economics, religion and industry, to name a few. And you’ll gain a variety of skills – organising information, learning how to carry out research and gather evidence, developing rational explanations, honing your problem-solving techniques and improving your ability to communicate using a variety of different means. These are all skills that employers will value, and explain why a degree in history is held in high regard when it comes to getting a job.

But what kind of careers can you go into with a history degree? Traditionally, graduates enter fields such as teaching, research, museum work and archiving, but Dr Pedersen told us that his former students are working in careers as varied as banking and farming: “The thing that stands out with history degrees is the versatility of the people that graduate. Our students go into just about anything you can think of. We’ve made sure that they can use their skills to do different things so they’re not necessarily bound to one particular career.” Careers in government, law, accountancy, the heritage industries, media, public relations and business management are just a few of the options available to history graduates, and a number choose to undertake further study.

So if you’re looking for a fascinating and challenging degree subject that will teach you a lot about how the world works and how we’ve got to where we are today, then look no further than a degree in history!

THE RIGHT CHOICE
Mhairi Gowans, 20, is in the third year of a joint degree in history and history of art at the University of Aberdeen. There were many reasons behind her choice of course and university, as she explains: “The city is bright and sunny – not the cold place most people assume it to be – and the campus has the feeling of being a small town, plus the architecture can make you feel like you’ve just stepped into Hogwarts! Other than that, I felt that the history department offered an interesting range of courses and, while it’s a small department, the courses are excellent.”

Since joining the university, Mhairi has studied courses covering the Vikings, the Crusades, the Spanish conquering of South America and post-war Britain. She chose a wide range of courses covering different time periods because she felt the eras she studied at school were quite limiting: “At school we studied the suffragettes twice, and 19th and 20th century German history seemed to be a period from which there was no escape. By the end of my Advanced Higher I felt that a change was needed.”

The most enjoyable thing about the course for Mhairi has been the seminars, in which she’s been able to debate key issues and themes: “I have really enjoyed the discussion-based third year courses. Classes are smaller and you are expected to do a lot more, which is hard work but very rewarding as I find it fun to have arguments between fellow students and even lecturers.” Mhairi has developed a keen interest in American history and would like to travel to the USA after she graduates. She is also considering postgraduate study and teaching work.

Mhairi offers the following advice to prospective history students: “The best way to ensure you enjoy your degree is to find out which areas of history you like the most. Do some research on some of the courses that the universities are offering, rather than just choosing a course on a whim at registration.”

MORE INFO
Society of Archivists
01823 327 030
www.archives.org.uk

University History Departments (Scotland):

University of Aberdeen:
School of Divinity,
History and Philosophy
01224 272 199
www.abdn.ac.uk/history

University of Dundee: History in School
of Humanities, 01382 384 512
www.dundee.ac.uk/history

University of Edinburgh: College of Humanities
and Social Science ,
0131 650 3565,
www.hss.ed.ac.uk

University of Glasgow: Department of History
0141 330 4509
www.gla.ac.uk./departments/history

University of the Highlands and Islands Centre
for History (UHI Millennium Institute)
01463 279 000
www.history.uhi.ac.uk

University of Stirling: Department of History
01786 467 580
www.history.stir.ac.uk

University of St Andrews: School of History
01334 462 900
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/history

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