History (Ancient and Modern)

This course enables students to study history from the Bronze Age Mediterranean and Near East, through the Roman Empire, middle ages, and early modern period, right up to British, European and world history in the present day. Fruitful comparisons between societies abound, and the methods by which we study them are mutually illuminating.

This Oxford course offers an extraordinary range of choices (more than 90 options), reflecting the breadth of interests of those who teach here. The Oxford Classics and History Faculties are world-famous for teaching and research. Most of the people who will teach you here will be leading researchers in their field, and lecturers are encouraged to put on new courses which reflect their own interests. The study of original sources forms the basis of Further and Special Subjects.

Oxford historians typically move on to careers in fields as varied as law, investment banking and consultancies, advertising, accountancy, the Civil Service, publishing, journalism and the media, global charity work, museums, librarianship and archive work, and teaching.

Recent Ancient and Modern History graduates include a civil servant, a librarian, and a charity campaign manager. Mary-Kate, who graduated in 2006, says: ‘Through my joint course I developed skills in working flexibly and under pressure, enhanced my analytical skills and learnt to be independently minded. These have all proven to be invaluable assets in my career as a Fast Streamer for the Home Office. Being a Fast Streamer means that I’m following an accelerated training and development graduate programme.’

Students interested in this course might also like to consider Archaeology and Anthropology, Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, Classics, other History courses, or History of Art.