This programme provides students with intellectual training in the mutually enriching disciplines of History and Politics. A key premise of the programme is that understanding the present and anticipating the future requires the ability to study and interpret the past and to appreciate how the insights of political theory and the tools of historical inquiry combine to illuminate political developments, including those in the contemporary world.
History And Politics Degree Highlights
Both History and Politics at Queen’s have been placed in the QS World University Rankings top 200 departments in the world for these subjects in 2019.
Global Opportunities
This programme offers students opportunities to travel and study at universities in Europe and North America. Short-term (two weeks) and longer-term (up to one academic year) exchanges are on offer.Possible examples include:
George Washington University (Washington DC, USA)
Aarhus Universitet (Denmark)
College of Charleston (South Carolina, USA)
Institut d’Etudes Politques de Bordeaux (France)
University of Oslo (Norway)
Universiteit Utrecht (Netherlands)
Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee, USA)
Field trips may also be offered in particular years or as part of certain modules.
Students have the opportunity to study abroad in Europe, the USA, or Canada.
Industry Links
The programme's internship scheme involves work placements with a range of government agencies and political parties at Stormont, as well as the Police Ombudsman, the BBC and local non-governmental agencies and consultancies, vital work experience and exposure to the world of policy-making. Students spend three days a week seconded to an organization, gaining direct experience of policy-making and political decision-making.
Northern Ireland's post-conflict society offers a globally-significant location for studying politics, and discipline has strong links with local government, non-governmental organisations, and museums.
Career Development
Understanding the present and anticipating the future requires the ability to study and interpret the past as a means to understanding the present. This programme enables students to appreciate how historical events shape modern issues and how such themes are to be understood and explained through insights into the political analysis (e.g. political theory, political institutions, international relations).
Student Experience
Even at Level 1, students are taught to analyse historical sources in small-group tutorials by permanent, research-active historians.
Our uniquely supportive pastoral care/ personal tutor system is equalled only by the academic guidance available.
Our vibrant Politics Society (Polysoc) and History provide a welcome and stimulating environment for new students.
The National Student Survey results show consistent student satisfaction with the History programme and university experience, with Queen’s achieving over 90% overall satisfaction score year after year.
