University of Cambridge · Undergraduate
BA (Hons) History Bachelor's degree at the University of Cambridge
BA (Hons) History at University of Cambridge. Alongside core British history, entrants can select options as varied as Ancient Greece and modern Africa, giving the degree a breadth that lets students test their interests widely before settling on areas of specialism.
BA (Hons)
Award
3
Years
Full-time
Study mode
85%
in work/study (15m)
About this course
Explore 3,000 years of history from all around the world. Choose from options including British history, Ancient Greece and modern Africa. From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) History is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at the University of Cambridge. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For History graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 81% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £31,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for History, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
8.8
/ 10
Excellent
3 of 3 official measures
Student satisfaction
What students say in the National Student Survey
Excellent81
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Graduate outcomes
In work or further study 15 months after graduating
Excellent85
Moderate evidence Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Continuation
Students who continue past their first year
Exceptional99
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 99% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 (Part IA) 5 modules
- Outline papersCompulsory
Module details
Usually cover a long period and broad geographical area
- Topic papersCompulsory
Module details
You choose 2 papers from a list of 11, ranging over Britain and Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia
- Sources paperCompulsory
Module details
Examine a body of primary material on a particular historical theme, issue, or event
- Introduction to Historical ThinkingCompulsory
Module details
Introduces methods and debates by examining a single work of history that has influenced the discipline
- Historical SkillsCompulsory
Module details
Focus on research skills essential in History, such as the use of archives, digital sources, and oral history, as well as quantitative approaches
Year 2 (Part IB) 2 modules
- Research projectCompulsory
Module details
Undertake your own historical research. Each project covers analytical and conceptual features of a particular area of history, and offers guidance on the methodologies and skills needed to research it
- Historical Thinking IICompulsory
Module details
Broaden your knowledge of different historiographical approaches and methods
Year 3 (Part II) 4 modules
- Special subjectCompulsory
Module details
In-depth study of a historical period, process or problem, using primary sources
- Historical Thinking IIICompulsory
Module details
Reflect critically on major historical concepts encountered throughout your degree
- Advanced topic papersOptional
Module details
Explore a complex theme at the forefront of historical scholarship
- DissertationOptional
Module details
10,000 words on a topic of your choice
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
The course structure moves students from grounding to independence. Early study builds core theory in historical method and interpretation, alongside research & methods training that teaches how to locate, read and weigh primary and secondary sources. From there, students move into applied practice, working with historical material directly rather than only reading about it. A wide range of specialist options allows students to follow personal interests, whether that means the medieval world, empire, or the history of a particular region or era such as Ancient Greece or modern Africa. Most students undertake an independent project, researching and writing at length on a question of their own choosing under supervision. Alongside this, professional skills, including writing, argument-building, and presenting evidence clearly, are developed throughout, preparing graduates for work that demands careful analysis and clear communication.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who is curious about how societies have changed over long stretches of time and who enjoys sitting with primary sources, weighing conflicting accounts, and building an argument from evidence rather than accepting a single story. It will feel right for students who like to read widely, write regularly, and revise their thinking when they encounter a persuasive counter-argument. Because the options span such different periods and places, it also suits those who aren't yet sure which era or region draws them most and want room to explore before specialising. Independent-mindedness matters here: much of the work involves following your own questions, especially by the time of the independent project, so students who are comfortable working things out for themselves, and who enjoy long stretches of reading and writing, tend to get the most out of it. A genuine interest in debate and interpretation, rather than simply memorising dates, is more useful than any particular prior subject knowledge.
Careers & job market
Nationally, across History courses, 85% of graduates are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, and 55% of those in work are in highly skilled roles or further study. These figures describe the national picture for History graduates rather than outcomes specific to this university or course. Graduate earnings data, again national rather than university-specific, show starting salaries (measured 15 months after graduation) typically ranging from £23,500 to £31,000, moving to £20,400–£28,800 after three years and £25,500–£36,000 after five years. These are ranges drawn from Graduate Outcomes and LEO data, not guaranteed salaries, and individual outcomes will vary depending on sector, role and location. Nationally, 90% of History students continue past their first year, either still enrolled or having completed their degree.
University & format
The University of Cambridge is a public, research-intensive university and a member of the Russell Group, with 18,977 students in total. Founded in 1209, it holds Gold in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 for teaching quality and is. The degree is studied full-time over 3 years and leads to a BA (Hons) award. Among accepted students, 90% entered with A-levels or equivalent, and the most common UCAS tariff band among entrants was 160–175 points, this reflects what recent entrants typically held rather than a fixed requirement.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Application timelineWhat happens next
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryEarly equal-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Entry & how to get in
Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent90% of accepted students came in with A-levels or equivalent (entrants over recent years).
Typical UCAS tariff: 160 - 175 pointsThe most common UCAS tariff band among accepted students. This is what entrants had, not a stated requirement.
Entry requirements are set by the universityGrades, subjects and contextual offers vary. Check the University of Cambridge's official course page for the current offer.
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 90% |
| another higher-education qualification | 4% |
| a Baccalaureate | 4% |
| a previous degree | 1% |
| Other | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Competitive entry
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Your UCAS points0
▾
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Add your grades to see where you land
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
Apply by15 October 2026, 18:00 UK timeearlier deadline for this course
Typical gradesA*A*A*A-level equivalent admitted students held
UCAS codeV100quote this on your application
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code V100). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 15 October 2026, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Sit any admissions test & interview
Courses with the October deadline often need an admissions test (e.g. UCAT, BMAT or a subject test) and interviews, register early and prepare.
- 5Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 6Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
💡 Many universities make a contextual (reduced-grade) offer, for example based on your school’s results, time in care, or where you live. Ask University of Cambridge whether you’re eligible before you apply; it can lower the grades you need.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Homeup to £9,790 / yr
Internationalset by the university
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at University of Cambridge →For students who normally live in England
illustrative Maintenance Loan per year
£9,790tuition used per year, illustrative full-time England fee-cap scenario
illustrative borrowing over 3 years
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Funding matched to this course
All University of Cambridge funding →Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
Named awards published by the university. Compare the eligibility and application route before budgeting for one.
Amounts, exclusions and deadlines can change. An award is not guaranteed unless the university confirms it.
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Career quizApplication walkthroughSalary & CV check
Careers & earnings
What History graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £31,000 | £27,000 – £34,000 | 65 |
| 3 years after | £32,000 | £25,500 – £43,000 | 190 |
| 5 years after | £43,500 | £33,500 – £73,500 | 205 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
85%
in work or further study 15 months on
81%
in highly skilled work or study
99%
continue past their first year
85%
find their work meaningful
81%
say work fits their future plans
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in history · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs History nationally
Starting (15 months) HESA GO
£31,000
£23,500 – £31,000After 3 years LEO
£32,000
£20,400 – £28,800After 5 years LEO
£43,500
£25,500 – £36,000national rangethis course’s medianaxis £18,500 – £45,500
National figures for History graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
85 of 100
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
60% working11% working and studying14% in further study81% in highly skilled work or study
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with History courses at the same study level.
This course £43,500Peer median £30,000Middle 50% £27,000–£34,500
98th percentile
Compared with 1,423 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Finance ProfessionalsSOC 2020 242 · 12% of published destinations · ASHE median £47,173
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 11% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Media ProfessionalsSOC 2020 249 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £40,895
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 330; response rate: 50%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How History graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
85%
in work or further study 15 months after graduating, across History courses nationally.
Graduate Outcomes55%
of working graduates are in highly skilled work or further study.
highly skilled90%
of students continue past their first year (still enrolled or completed).
continuationHow AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where History graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Museums & archives
- Heritage bodies
- Schools
- Civil service & media
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit History graduates.
History & Humanities Lead, Flexible, Impactful TeachingChartereastdulwichHistory & Humanities Lead, Flexible, Impactful TeachingThe Charter Schools Educational TrustHistory Teachers in Kirklees and HalifaxCV-LibraryHistory TeachersSABIS NETWORK SCHOOLSLive from the StudySmarter job board · as of 2026-08-01.See all matching jobs
Is this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
💷
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
📈
Where graduates go
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £31,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
🎯
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
⭐
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.8 out of 10: NSS 81% · in work or study 85% · continued 99%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of Cambridge
All students22,565
International32.2%
Aged 25+25.1%
Historical, philosophical and religious studies across the UK
Students76,495
Aged 25+26.6%
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around University of Cambridge
1,779 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Violent Crime 453Shoplifting 372Anti Social Behaviour 253Bicycle Theft 147Other Theft 114
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is History right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of Cambridge from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by University of Cambridge; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of Cambridge’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of Cambridge and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of Cambridge
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
Entry is competitive. Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. The most common tariff band among recent entrants was 160 - 175 UCAS points. Use the calculator on this page to see where your predicted grades would put you; many universities also make lower contextual offers.
What are the entry requirements?
Set by the University of Cambridge. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent. Check the university's course page for the exact offer.
What do graduates go on to do?
For History graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 81% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £31,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
What will it cost me?
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years. See Fees & funding on this page to work out your numbers.
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