About the Department
The University of York is one of the finest institutions in Europe for the advanced study of History, combining groundbreaking research with teaching programmes of incredible breadth of time and geographical scope.
One of the foremost centres of historical research and practice in the UK, the Department of History currently numbers forty faculty members and approximately eight hundred undergraduate and graduate students, whose research interests range from the late Roman empire to the present day and span the world.
- RAE 2008 placed the University of York among the top 10 research universities in the UK. The History department, with all academic staff entered, had over a quarter of our research rated 'world leading' and over half as 'internationally excellent' or better.
- The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2010 ranked York as the eighth best university in the country.
- The Complete University Guide places York in the top ten universities for studying History.
- The department has an established record winning funding for major research projects from such major bodies as the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust, and the Wellcome Trust.
- With over a hundred graduate students coming from more than a dozen countries around the world, the department acts as a major research hub for historical study at the postgraduate level.
We pride ourselves on delivering the highest standards of research-led teaching, allowing students the opportunity to engage with the cutting edge of the discipline of history.
Our undergraduate curriculum prioritises small-group seminars in which students take active roles in defining their learning paths, supported by a strong pastoral tradition and close contact with personal tutors; while our graduate culture involves a varied programme of workshops, seminars and conferences, in which the department operates closely with other disciplines and York's network of interdisciplinary institutes and research centres.
Above all, History at York is marked out by the vibrancy of the department's intellectual community and the passion we put into understanding and interpreting the past.
History of York
Visit the York Museums Trust's new History of York project to find out more about York's past, which includes information about our city ranging from prehistoric times to the present.
