History with International Relations

History and international relations is a combination that addresses the question of how the world came to be as it is, and how states, peoples, and institutions interact within it. History provides the long view, the capacity to understand present circumstances through their origins and to trace how events unfold across time, sometimes confirming theoretical expectations and often defying them. International relations brings systematic frameworks for analysing power, diplomacy, conflict, trade, and governance between states and across borders.

Together they give you both the depth of a historian and the analytical rigour of a political scientist, which is a genuinely valuable combination for understanding an interconnected world.

Nottingham Trent University's three-year full-time History with International Relations programme is accessible to a broad range of students, with a typical entry tariff of 104 points, while offering substantive intellectual content in both disciplines. You will study history across different periods and geographical areas, developing skills in archival research, source criticism, and historical writing. The international relations component introduces you to theories of state behaviour, international institutions, security, political economy, and global governance, and you will apply these frameworks to both historical and contemporary cases.

The programme includes a sandwich year and a work placement, providing structured professional experience in a relevant field, whether heritage, policy, the third sector, journalism, or another area connected to your interests.

You will develop skills in research, critical reading of sources and arguments, analytical writing, and the ability to synthesise evidence from different kinds of material into coherent, well-supported accounts.

Graduates pursue careers in the civil service, journalism, international development, heritage, archive management, law, politics, teaching, and third-sector organisations concerned with international affairs. Postgraduate study in history, international relations, or public policy is a natural further step for those seeking specialist expertise or research careers.