Part of the arts and humanities group of subjects, history is the study of human experience in the past – providing insights into present-day situations and future possibilities. The possible scope of regions, cultures and historical periods you could choose to focus on is vast. Maybe you want to focus on representations of women in 19th century art, the evolution of advertising in the West, or analyse the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Whatever your field of interest, there’s bound to be a history department somewhere in the world with the resources and expertise to match. However, the core skills you gain should be the same. These include an ability to analyse various types of cultural artefact, challenge presumptions, identify causal links and trends, and present your ideas in well-ordered and supported arguments. Find the world's best universities for geography with the QS Rankings by Subject >

Like most humanities and social sciences subjects, history offers graduates a wide range of possible career paths. Strong analytical and communications skills could lead to roles in marketing, advertising, public relations or journalism. Those who are keen to continue making use of their subject-specialist knowledge may go into educational, research or heritage roles – for example in museums, public archives or galleries. Other sectors where you’ll find history graduates include law, politics, business and finance, and academic research.