1. Dr David Woodman Robinson College, Cambridge
Director of Studies in History and in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic

2. Structure of History degree (‘Tripos’)
Over the first two years, students take what’s known as the Part I
students choose 5 papers; huge amount of choice in terms of subject and period
students also take a subject called ‘HAP’, ‘Historical Argument and Practice’
Themes and Sources paper, examined by a long essay in second year ( words)
Part I requirement: a pre-1750 paper and a European paper
In the third year, students progress to Part II, which is more specialised
courses are ‘research-led’
‘Special Subjects’: intensively taught and organised around body of primary material; assessed by long essay and ‘gobbet’ exam
‘Specified Subjects’: also source-led, but more thematic in nature; assessed by examination only
opportunity to do a dissertation
Lectures, seminars, supervisions

3. Part I History papers: British political history
British political history, since 1880

4. Part I papers (contd) British economic and social history
British economic and social history, 1050-c. 1500
British economic and social history, c
British economic and social history,
British economic and social history, since c. 1880

5. Part I papers (contd) European history European history, 776 BC-AD 69
European history, 900-c. 1215
European history,
European history,
European history,
European history, since 1890

6. Part I papers (contd) Political thought World history American history
History of political thought to c. 1700
History of political thought from c to c. 1890
World history
Empires and world history from the fifteenth century to the First World War
World history since 1914
American history
North American history from c to 1865
The history of the United States from 1865

7. Part II: ‘Special subjects’
Constructing the worlds of Archaic Greece
The city of Rome and its rulers,
Chivalry, patronage and rulership: King René of Anjou in fifteenth-century Europe
Uses of the visual in early modern Germany, c
The Black Death
Reform and reformation: Thomas More’s England
An alternative history of Ireland: religious minorities and identity in the 26 counties,
Class, party and the politics of social identity in England,
The British and the Middle East, c c. 1865
Fin de siècle Russia,
Liberalism and constitutional crisis in the United States,
The reconstruction of Germany,
Martin Luther King Jr and the civil rights movement

8. Part II: ‘Specified subjects’
Transformation of the Roman world
The Jewish presence in medieval society
The archaeology of medieval Britain
The medieval universe, c to c. 1600
Material culture in the early modern world
Persecution and toleration in Britain,
The politics of knowledge from the late Renaissance to the early Enlightenment
Japanese history in the 19th and 20th centuries
World population, development and environment since 1750
The French and the British problem, since 1688
‘Total War’ and European societies,
The formation of the modern Middle East
The politics of gender in Britain,
The long road to modernisation: Spain, since 1808
The history of the Indian sub-continent from the late 18th to the present day
The history of Africa from 1800 to the present day

9. Expectations by the interview stage
A good academic track record, with prediction of A*AA
A clear sense of fascination by the subject and evidence of exploration of the texts we study
Interview structure:
discussion of passage of unseen text
discussion of school work
discussion of personal statement
discussion of potential History papers and interests

10. Admissions assessments
Assessment format:
Section 1: reading comprehension (36 multiple choice questions; 60 mins)
Section 2: critical response to text (60 mins)
You must register in advance (and separately to the UCAS application) to take the assessment.
Each task will use recently written texts, from authentic sources, in English. Texts will not depend on the understanding of specific aspects of British culture. Questions require candidates to:
Look at the main ideas and focus of a text;
Analyse the detail and distinguish opinions and attitudes presented in the text;
Determine the writer’s purpose
Extract implications and implicitly stated elements of the text
Draw comparisons and contrasts within a text or between different texts
The assessment is designed to be challenging. Typical applicants to the most highly selective undergraduate courses will gain approximately half of the available marks.
Designed to guide Admissions Tutors as to the strength of any given applicant measured against the gathered field.
Scoring system of 0 to 9.

11. Typical offer to History applicant:
A Level: A* A A
IB Diploma: points (including 7, 7, 6 at Higher Level)

12. Historians – future careers
law
accountancy
journalism and publishing
teaching
academia
business and finance
national and local government
library and museum work

13. History and Politics degree
Students take 4 papers in each year
Part IA:
Evidence and Argument: an introduction to methods and approaches across the two disciplines
Politics paper: the modern state and its alternatives
Politics paper: international conflict, order and justice
History paper. One from these options:
British political history
British political history since 1880
European history
European history since 1890

14. Part IB: the second year offers more specialized papers in the history of political thought, international relations, comparative politics, and European and global history.
Students take 4 papers:
The history of political thought, either from the Greeks to 1700, or the 18th and 19th centuries
A paper on either comparative politics or international relations
One of these history papers:
World history since 1914
History of the United States since 1865
British economic and social history
British economic and social history since c. 1880
A long essay, a historical project, or a paper on Statistics and Methods

15. Part II: either a dissertation and 3 papers, or 4 papers
A compulsory paper in General Themes and Issues
For their remaining papers, students have a choice between:
Specialised papers in History, which currently include papers on the transformation of the Roman world, South Asia since c. 1800, Stalinism and Soviet life etc.
Specialised papers in Politics and International relations
Further papers in the History of Political Thought
A research dissertation of 10,000-15,000 words.

16. History and Modern Languages
Languages available from October 2018
Post A Level (or equivalent): French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish
Ab initio: German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
Part IA involves four papers:
Core language papers in language chosen
One paper from the specified introductory Modern Languages range
Two papers from the specified History range
Part IB involves four papers, at a more specialized level

17. In the fourth year, students take four papers:
Part II lasts two years
In the third year students undertake a Year Abroad, and write a project report of 8,000 words
In the fourth year, students take four papers:
The core language papers in your chosen language
One paper from the specified Modern Languages range (very large amount of choice)
One History paper from the following: History of political thought from c to c. 1890; political philosophy and the history of political thought since c. 1890; a variable number of papers on topics or comparative themes in history
One further paper from either Modern Languages or History
One paper may be replaced by a dissertation of 10,000 words