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History (Graduate Certificate)

Graduate Certificate

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:
October 2026
Study route:

  • One year part-time, on campus

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Part-time | On campus

Course overview

Our Graduate Certificate in History is a fascinating one-year course that will introduce you to the theories, tools, techniques and research skills of historical analysis.

  • Why choose this course?
    • This course is ideal if you are keen to explore history further but have gained an undergraduate degree in a different subject. Or you may wish to explore advanced postgraduate historical study without yet committing to an MA.  
    • It will give you the skills you need to pursue your passion for the past and study history at a higher level. 
    • It offers you two routes through the course: one focusing on research, the other pursuing a topic of your choice in history, classics or archaeology.

  • What will I learn?

    Throughout this course you will explore and analyse different types of evidence, discuss the theories that inform historical writing and look at the great debates that shape our perception of the past. You will also learn about how the concept of history has changed over time, and how different cultures perceive the past.

    By introducing you to the practical skills of the historian and the various schools of thought that inform historical research and writing, this graduate certificate enables you to reskill and change direction to pursue postgraduate study in the field.

  • How will I learn?

    This course is taught via a combination of seminars, workshops and lectures, and follows an evening timetable. 

    You will take a foundation module in your first term and then choose either a taught route consisting of one option module offered by the School of Historical Studies, or a research-focused route where you will complete a dissertation on a historical subject of your choice.  

    Throughout the course, you will also engage in hands-on analysis of sources, debating and discussing the wider implications of evidence to historical analysis.

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Part-time: One to two evenings a week, October to July.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More highlights

  • Birkbeck was ranked in the top eight universities in the UK for its History research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
  • Our research is unique in its range across geographical and chronological boundaries. We are the only university in London to include historians, classicists and archaeologists in the same academic team investigating every period from prehistory to the early twenty-first century. We see the study of the past as crucial for our understanding of present-day society, culture and politics.
  • We are at the heart of academic London with access to unparalleled research resources, including the Institute of Classical Studies, with its library, training facilities and seminars; the British Museum, with its extensive collection of classical antiquities; and the British Library, the largest national library in the world.
  • We are home to affiliated research centres that actively run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research. These include the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism, the Raphael Samuel History Centre and the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities.

Modules and Teaching

  • One year part-time, on campus, starting in October 2026

    Course structure

    You must complete modules worth a total of 60 credits, consisting of:

    • one core module (30 credits)
    • a dissertation of 7000 words, or any Level 6 option module offered in history, classics or archaeology (30 credits).

    Core module

    Dissertation

  • Teaching

    We encourage innovative and engaging ways of teaching to help ensure you have the best learning experience and provide a range of different modes of learning to help you juggle study with work and other commitments.

    Find out more about our teaching and teaching hours.

    What are the methods of teaching?

    Teaching is varied and interactive, including seminars, short lectures, group work, discussion, student presentations and field studies.

  • How will I be assessed?

    The assessed components include a literature review and a detailed dissertation proposal.

    Please see individual modules for more details.

    Find out more about assessment at Birkbeck, including guidance on assessment, feedback and our assessment offences policy.

School of Historical Studies

The school is intensively interdisciplinary and its research and teaching covers every period from prehistory to the early twenty-first century.

Visit the school

Entry requirements

Our standard entry requirements for postgraduate courses are a second-class honours degree (2:2), or equivalent, in any area of study.

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered, and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

  • What are the English language requirements?

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

  • What are the visa and funding requirements?

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

    As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

  • Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

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Fees

Graduate Certificate: One year part-time, on campus, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £3,780 per year
Part-time international students: £6,950 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the Fees Policy.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating with this Graduate Certificate in History, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including: 

  • basic knowledge of historical composition, use and analysis of evidence, scholarship  
  • critical reading of sources, forensic analysis of data 
  • critical thinking
  • collaborative thinking and working.

Graduates can pursue career paths in research and archiving, education, the heritage industry, publishing, journalism and the media, and the charity sector. Possible professions include:

  • historian
  • higher education lecturer
  • archivist
  • journalist
  • heritage manager
  • politician’s assistant
  • academic librarian
  • museum/gallery curator.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to apply

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply. Find out more about how to apply.

Related courses

Study routes for History (Graduate Certificate) (Graduate Certificate)

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Starting in October 2026

Part-time