History and Heritage

History and Heritage both play an important role in how we understand our world, culturally, socially, and politically. In the 2025 NSS Stirling was placed third in Scotland for History for student satisfaction, with teaching quality and staff support especially highlighted. We are first in the UK for Heritage Studies (The Complete University Guide 2026).

At Stirling you can study Scottish history back to the Viking period, and African, American, British, and European history from c. 1680 till the present day, through social, political, gender, race, and environmental approaches. You can also explore museum studies, exhibition curation, and heritage theory and practice. You’ll be taught in tutorials, seminars, lectures, and one-to-one supervisions, and your work is assessed in a variety of ways including essays, source analyses, oral presentations, posters, policy briefs, podcasts, manuscript transcriptions, and either a dissertation (History) or a portfolio (Heritage) at the end of your degree programme. You can also use and volunteer at the University Archives.

Studying history and heritage develops skills such as critical thinking, communication, research, problem-solving, the evaluation of evidence and arguments, data analysis, and interpersonal relationships, all of which are highly valued by employers, from the heritage industry to management, journalism, and business.