Explore how the past is celebrated, obscured and recreated. You’ll study a wide range of historical subjects, places and periods with a particular focus on heritage and public history.

The Heritage and Public History pathway offers you a solid grounding in historical skills, but extends them to encompass the analysis of places, objects, and buildings. You’ll consider:

• How we turn ‘history’ into ‘heritage’
• How cultural heritage has become such an important focus for study and debate
• Who we think we are and how we negotiate our way through a complex world.

Alongside developing a specialism in heritage and public history, you’ll gain practical experience through activities such as planning a project, writing for the general public, and a placement in a museum or historic house. The insights you gain here could be invaluable in a wide range of jobs, including in the heritage sector itself.

Work placements, industry links and internships

Our students have worked on placements and projects with a wide range of museum and heritage organisations in the city of Bath and the wider region. We work closely with the National Trust, English Heritage and Arts Council England, and with local organisations such as the Bath Preservation Trust and the Holburne Museum in Bath, the ss Great Britain in Bristol, and Radstock Museum in North Somerset – from the Royal Crescent to steam ships, great art to coalmining.

History and Heritage graduates have entered a range of professions including teaching, event management, and heritage management. Our graduates now work for organisations such as the National Trust, Wiltshire County Council and Bath Preservation Trust. Some of our students go onto to study for a Masters degree, including our own highly regarded MA in Heritage Management, and then to a PhD.