News feedsWelcome to History at Southampton
The University of Southampton is one of twenty members of the Russell Group - institutions which have distinguished themselves as research-led universities of international quality, and which are committed to the provision of teaching in a research-led environment. This means that students are taught by staff who are working at the cutting edge of their particular discipline in terms of research and publication.
History at Southampton confirmed its reputation for international research excellence in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, achieving a national ranking of 7th alongside Cambridge and University College London. History’s research environment was deemed ‘outstanding’; 30% of our research is considered ‘world-leading’, the highest possible ranking, and a further 40% ‘internationally excellent’. The Parkes Institute for Jewish/ non-Jewish relations was singled out for special mention.
History is closely associated with four research centres based in the School of Humanities:
- the Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish/Non-Jewish Relations
- the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Culture
- the Centre for Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies
- the Centre for Eighteenth-Century Studies
Our commitment to research-led teaching is very much reflected in the activities of the History Department. We are proud of the contributions we as historians make to our individual fields, and see the quality of the research produced by this department as a major reason for you to choose to come here. We also work hard to ensure that our teaching is informed by the latest developments in the field, and are constantly updating our courses to reflect this.
At the same time, we endeavour to foster a friendly, informal atmosphere in which students feel free to come and ask for advice and guidance. This is as true for the pastoral side of our support as it is for the academic side.