Economic and social history is the study of the way societies change in their economic activities and social organisation. It is concerned with how people in the past lived and worked, and how this has affected the development of today’s world.

It is possible to do this degree together with a language, including a year abroad.

Economic & Social History at Glasgow

Economic and Social History at Glasgow offers an accessible and stimulating approach to understanding economic and social change.

We are concerned with explaining how people in the past have lived and worked, and how this past experience has shaped the development of the 21st century world. We represent the historical branch of the social sciences, using the methods and expertise of a wide range of disciplines, including history, economics and sociology.

Themes we explore with our students include:

• How economies grow and change over time;
• How people influence economic change and are affected by it;
• How social structures, including class and gender identities and relations, change over time.

CAREER PROSPECTS

Our graduates are trained to express themselves logically and to speak confidently. They have learned how to handle and analyse information, to make independent judgements, and organise their time effectively. They have found employment in a very wide range of careers, including:

• management in industry, retailing, marketing and financial services
• central and local government
• the media and information technology
• teaching at all levels
• libraries, museums and archives
• social work and other personnel services.