Faculty of History :: University of Cambridge

This course is designed to develop a number of important skills in undergraduates. Among these are:

acquiring a broad range of historical knowledge and understanding, including a sense of development over time, and an appreciation of the culture and attitudes of societies other than our own;
evaluating critically the significance and utility of a large body of material, including evidence from contemporary sources and the opinions of more recent historians;
engaging directly with questions and presenting independent opinions about them in arguments that are well-written, clearly expressed, coherently organised and effectively supported by relevant evidence;
gaining the confidence to undertake self-directed learning, making the most effective use of time and resources, and increasingly defining one's own questions and goals.

These are valuable skills in themselves. They are also highly sought after by employers. Well-qualified History graduates from Cambridge have no difficulty in getting good jobs in a very wide range of occupations - in business and finance, in public administration, in journalism and broadcasting, in teaching at a number of levels, or in research-based careers of various kinds. History is not as obviously vocational as some courses, but it combines an excellent training in vital skills with a high degree of interest and enjoyment.

Below is a more comprehensive table of transferable skills that a History degree from Cambridge will equip you with:

INTELLECTUAL SKILLS
Faculty	Colleges
Lectures (for all Tripos papers)	Supervisions and Classes: - Discussion - Reasoning - Argument - Critical Analysis
Classes (obligatory for Themes and Sources paper in Part I and Special Subject papers in Part II.
Examinations

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Faculty	College
Written: - Dissertation (optional in Part II) - Long Essay (obligatory in Part I)	Supervisions and Classes: - weekly discussion of essay/dissertation - discussion with supervisors & peers
Oral: - Class discussion for Themes and Sources and Special Subject	Other activities: - College committees, societies, acting, JCR involvement

ORGANISATIONAL SKILLS
Faculty	College
Management of workload and extra-curricular activities
Lecture/class attendance	Submission of weekly essay
Submission of Long Essay and Optional Dissertation	Organisation of events (sports, societies, entertainment)

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
Faculty	College
Group work for Special Subject	College as experience in Community living
Service on Faculty committees	Participation in college classes, societies and sporting clubs

RESEARCH SKILLS
Faculty	College
Use of Faculty and University Libraries	Use of College Libraries
Development of bibliographic skills	Development of bibliographic skills
Research for long essay and dissertation	Research for weekly essay

NUMERACY
Faculty	College
Quantitative/statistical analysis (in general lectures and those for obligatory paper in British economic history)	Quantitative/statistical analysis in supervisions for this paper.

COMPUTER LITERACY
Faculty	College
University Computing Service Courses	Use of College computing facilities for word processing essays/dissertation
Word-processed 3rd year dissertations and Themes and Sources Long Essay	Use of College computing facilities for www, email.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Faculty	College
Language paper in Prelims to Part I	Varying provision of classes for reading foreign language materials for Prelims to Part I
Papers in Part I and Part II offering opportunities to use foreign language sources
University Language Laboratory

What skills will a History degree from Cambridge give me?