History

Introduction

Cambridge has one of the largest and most renowned History departments in the world, with a huge variety of expertise and courses on offer. Coverage ranges from ancient Greek to the present day. Political, economic, social, international, imperial and cultural history are all well catered for. Globalisation, spying, religious fervour, disease and environmental change are among the many themes on offer to students. A number of courses are shared with other departments, such as Classics, Modern Languages and Politics.

Learning at Cambridge involves lecture- and class-based teaching but also an emphasis on individual tutorials ("supervisions") and self-directed research. You will develop the ability and confidence to analyse a wide variety of historical problems and themes, build an understanding of significant processes and changes across time, and learn how to set out your ideas to maximum effect in class and on paper. These are important skills which many employers value, and Pembroke historians have gon on to be successful in very many different careers, for example in research, administration, finance, the law, teaching, and the media.

Pembroke History

History is one of the two largest arts subjects at Pembroke. We admit 10-12 students a year to read it. We encourage students to explore widely among the available courses and to develop their own interests. For example, most of them choose to do a third-year dissertation of their own choice instead of one of the prescribed papers. Our historians have a strong sense of group identity and individual satisfaction, and over the last ten years our exam performance has been among the very best in the university.

Throughout the three years of the course, the main compulsory teaching that students receive is the weekly supervision. Preparation for the supervision involves guided and self-organised reading and writing an essay. This teaching is arranged by your College Director of Studies. We seek to find the best and most appropriate supervisors for each student and course. Much of this teaching is provided inside the College but the rest is organised by swap arrangements with other Colleges. Your Director of Studies will discuss your course choices, arrange your supervisions, and provide oversight over your progress. In addition to your weekly supervision, you will find many of the lectures put on by the History Faculty very useful for your courses, and you can expect to attend 8-10 lectures a week.

History students at Pembroke also meet in classes two or three times most terms, to discuss general historical problems. There is a welcoming and sociable History Society, run by undergraduates, which organises events and trips. Pembroke also has the benefit of a beautiful library with a large collection of history books and journals, kept up to date, often in response to student requests. Moreover, the University Library and the History Faculty Library are two of the finest libraries in the country open to History students.

History Fellows

The College has several Fellows actively involved in teaching undergraduates:

• Professor Jon Parry is Director of Studies. He is a specialist in the political history of 19th and 20th century Britain and has recently published books on British attitudes to Europe, and on the Prime Minister Disraeli.
• Dr Matthew Clark is a historian of Tudor and early Stuart Britain, working on central-local relations and on social policy. He teaches both political and economic and social history of the early modern period.
• Dr Caroline Burt is a political historian of Medieval Britain and Europe, who teaches medival political, social and economic history.
• Dr Barbara Koenczoel is a historian of twentieth-century Germany, interested particularly in the history of Germany since 1945, who teaches modern European history since 1789.
• Dr Sian Pooley is a social historian working on parenthood and child-rearing in 19th and 20th century Britain. She teaches the two modern British economic and social history papers.
• Mr Jake Norris is a historian of the Middle East in the twentieth century. He teaches the two extra European History papers (21 and 23).

In addition, the College has a Fellow in International Relations, Dr Geoffrey Edwards, who specialises in British relations with Europe since 1945, and a Fellow in the History and Philosophy of Science, Dr Lauren Kassell, a specialist in Tudor and Stuart social and intellectual history.

The College arranges teaching in the other papers that students wish to take, usually with Fellows of other Colleges. There is rarely any difficulty about doing this, because of the strength of the College in History.

Admissions

Pembroke is popular college for historians and in recent years has achieved consistently strong results, but the applicant to place ratio is in line with that across the University: normally four to one. We are looking for applicants who show genuine engagement with their subject, and an ability to think laterally and analytically. You must also like reading! Your achievements to date are an important part of the assessment process, but above all we are looking for potential.

The admissions process consists of two or three interviews and a written test. Beforehand, applicants are asked to send in two essays of their choice written for their school History course, and these are discussed at interview.

The written test will be sat on the day of your interviews and will last an hour. You will be given two short passages to read: these will generally be taken from newspaper opinion pages and will cover topics of current interest and debate. In response, you will be asked to write a short essay comparing the two pieces, commenting on point of difference and similarity in their arguments. It is important to stress that not specialist knowledge is required. We will use the test to assess your skills of writing and comprehension, not your understanding of world affairs. We are looking for an ability to draw the salient points from the passages, and to express yourself in writing clearly and in a well-organised fashion. No preparation is required.

Please do not worry too much about this part of the assessment. The test results play only a limited part in our decision-making process and we take into account all the information we have about an applicant including exam record and predictions, submitted written work, school or college essays, and UCAS personal statement. We will use the test results as additional information with which to assess border line applicants, and measure the quality of your written work.

Apart from History, no particular pattern of subjects is preferred. A foreign language at an advanced level may marginally widen the choice of papers available in Part II of the Tripos, but only a quarter of our undergraduates usually have this qualification.

No specific preparation for interviews is necessary but we do send guidance notes about interviews beforehand.

Each year, a few undergraduates reading history at Pembroke take a year off after completing school before coming up to university, and the College is happy to accept deferred applications.

'Tripos' - The Course

The history is divided into Part I and Part II. Examinations for Part I of the Historical Tripos are taken after two years. The examinations for Part II are taken at the end of your final year. The results for each part stand separately. You will also sit 'Preliminary' examinations at the beginning of the first term of your first year, in order to practice exam essay writing, and to get a sense of your progress.

Part I (first two years)

For this, students offer six papers, which are taught over terms. the final term of your second year is devoted to consolidation and revisions before your Part I exams.

• Each term you will take a 'survey' paper covering a set period and geographical area, for which you receive eight supervisions. Within each paper there is a wide range of topics, usually around 20, from which you choose eight, in consultation with your supervisor. Out of the 23 papers available your choice of five must include at least one period of British social and economic history, one period of British political and constitutional history, and one period of European history. Other areas covered are the History of Political Thought; North America; and 'Extra European' history covering Asia, Africa, Australasia and Latin America. For each of the five courses you will sit one 'conventional' exam paper, answering three essay questions, at the end of your second year.
• The sixth course is called 'Themes and Sources'. For this you will write a Long Essay of 5000 words done in your own time, on one of a number of topics studied during first-year classes. These courses emphasise engagement with and interpretation of primary sources, often examining a theme comparatively across a long period of time. Current courses include the development of democracy; migration and the experience of disease; music in European political culture; and long-term economic development. There is an option within this course to develop language skills in French and German.
• In your first year you will also have lectures and classes on 'Historical Argument and Practice', studying the history of historial writing, methodology, and the philosophy of history.

Part II (final year)

In Part II of the Tripos papers are offered in more specialised topics that change from time to time but which always offer an exceptionally wide range of chronological, geographical, and topical choice.

• You may take either one special subject and two 'specified subjects' or one special subject, and one specified subject and a dissertation.
• Special subjects are taught in classes across the first two terms of the final year. There is a wide choice of courses with an emphasis on reading and interpreting primary sources. These are examined by a mixture of written exam and take-home paper.
• Specified subjects are taken in one term, generally with eight supervisions and eight weekly essays. They are examined through one three-hour exam where you must answer three questions.
• A dissertation is researched and written in the student's 'own time', under the supervision of one of your lecturers. Subject to approval of the History Faculty the subject is of the student's choosing. Students usually spend a greater part of one term and some of the vacation working on their dissertation.
• You will also have lectures and classes on the course. 'Historical Argument and Practice', for which you will sit one examination where you answer one essay question in three hours.

Further enquiries should be addressed to the Admissions Office at Pembroke.

See also the University Prospectus entry for History.

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