History and Politics
History and Politics at Cambridge is an exciting degree which has been running since October 2017. It mostly comprises a very wide range of individual papers taken from our highly-regarded History and Politics & International Relations courses, so there is a lot of choice. In addition there is a bespoke general paper in the first year, and another in the third year, both of which allow students to explore the connections between the two disciplines and to think about the course of study as a whole. Students will develop skills in analysing the operation of power and politics in institutions and societies around the world at various times, and the way in which the major issues in politics have been discussed by thinkers and writers, both over the last two millennia, and at present. They will be able to choose from outline papers in British, European, American and World history and politics. Most of the options offered in each of the two separate single Honours courses are available to students doing this joint degree.
We require History at A Level or IB higher level or an equivalent, but please get in touch with us in advance of making an application if you are not studying History.
History and Politics at Pembroke
Pembroke is a College enthusiastic about the study of History and Politics. Through the pre-existing degrees in History and in Human, Social, and Political Sciences (HSPS), we are used to servicing the needs of undergraduates studying History or Politics. The College sees these two subjects as excellent matches and we are committed to helping our students to develop an integrated approach to their whole course. Both subjects are taught by a combination of very small-group supervisions, for which students have to write an essay, and slightly larger seminar classes, where reading is discussed.
On the whole, especially in years 1 and 2 of the course, the History papers are supervision-based, and supervisions are organised by College Directors of Studies. Preparation for the supervision involves guided and self-organised reading towards the production of an essay. We seek to find the best and most appropriate supervisors for each student and course. In general, more of the teaching for the POLIS papers is organised by the Department, but most of it is still based on the submission of essays to expert supervisors who then give feedback and organise discussion.
From undergraduates to fellows (lecturers based in the College), Pembroke is an intellectually inquisitive, yet welcoming and unpretentious, place to enhance your understanding of the world, why it is the way it is, and your place in it. Pembroke’s students are lively and engaged: a student-run society organises debates on contemporary issues.
Pembroke History and Politics Teaching Staff
At present, the College is home to several History fellows, whose interests span a period from the High Middle Ages to recent times. Several have interests that intersect with those of POLIS.
Dr Steven Ward
As the Director of Studies for History & Politics, I coordinate the academic programs of all History and Politics students. I also supervise all first year History and Politics students in their initial introduction to the study of international relations.
I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and International Studies, where I teach courses on international relations theory, international security, and US foreign policy.
In 2023-24, I will be organizing a new third-year paper on International Security, which will introduce students to research on the use, control, and consequences of force in world politics.
My research uses case study, quantitative, and experimental methods to explore a variety of questions related to security and great power politics - you can find out more by visiting my website: https://stevenmward.wordpress.com/
Dr Arthur Asseraf
I’m a historian of France, the French empire, and media. I’m one of the Director of Studies at Pembroke, so I help coordinate teaching for History students in their third year. I grew up in Paris and came to Cambridge as an undergraduate. Most of my research takes me to Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, France, or somewhere else close to the Mediterranean Sea. You can read more about my research interests in my faculty profile here. I’m particularly interested in using different formats to do history, from social media to creative writing.
Dr Paul Cavill
I'm one of the Directors of Study in History. As such, I'm here to help our historians make the most of their time at Pembroke on an academic front. I'll be organising your supervisions and also teaching you as a group about different kinds of history. (Classes for first-years are a bit like a historians' book club.) I work on early modern British history and so, if you choose papers in that area, I'll also be supervising you myself. I research government, law, and religion in 14th- and 16th century England with a particular eye to the Wars of the Roses and the Break with Rome. You can read more about my interests on my Faculty webpage) I'm also keen to support the student-led History Society and always enjoy our annual get-together at the Historians' dinner.
Prof. Renaud Morieux
Renaud researches the history of state-building from the perspective of international comparisons, with a particular interest in cross-border migrations since the eighteenth century.
Prof. Jon Parry
Jon works on the political history of 19th- and 20th-century Britain. He has written about British attitudes to Europe and about the Prime Minister Disraeli. He recently published a book on British perceptions of the Middle East.
Prof. Paul Warde
Paul teaches environmental and economic history. His latest book explores the concept of sustainability, and he has also co-written a history of the environment.
Dr Iza Hussin (POLIS)
Iza works on Asian politics, specialising in the intersection of law and religion, an interest she shares with several of Pembroke’s History fellows.
Dr Geoffrey Edwards (POLIS)
The College also benefits from the continuing involvement, since his retirement, of Dr Geoffrey Edwards, an expert in the European Union.
Prof. Ned Lebow (POLIS)
A distinguished scholar of international relations theory, a bye-fellow of Pembroke.