Preparing to study History at Cambridge
Events, talks and support for schools, prospective students and families
Are you a student thinking about applying, a teacher looking for resources, or a parent supporting someone with a passion for History?
Our open days, subject-focused events and resources can help you to explore History beyond the school curriculum, build your academic skills, and better understand what it’s like to study History at Cambridge.
These opportunities are designed for everyone, whatever your background.
Why History at Cambridge?
History is a hugely versatile degree that provides graduates with an almost infinitely adaptable skill set.
The study of the past is complex, and History is a rigorous training in intellectual agility, independent thinking and analysis. It teaches you to interpret complex information and assess it forensically.
Cambridge History graduates are skilled researchers, voracious readers and persuasive writers. This makes them particularly attractive to employers across an enormous range of careers.
Events and support
Departments and Colleges open their doors to prospective students and their parents/supporters each year. Attend talks, meet History academics and students, tour libraries and lecture spaces, and get a feel for life at Cambridge.
2026 Open Days are 9-10 July. The Colleges Open Day is on 11 September.
Subject-specific online or in-person sessions that allow prospective applicants to experience the academic style of teaching at Cambridge. Delivered throughout the year.
Online webinars explaining key aspects of applying to Cambridge. Topics for prospective applicants include deciding on a course, the admissions process, personal statements, preparing for interviews and other support. Run throughout the academic year.
Interactive 360° tours and virtual Cambridge visits for those who can’t attend in person.
A free programme designed to assist high-attaining students from underrepresented backgrounds and areas of the UK to make successful applications to Cambridge.
What is it like to study History?
Students share what it’s really like to study History at Cambridge. Hear what drew them to the subject, what they’ve enjoyed most, and where their degree is taking them next.
Find out something new
Browse our taster lectures from Cambridge historians exploring wide-ranging topics, from women’s suffrage to the Qing Chinese dynasty.
Applying to Cambridge
All undergraduate applications are assessed by the Cambridge Colleges, not by the History Faculty.
All Colleges open to undergraduates accept History students. Each has their own accommodation, social spaces, clubs and societies. Research your College options carefully before applying.
Explore the 3 ways to study History at Cambridge: as a single honours subject, or jointly with either Politics or Modern Languages.
Browse our Frequently Asked Questions for undergraduate admissions.
For full application information, visit the Undergraduate Study website.
For admissions enquiries, contact the relevant College Admissions Office.
For teachers
Explore our Virtual Classroom
Helping teachers and students develop interests and skills as a historian.
Information and interactive exercises relating to areas of history commonly studied by UK students in Years 12 and 13 and to others often not found on the school syllabus.
Explore source exercises and sample lectures
College area links
Every part of the UK is linked with a Cambridge College, which gives schools and colleges in each area a direct contact at the University.
If you would like to arrange a school visit, tailor outreach activities to the needs of your location, or find out more about Cambridge, please liaise with the contact for your school/college's area.
Find your school/college's contact
Gaming as a teaching strategy
Industrial Re:evolution is a management puzzle game exploring the causes of the Industrial Revolution and its impact on England and Wales.
The game is a free tool for teachers to help students navigate the complex causal web driving this process.
Read more and download
Secondary education and social change in the UK since 1945
Free to download school resource packs for any secondary school history teachers interested in secondary education and social change.
All packs focus on the ways schools reflect change in the United Kingdom since 1945.
Download the resources
60 things you didn't know about family, marriage, work, and death since the Middle Ages
Researchers from the Cambridge Group for the History of Population and Social Structure (Campop) bust some of the biggest myths about life in England since the Middle Ages, challenging assumptions about everything from migration to the health/wealth gap.
Campop has contributed to hundreds of research articles and books, and made the history of England’s population the best understood in the world.
Read the full blog series
At a glance
For questions about our work with schools and prospective students, contact:
school-liaison@hist.cam.ac.uk
All undergraduate applications are assessed by the Cambridge Colleges, not by the History Faculty.
All Colleges open to undergraduates accept History students. Each has their own accommodation, social spaces, clubs and societies. Research your College options carefully before applying.
Explore the 3 ways to study History at Cambridge: as a single honours subject, or jointly with either Politics or Modern Languages.
Browse Frequently Asked Questions for undergraduate admissions.
For full application information, visit the Undergraduate Study website.
For admissions enquiries, contact the relevant College Admissions Office.