Are you someone who loves both international relations and history so much that you cannot give up one of them? Well, as a third-year BSc International Relations and History student, I’d like to share my insights on this programme! Let’s take a look at all the positives…

Balanced approach, more opportunities to come

Unlike the straight BSc International Relations (IR) or BSc History at LSE, this joint degree often makes you study a balanced number of IR and history modules each year. Of course, you get to take modules outside of either department (we call this “outside options” at LSE) in your first and third year. But in your second year – it’s mandatory for you to take two history modules and two international relations modules.

So what does this mean for you? Yes, it may sound like you are limiting your options at first, but I found it beneficial to learn how these two disciplines apply different ways of thinking when writing essays or approaching readings. For instance, I learned how to apply different theoretical IR frameworks to what’s going on these days around the world. In my history modules, however, I managed to handle critical thinking, where you analyse not only what happened in a historical context, but also make your arguments based on historical evidence. This process of argument-making also helps you contribute to the historiographical debate on any topic – essentially, historiography is about how other historians have sided on a given issue – and ultimately that should help you engage with other fellow historians as you build your take.

As you can see, your critical thinking skills and theoretical analysis skills will simultaneously be fostered through this programme. In the long term, a wide range of opportunities are waiting for you based on these transferable skill sets. Ranging from policy research and media to academia or even the civil service, you can (technically) apply these skills to any field you want to work in. For me, I wanted to become a historian in my first year, but I’m currently preparing to sit the diplomacy civil service exam. Even with my career plan shift, my programme is solid enough to support me.

Wide range of modules

Although this programme offers relatively fewer opportunities to take outside options, it provides a wide range of departmental modules to choose from. For history, it has a diverse range of thematic and continental courses – any region you name is likely to be on the course list. For IR, it goes by subfields. Although you have to take some compulsory modules in your first year, your second-year IR modules will prepare you by introducing the subfields of IR (I took International Security and Foreign Policy Analysis). In your final year, you get to be more specialised by developing and applying the core modules in specific fields. 

Lots of readings, lots of writings

Here are some realistic experiences of mine. I don’t want to scare you all too much, but yes, the reading and writing workload for this programme is high (no matter which modules you pick). Instead of thoroughly reading everything, you’ll probably end up skimming long readings. If you’re writing an essay for a formative or summative assessment, surprise, your reading load is most likely to double.

If you’re a bit unlucky, the formative assessment deadlines across the two departments may overlap (that means you’ll be writing and editing essays non-stop at some points, like week ten). But you’ll get out of it what you put into it. Except for those IR modules that offer take-home assessments, a lot of history modules often have end-of-year summative exams. If you put effort into a lot of reading and writing throughout the year, all you would be doing over the Spring Break would simply be revision and timed practices.

But as time goes by, your skills and experience will accumulate! You’ll get through all of this smoothly at some point and will know the how-tos. So don’t be too daunted by this sub-section – if you love both disciplines, this programme is worth it.