This programme is designed to encourage students to pursue their interests in European history in depth and to obtain training specifically designed for undertaking research in European history. It offers the opportunity to study European History in a cross-national perspective and at the same time to focus on specific European countries or regions. There are optional courses on the history of single countries such as France, Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia and the Soviet Union among others. Students are introduced to different theoretical, methodological and historiographical approaches of writing European history. They are taught in several sub-disciplines of history and can choose options in areas including social and economic history, political history, cultural and intellectual history, gender history, diplomatic and military history. The chronology of the various components covers the medieval, early modern, modern and contemporary periods.

All students follow a specifically designed core course that examines meanings of Europe in the light of its contested history, the distinctiveness of the European experience, as well as different historiographies influential in the study of European history. The core course introduces students to different theoretical and methodological approaches, and aims to equip students with specific research skills. It includes introductions to special resources in and around London, such as the British Library, the Institute of Historical Research and the National Archives at Kew.

In addition to the core course half of the degree is based on optional courses, known as fields of study. Led by the 50 or more historians of Europe at UCL, the optional courses are offered through the History department or historians in other UCL departments and schools, such as the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, the Centre for European Studies, or the Departments of French, Italian, and German. The fields of study provide the range and depth of coverage within the programme and might include options on such diverse areas as medieval religion, the Dutch Golden Age, or history and theory. All students also produce a 10 - 12,000-word research dissertation on a topic in European history of a student's choice, written under the expert supervision of a UCL-based European historian.

Situated in central London, close to the British Library, the British Museum and the research institutes of the University of London – including the Warburg and the Institute of Historical Research – we enjoy easy access to some of the world’s finest collections of resources for the study of history.

The position of UCL History as a world-class Department was confirmed by the results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, in which universities across the UK submitted research published during the period 2001-7 for competitive peer review. The History panel classified 40% of our work as ‘world-leading’ (4), plus a further 25% as internationally excellent (3) and a further 25% as ‘internationally recognised’ (2). 40% in the 4 category was the highest score awarded by the History panel, and only two other departments achieved it. By almost all methods of calculation, UCL History is among the top 5 departments in the UK. At the level of ‘world-leading’ research it was ranked equal with Cambridge and above Oxford.