History and Economics Oxford without ever studying history

I’m interested in this course however, it says history is recommended and I’ve never studied history at a level or gcse. I do take economics though. There are two recommended subjects; maths and history, I study further maths and maths but have never done history.

Reply 1

SkyRunner61

How come you’re interested in it if you’ve never taken history?

Reply 2

Sirya

I’m interested in how the economy has developed since the roots, how it’s failed and recovered. Things like that...

Reply 3

SkyRunner61

You can always reach out to admissions/history tutors at various colleges and ask what they think. And you should be able to FOI request subject combinations and if someone got an offer

Reply 4

Sirya

Original post by SkyRunner61

You can always reach out to admissions/history tutors at various colleges and ask what they think. And you should be able to FOI request subject combinations and if someone got an offer

How do you make a request? Also the same question, how do I reach out to the teachers?

Reply 5

liverninthered

Original post by Sirya

I’m interested in how the economy has developed since the roots, how it’s failed and recovered. Things like that...

Note that history and economics is not the history OF economics. The joint course will require you to study the courses independently, with only a few modules which directly combine the two. In short, if you're only interested in the history of economics or history from an economic perspective then I wouldn't advise studying it. If you would genuinely like to study history in it's own right, then the H&E course would be perfect.

Reply 6

SkyRunner61

Original post by Sirya

How do you make a request? Also the same question, how do I reach out to the teachers?

Google it, and by emailing

Reply 7

username3634800

Original post by Sirya

I’m interested in how the economy has developed since the roots, how it’s failed and recovered. Things like that...

Hi there, I'm a current offer holder for History and Economics at Oxford.

Unfortunately I think it would be quite difficult, though not impossible, for you to apply successfully without having studied History at GCSE or A-Level.

This is mainly because, as others have mentioned, the course is History AND Economics as opposed to Economic History or the History of Economics. As a result, unless you are genuinely interested in History, you might find the course difficult to enjoy. You'll also have to take the HAT as part of the admissions process which is essentially a test of the historical skills that GCSE and A-Level History are very helpful in developing. Furthermore, since admission to the course is more so determined by the History faculty, it is probably more important to show an intellectual curiosity for History than for Economics.

However, it is certainly possible to demonstrate your passion for History without formally studying it by reading History books on subjects that interest you, listening to podcasts like the BBC's "In Our Time" or entering essay competitions. You may just have to work slightly harder than other applicants to convince the tutors of your passion for the subject.

If you want to study specifically Economic History or the History of Economic thought, most straight Economics courses include options to explore those subject areas. For example, the Economics course at Cambridge allows you to take papers on "British Economic History", "History and Philosophy of Economics" and "Historical Perspectives on Economic Growth". You could also consider applying to one of the several Economic History courses at LSE, which I believe remains the only UK university offering an undergraduate degree in the subject.

Hope this helped, best of luck with your application :smile: