Research & Expertise

The King’s College London History Department stands at the forefront of historical research across a wide range of periods and regions and makes full use of its central London location to develop and maintain collaborations with institutions across London, from government ministries to heritage centres.

Historians within the Department, as well as those in the Departments of War Studies and Defence Studies, generate new insights and approaches in a number of significant areas: notably broad and inclusive British and Irish histories, a chronologically deep history of Europe and European empires, global histories encompassing the pre-modern era, and a reconceived history of warfare and history of science which offers historical insights into contemporary issues, such as security, climate change and technological development.

The Department of History is one of the largest in the UK. Ranked in the top five in Europe in the QS World University Rankings 2021, it has had 86 per cent of its research rated either ‘World leading’ (4*) or ‘Internationally excellent’ (3*) in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF2021).