Strand Campus
Strand Campus sits along the Thames at London's cultural heart. Alongside world-class teaching spaces, students enjoy access to the pedestrianised Strand Quad, with Somerset House and iconic landmarks just steps away.
Overview
The Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in War Studies & History offers a flexible way to study war, conflict and their histories from a broad perspective. Led by the Department of War Studies, the BA is enriched by the breadth and knowledge of one of the UK’s most global History departments. Many War Studies and History students find that the combination of war studies and history allows them to develop a deeper, more complex understanding of conflict and international relations, which provides a superb basis for a range of career choices.
You will approach the subjects from a variety of unique angles including politics, international relations, history, philosophy, sociology, diplomacy, and strategic studies. Thanks to the range of subjects on offer, you can choose a diverse variety of modules to create an exciting programme of study. The course will enable you to develop the ability to collect and evaluate a broad range of evidence, analyse complex issues and present arguments in a clear, concise and effective manner, both orally and in writing.
The Joint Honours degree programme consists of 360 credits, 120 per year. For each of your three years, your credits are evenly split between the Department of War Studies and the Department of History.
Students can take one language module free of charge as part of their programme. This can be taken as additional credit in either Year 2 or Year 3, or as a for-credit module in Year 2 as part of your 60 credits of optional History modules.
Key benefits
- King’s is amongst the world’s leading universities for the study of war, conflict and their histories, with close relations between the two departments teaching the course. We rank 7th in the UK for Social Sciences (Times Higher Education University World Rankings 2026 per subject).
- You will be taught by leading international experts who work in close collaboration with governments, armed forces and NGOs across the world.
- Outstanding flexibility, allowing you to focus on your specialist interests, in addition to covering key historical events from medieval Europe to modern India.
- Frequent guest lectures throughout the year by high-profile international speakers, including former diplomats, military leaders and government ministers.
- Our vibrant, diverse academic community supports graduates to acquire the transferable skills and global perspective needed for careers in government, diplomacy, journalism, policy, risk analysis, management consulting, defence, humanitarian aid, international organisations, and beyond. We do this in multiple ways. For example, we utilise a diverse set of assessments, including policy briefs, presentations, essays, group projects and exams. We also leverage our central London location to bring in practitioners to support your learning.
- Our alumni have gone on to work for the UK government, the United Nations, the EU, NATO, for consultancy firms and charities such as Oxfam.
- King’s location in the heart of London gives unparalleled access to government, the City of London, the media, leading NGOs, museums including the Imperial War Museum, as well as major libraries and research institutes.
Since joining Kings College London in September 2022, I have enjoyed every moment of my War Studies & History BA course. The quality of teaching is impressive, with the lecturers often being top of their field. In addition the combination of History and War Studies modules allows you to gain a unique perspective when studying the modules across the two departments. This is helped by the variety of topic areas you are allowed to engage with, ranging from Ghosts and Popular Belief in the Middle Ages to how people have experienced conflict around the globe.
AidanWar Studies & History
Special features
Optional study abroad
Key Information
UCAS code:
LV91
Course type:
Joint honours
Delivery mode:
In person
Study mode:
Full-time
Required A-Levels:
AAA
Duration:
Three years
Application status:
Start date:
September 2027
Application deadline:
Administrative bodies
Regulating body
Base campuses
Waterloo Campus
Centrally located and well connected, Waterloo brings together students from health, science and law, just steps from the South Bank. It's also home to the world's #2 nursing school – the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery (QS 2026).