Local history

Discover the history of places that matter most to you.

Explore local history through our short, undergraduate or postgraduate part-time courses, studied online or in Oxford. This stimulating subject brings history closer to home, revealing how the places around us were shaped by the people who lived there and the wider events that changed society over time.

Local history looks at how national and global forces were experienced in specific places. It explores how communities developed and how people lived and worked, offering a vivid and human way to understand the past.

Guided by expert tutors, you’ll develop research skills you can use anywhere, from your own street to somewhere you have always been curious about, whether you are exploring local history in its own right or using it to explore your family history and genealogy. These courses offer a rewarding way to investigate the past, whether you are pursuing a long-standing interest or researching a place you know well.