History Courses

Uncover archaeology and explore important events from ancient to modern times with online history courses from leading universities and cultural institutions.

Our online history courses can help you uncover ancient archaeology, or explore important events from across human history.

Choose a History topic

Learn flexibly online

Go back in time to satisfy your curiosity and uncover the past with online short history courses, in-depth programs, or full postgraduate degrees. Start learning for free on desktop, tablet, or mobile.

Buy a course upgrade or subscribe to Unlimited for extra benefits

Buy a course upgrade for ongoing access to the course content, tests, and the chance to gain a Certificate of Achievement. Subscribe to Unlimited for access to hundreds of short courses and the ability to keep access to courses you gain a certificate on.

Boost your career

Get ahead in your career or prepare for further study with educators and historians from some of the world’s leading organisations and universities. Network with your fellow learners to gain new and different perspectives.

The study of history is important for many reasons.

By learning about the past and the cultures, people, ideas, and events that have shaped the world, we can better understand modern times. Our portfolio of online courses covers a wide range of time periods and subjects within the discipline.

Studying history online

Historical knowledge and learning has a variety of applications, and there are several key skills associated with it. It’s a fascinating field that also helps you develop your reasoning and analytical skills.

By studying history, you’ll be casting a critical eye over sources and data from the past. This process helps your research skills, as well as developing critical thinking.

Almost anybody can find a historical subject that’s interesting – whether you prefer to learn about political intrigue, military strategy, economic structures, or social phenomena, you can find something to suit your tastes.

Studying online allows you the flexibility to choose a course that fits around your interest and your lifestyle. Many of the short courses we offer can be completed over a few weeks, requiring just 2-6 hours’ worth of study each week.

Regardless of whether you’ve more free time than usual or you have a busy day-to-day life, you can plan your study time around it. This independent learning, especially in a discipline such as history, is a valuable and sought-after skill. You’ll find it useful in many areas of your personal and professional life.

Our social learning components mean that while you will be learning at home, you can still discuss the issues and your ideas with other students.

Choosing a history course

It can be daunting to choose a course from the entirety of human history. We have broken our portfolio into topics that allow you to choose based on a history type and a time period. You’ll also find that there are courses that range from the introductory to the more specialised topics.

So, whether you’re looking for Ancient history courses, Medieval history courses, or Military history courses, you’re sure to find one you’re interested in.

At FutureLearn, we also offer online history courses related to particular cultures. If you’ve always been interested in Roman history, you can choose from several options. Those who find British history or Irish history especially fascinating are also in luck.

Finally, you’ll also find courses related to other specific niches of this subject. An archaeology course can teach you some of the fundamentals of the subject. Studying social history allows you to explore how past cultures and societies developed.

Meet the people who love FutureLearn

"In 2013, I made my hobby, genealogy, into my career and started my own business called Copper Leaf Genealogy - the course on FutureLearn has helped my business to progress."

"With me being interested in the Tudor and Plantagenet period, it was natural for me to join England in the Time of King Richard III. I thought I would whizz through this course quite easily but actually, I came to learn new things too; topics included food and cooking, death and burial, manuscripts and texts during Richard’s reign. So even though I knew his story I learned more about daily life at that time and I passed with 88%. I was very excited when I got my certificate in the post from Leicester University to put in my portfolio."