Explore History, Politics & Economics
Whether you’re fascinated by the past, wishing to keep up to date with current affairs, or to develop a deeper understanding of democracy and capitalism, we have the course for you.
City Lit offers a wide range of history, politics and economics courses on weekdays, evenings and weekends. Our courses vary from skills-based courses on oral and family history projects, to the history of empire, the history of London and the study of global powers and international politics.
Gain critical thinking and analytical skills
Courses in the Humanities help you understand our world today, and the history that has informed the political, social and economic dynamics of modern times. Our courses, including short day courses, lectures and longer-term study over several weeks or whole terms, aim to inform you of the issues that interest and matter to you. Our courses also encourage the development of wider skills such as critical thinking and analysis, listening and discussion skills, and evidence-based interpretation.
Learn from expert tutors
Our tutors are experts in their fields and come from a range of backgrounds, and include academics, experienced educators, serving politicians, acclaimed authors and renowned guides.
Browse our range of courses below to choose your perfect option: both complete beginners and returning students are equally welcome.
- Victorian Soho: Sex and Shopping, Anarchy and TourismCourse start date: Wed 18 Feb 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Off Site
Tutors: Sarah WiseThe West End was a heady mix of glamorous shopping emporia, political refugees from Europe, street-based and brothel-based prostitution, and the general public just enjoying a day or evening ‘Up West’. Join Dr. Sarah Wise to learn more on this 2 hour guided walk of Soho.
Full fee £29.00 Senior fee £23.00 Concession £19.00 - Outposts of Byzantium part 2Course start date: Wed 18 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Michael BloomfieldExplore late Byzantine culture through its Mediterranean outposts, from Mount Athos to Mistra and Monemvasia, where the Byzantine ethos persisted, adapted and flourished in art, architecture, philosophy and monastic life.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - The US President in Historical Context: Tracking TrumpCourse start date: Thu 19 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan McGuirkTaking an intersectional and interdisciplinary approach, this course charts how borders and nations are constructed – physically and theoretically – in relation to gender, sexuality, race and other markers of identity.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Irish history and identity 4: American and European Influences in Irish History 1798-1924Course start date: Thu 19 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Colm HickeyAlthough inextricably linked to Britain, Ireland’s history, identity, and nationhood has equally been shaped by its relationship with Europe. This course traces Ireland’s the influence of European and American politics.
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Queer USA: 250 years of struggle and pride
Course start date: Sat 21 Feb 2026Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan McGuirkFrom early colonial repression of Two-Spirit people to Trump 2.0’s attacks on trans communities, we explore struggles for LGBTIQ+ rights, dignity and freedom in the United States – a history longer than the nation itself.
Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00 - Independence Movements in South America: Liberation from Spanish ruleCourse start date: Sat 21 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Maisa EdwardsJoin us to discover independence movements in South America and the fight for liberation against Spanish rule, with reference to key iconic figures including Simón Bolívar and José de San Martín, and the role played by Indigenous Peoples and enslaved Africans.Full fee £59.00 Senior fee £47.00 Concession £38.00 - Native American historyCourse start date: Mon 23 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Dafydd TownleyThis six-week interactive lecture outline course examines the history of indigenous populations in North America, from pre-contact societies to modern sovereignty movements.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00 - European Encounters Beyond Europe in 12 Objects, 1500-1750Course start date: Tue 24 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Vanessa KingTwelve objects tell extraordinary tales of European adventures in Africa and the Far East. Six weeks of spice routes, silk roads, and surprising encounters. History's treasures await your discovery!
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Conflicts in South Asia: the histories, memories and legacies of the Bangladeshi war of IndependenceCourse start date: Tue 24 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Reshmi BanerjeeThe Bangladesh War of Independence of 1971 is a defining moment for both Bangladesh and South Asia. The course aims to examine the multiple causes and varied consequences of the liberation war along with its overall lasting impact on the region and its politics.
Full fee £149.00 Senior fee £119.00 Concession £97.00 - The collapse of the USSRCourse start date: Tue 24 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Nick MorganThis course examines the long-term decline and fall of the Soviet Union, and the attempts to rescue it in the 1980s
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00 - The British Museum, Provenance and RestitutionCourse start date: Wed 25 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
How the British Museum acquired some of its most controversial objects during the heyday of the British Empire, and the debate over their future. Includes a visit to the British Museum. Tutor: Barnaby Phillips.
Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00 - Radicals and Capitalists in America 1890-1945Course start date: Wed 25 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Dafydd TownleyOn this introductory course we will explore political activists of the period across the political spectrum and the impact of economic fortune and misfortune on American societal developments, including the economic boom of the 1920s, the Wall Street Crash, and the Depression.Full fee £179.00 Senior fee £179.00 Concession £116.00 - The History of Public Health: from the ‘Great Stink’ to MMR VaccinationCourse start date: Wed 25 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: David IngledewDiscover the history of public health in Britain, from water sanitation to vaccinations, disease prevention and health promotion.
Full fee £119.00 Senior fee £95.00 Concession £77.00 - McCarthy, McCarthyism and the Red ScareCourse start date: Sat 28 Feb 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Dafydd TownleyThe period 1950-1954 is often depicted as a time of witch hunts for secret communists in the United States. We will study the events of those years, while also placing them in broader context of US C20th history.
Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £39.00 Concession £32.00 - Queer UK: Broadcasting History Course start date: Tue 3 Mar 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Siobhan McGuirkAttitudes towards gender and sexuality have transformed over the past 50 years. Television has documented it all – and sometimes surprisingly driven – radical change. Join us to explore the key moments that shaped Queer UK.
Full fee £69.00 Senior fee £55.00 Concession £45.00
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