Explore History, Politics & Economics
Fascinated by the past? Wishing to keep up to date with current affairs? Itching to develop a deeper understanding of democracy and capitalism? There's a course for you at City Lit.
We 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.
312 courses available
The Rise and Fall of the Mughal EmpireFollow the fortunes of the Mughal Emperors, rulers of Northern India from the 1500s to the 1800s. What were their contributions to the religious, political and cultural life of northern India and how can we explain the decline of their powers in the 1700s and 1800s? Tutor: T Hussain.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00- Rebels and Parliament in 13th Century EnglandThe thirteenth century saw immense socio-political and economic change with the rise of towns, conflict between king and parliament, and the advent of the mendicant orders, the Dominicans and Franciscans, offering a new form of spirituality.
Keeley Street
Mon 11 Jan 2027Vanessa KingFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - The rise of Europe: 1000-1300We explore rise of feudal monarchy in Western Europe; Islam and the Crusades; the growth of urban life; trade; and the so-called twelfth century renaissance.
Keeley Street
Mon 11 Jan 2027Vanessa KingFull fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - The Nasty Normans
The Norman Conquest was arguably the most catastrophic event in English history. Changes in language and law are still with us today. We can thank the Normans for words like ‘murder’, the imposition of inheritance tax and haute cuisine!
Keeley Street
Mon 11 Jan 2027Vanessa KingFull fee £239.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £155.00 - The Second World War: Total War and the Making of the Modern World
From blitzkrieg and the Battle of Britain to the Holocaust and Hiroshima, explore how the Second World War became a global total war that transformed societies and shaped the modern world.
Keeley Street
Mon 11 Jan 2027Stephen GossFull fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - The Watergate crisisThis course will examine the short and long-term causes of the Watergate crisis and the Nixon administration’s cover-up and the crisis impact on American politics and society.
Online
Mon 11 Jan 2027Dafydd TownleyFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £159.00 Concession £103.00 - A history of Russia’s borders from Ivan the Terrible to Putin
Through military conquests, diplomatic moves and unions, but also exploration, Russia evolved into a vast empire. What motivated that expansion? Which internal and external factors facilitated it? What is its legacy?
Keeley Street
Tue 12 Jan 2027Sebastien ArdouinFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - Jews in London from the 1650s to the 1950s: a closer look
Explore300 years of Jewish life, culture and history in London from the small scale resettlement in the 1650s through to the 1950s when the borough of Hackney was home to London’s largest and most diverse Jewish community.
Keeley Street
Tue 12 Jan 2027David RosenbergFull fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Global encounters: Europe and the Ottoman Empire, 1100-1700The Turks entered European consciousness in 1071 when they captured the Byzantine emperor at the Battle of Manzikert. So began centuries of uneasy co-existence between Christians and Muslims on the fringes of Europe.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00
- Six drugs that changed the world: from aspirin to chemotherapy
Join us to discover the origins, use, development and impact of six key drugs in the history of medicine.
Online
Tue 12 Jan 2027David IngledewFull fee £149.00 Senior fee £149.00 Concession £97.00 - The Western Front: 1914-1918
This Western Front still has a powerful hold over British popular memory, but the fighting and development of new technologies and tactics between 1914 and 1918 is widely misunderstood.
Online
Tue 12 Jan 2027Matthew PowellFull fee £219.00 Senior fee £219.00 Concession £142.00 - London 1714-1760
London's townscape became more ordered and harmonious in this period, but behind the appearance of elegance and stability lay political, economic and social instability. How did Londoners engage with all of this?
Keeley Street
Tue 12 Jan 2027Mike BerlinFull fee £279.00 Senior fee £223.00 Concession £181.00 - Europe in the 1920s: between democracy and authoritarianismThroughout the 1920s, Europe struggled with political and economic (re)construction and stabilisation. If some progress was made in part of the continent, wartime promises of a better and democratic Europe were shattered by the Great Depression.
Keeley Street
Tue 12 Jan 2027Sebastien ArdouinFull fee £299.00 Senior fee £239.00 Concession £194.00 - Transports of delight: London's railway stationsLondon's stations see over 1 billion journeys annually, but the buildings themselves are often ignored. Explore a different station and environs each week, discovering the architecture, history, stories and future of these lifelines of London. The course starts with an initial zoom lecture, followed by a series of walking tours.Full fee £269.00 Senior fee £215.00 Concession £175.00
- Conflicts in South Asia: the histories, memories and legacies of Partition in India and Pakistan
Explore the causes, experience and lasting impact of the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan-examining its violence, mass migration, collective trauma and ongoing influence on regional identities, memories, culture and geopolitics.
Keeley Street
Tue 12 Jan 2027Reshmi BanerjeeFull fee £159.00 Senior fee £127.00 Concession £103.00
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