History MA

Leah Rhiannon Savage, is a two-time graduate from NTU, having achieved a BA and MA in History. Leah shares how NTU fueled her passion for history and higher education, and how her experiences helped shape her into the person she is today.

Why did you choose to study at NTU?

I chose to study at NTU because I came to an open day and really liked the course. I met some of the staff and got to know about the course content which really influenced my decision. I have a passion for Early Modern History and so to see many Early Modern History lecturers on the course was a bonus. I also really liked the campus and that was a big part of my decision. The campus has so many great facilities and is also very accessible. I have a physical disability and so I wanted to make sure that the campus would be accessible for me.

In my first year, I became a member of the History Society. By my third year, I became the society’s President which is something I never thought I would be capable of and something which made me think about my own ambitions of leadership roles for the future.

My degree made it clear that I wanted to teach history but at a higher level. I realised that I wanted to teach students who were as interested in history as I was, but also that I wanted a chance to do my own research on the side.

I was also influenced by the great lecturers I met at NTU. They demonstrated how rewarding it can be to teach the subject you are passionate about, whilst being able to improve your own qualities as an academic and researcher.

In my spare time, I also work for a few History magazines including The History Magazine & Historic U.K. I have so far published articles on John Knox and the Scottish Reformation, The Four Mary’s: Ladies in Waiting to Mary Queen of Scots, Imprisoned and Punished: The Female Relatives of Robert the Bruce, Margaret Thatcher: Britain’s First Female Prime Minister. I also work as a Freelance writer on a variety of projects, which can involve proofreading, editing, writing essays and articles and much more.