The paper draws on an extensive literature search about the 'research-teaching nexus', insights from interviewing twelve university history lecturers about student progress in undergraduate degrees, and ideas about the role of disciplines in student learning to argue (i) that the educational goal for students of 'becoming a practising historian' is more desirable than 'acquiring transferable skills'; and (ii) that research activity is a 'strong condition' for teachers of university history to pursue the former.