 Davies studied for her BA degree (1964) and PhD degree (1970) in history at UCL.Following positions in Munich and Birmingham University (1970–76), she returned to UCL as a lecturer in Medieval History in 1977.She was made a Professor in 1985 and thereafter became Head of the Department of History, then Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Dean of the Faculty of Social & Historical Sciences and, from 1995, UCL Pro-Provost (European Affairs).