History

The History major at UOW offers students the opportunity to examine a wide range of periods, places and people. The History major is one of the most popular in the School of Humanities and Social Inquiry. Our teaching and research consistently attracts very high ratings. Our subjects offer students exceptional opportunities to examine themes that link Australia to international history. Our themes may be traced in a variety of settings: in broad histories of specific Australian, Asian and European societies; in more specific historical examinations of empires, the political and social impacts of wars, and the development of the State.

In your first year you will study a broad range of historical periods that use a variety of historical approaches. In your second and third years you will be able to specialise and study topics in greater depth. Throughout your major you will be refining and extending your use of historical evidence ranging from traditional archives to social and digital media.

Studying History is also about learning what it is to be a historian, with each subject contributing to developing a sophisticated and critical appreciation of contemporary approaches to historical theories, methods, interpretation, argument, and uses of evidence.

Career Opportunities

History graduates follow many employment paths. They work in Federal and State government departments, in private enterprise, as researchers, in the media, in travel, marketing and tourism, as teachers at primary and secondary schools, institutes of technology and universities, as well as finance and service industries.

The History major builds a solid foundation for future study through developing the students’ capacity to inquire, analyse and communicate information, ideas, and concepts.

Major Study

The History major in a History student’s undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree will consist of 52 credit points with 24 credit points being at 300-level. The History major provides a specific and coherent course of study, allowing students to develop specific skills. Each subject in the major is intended to provide an understanding of a topic, area or theme, which can be developed in subsequent years of study.

100-level subjects require no special knowledge and are best described as survey courses. They will however, provide students with a general introduction to a particular time, place or theme. Students will learn and be introduced to many valuable basic skills to help them build a strong foundation for their major. In these subjects students will learn how to:

identify the causes and effects of historical change;

summarise the main points of a historical work;

identify the thesis or central argument of a historical work;

describe the historical context of a work;

identify different types of historical evidence;

see how historians produce different accounts of the same of the event; and

to begin the use of primary source material to produce and defend arguments.

200-level subjects will refine and extend both skills and historical knowledge. They offer study in greater depth than the survey courses, and will take a closer look at events and places.

300-level subjects take a detailed approach to major historical problems, and unlike earlier studies, students will use a wide range of primary sources to investigate topics. These may include film, radio, television, archival manuscript, oral interviews, literature, newspapers, parliamentary records, photographs, diaries and/or company documents.

Minor Study

A minor in History will consist of at least 28 credit points in subjects from the schedule of the history major. Students may not take more than two subjects at 100-level and may not cross-count any subjects from the minor in any other minor or major study.

Honours

See Bachelor of Arts (Honours) 

Other Information

Further information is available at:
UOW Course Finder
Email: lha-enquiries@uow.edu.au