- Students are to follow the requirements of the Handbook for the year they commenced the course.
However, the subject links below do not contain the subject information for the current year. You can view current subject information through the new Course Handbook.
History
The course information on this page is for new students commencing their degree in 2016 only.
Students should follow the rules and requirements for the year that they commenced their course. The online course information for years prior to 2016 are available from the Archives link in the menu.
Students should also review current subject availabilities via the Subject Descriptions link in the menu.
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.
Major Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this major students will be able to:
- Evaluate historical processes using examples from a variety of periods and places;
- Appraise present-day global affairs from an historical perspective;
- Utilise different types of evidence to demonstrate an understanding of historical change;
- Critically review how Historians produce different interpretations of the past.
The History major provides a 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 provide students with a general introduction to a wide range of times, places and themes.
Students will also learn 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 event; and
- 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.
Subjects Required For Major Study
The History major will consist of at least 48 credit points as outlined below:
Note: students who would like to continue on to Honours studies must complete HIST355.
Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Core | |||
ONE subject from the following: | |||
HIST110 | The Premodern World | 6 | Autumn |
HIST111 | The Modern World | 6 | Spring |
Plus: | |||
HIST257 | The World After 1945 | 6 | Autumn First offered 2017 |
HIST281 | Hands-On History | 6 | Spring First Offered 2017 |
HIST356 | Making History | 6 | Spring First Offered 2018 |
HIST389 | History Capstone | 6 | Autumn/Spring First Offered 2018 |
Plus THREE subjects from the following. TWO must be at 300 level | |||
AUST101 | Australian Studies: Cultures and Identities | 6 | Autumn |
AUST102 | Locating Australia | 6 | Spring |
HIST200 | An Ocean of History: An Introduction to the Pacific World | 6 | Spring First Offered 2017 |
HIST204 | Slavery in the Asia Pacific | 6 | First Offered 2017 |
HIST258 | Australians and the Great War | 6 | Spring First Offered 2017 |
HIST259 | Ancient History: Greece | 6 | First Offered 2017 |
HIST262 | Ancient History: Rome | 6 | First Offered 2017 |
HIST269 | Living Australia 1800-2000: The Autobiography of Working Class Australia | 6 | Autumn First Offered 2017 |
HIST289 | Russia in War and Revolution | 6 | Summer First Offered 2017 |
HIST292 | Water in Australia: An Environmental History | 6 | Spring First Offered 2017 |
HIST290 | Australia and Asia: Connections and Comparisons | 6 | Spring First Offered 2017 |
HIST293 | A History of Modern China | 6 | Autumn First Offered 2017 |
HIST271 | Lost Worlds | 6 | Autumn |
HIST272 | Ancient Texts | 6 | Autumn |
HIST273 | Gallipoli Study Tour | 6 | First Offered 2017 |
HIST282 | Western Front Study Tour | 6 | First Offered 2017 |
HIST283 | Film and History | 6 | Autumn First Offered 2017 |
HIST284 | Exploration and Empire | 6 | Autumn First Offered 2017 |
HIST285 | Magical History Tour | 6 | First Offered 2017 |
HIST305 | Europe in World History | 6 | Spring First Offered 2017 |
HIST357 | The Making of the Modern Australian Woman | 6 | Spring First Offered 2018 |
HIST371 | Twentieth Century Dictatorships | 6 | Spring First Offered 2018 |
HIST372 | Sickness and Death: Social History and Public Health in Australia | 6 | Autumn First Offered 2018 |
HIST351 | Debates in Australian Cultural History | 6 | Autumn First Offered 2018 |
HIST358 | War and Society | 6 | Autumn First Offered 2018 |
HIST359 | Imperial Connections: Britain's Empire | 6 | Autumn First Offered 2018 |
HIST362 | Themes in Modern Asian History | 6 | Spring First Offered 2018 |
HIST383 | Commodification History | 6 | Spring First Offered 2018 |
Students may also count ONE of the following subjects towards the major: | |||
INDS150 | Introduction to Indigenous Australia | 6 | Autumn |
INDS207 | Critical Themes in Indigenous Studies | 6 | Autumn First Offered 2017 |
FREN230 | The making of France and the French Nation | 6 | Autumn First Offered 2017 |
STS 112 | The Scientific Revolution | 6 | Spring |
Subjects Required for Minor Study
There are two 24 credit point minors available in History.
- History Minor: A minor in History will consist of at least 24 credit points in subjects from the schedule of the history major. Students may not take more than two subjects at 100-level.
- Ancient History Minor
Honours
Credit Arrangements
Credit and articulation arrangements are available from the Course Finder. Refer to UOW's credit arrangements for information on how to apply for credit.
Other Information
Further information is available at:
UOW Course Finder
Email: lha-enquiries@uow.edu.au