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BA Honours in History
About History Honours
The BA Honours programme consists of four courses for which the candidate is awarded an overall class of Honours on the basis of final exams and coursework. The programme is designed to be completed in one year of full time study. However, it is possible to study on a part-time basis, taking up to four years to complete the degree.
Aims of the Honours Year
The Honours year is designed to introduce you to a set of techniques that are fundamental to that are the ideals the historical discipline. By giving you a solid grounding in the techniques of independent research, evaluation of sources, collection and interpretation of information and clear, rigorous exposition of conclusions, the Honours year equips you with skills that are valued and sought by a wide range of employers.
Objectives of the Honours Year
The Honours year has two broad objectives:
- To polish and refine those skills developed in undergraduate courses.
these skills include:
- the ability to assess evidence and argument;
- the construction of cogent arguments about that evidence;
- presentation skills, both written and oral, which receive particular emphasis at Honours level.
- To develop techniques of independent study. the Honours year is relatively unstructured in comparison to undergraduate courses; fortnightly meetings and assessment which is not due for months can seem deceptively easy to manage. This is not the case. The nature of the Honours year necessitates students developing the skills of independent study. These skills include time management, the development of study regimes and routines, and the development of stronger peer group support than was necessary at undergraduate level.
Entry Requirements for History Honours
Selection for criteria for admission to History Honours are academic merit, level of performance at 300 level, and previous areas of study. Students with marks consistently of B and above are well placed for consideration, and should be able to cope with the increased workload and level of sophistication required in papers at this level. Students with marks in the low B and C ranges are not likely to be successful at honours level and are unlikely to gain a place.
Students applying for admission should apply to enrol in the normal way, indicating the specific courses that they would like to take for their Honours degree. We recommend, however, that you first discuss your selection with a member of the History staff, in order to get advice about putting together a coherent and well-balanced programme of study.
Substituting Courses
Students taking History for Honours may substitute up to two courses from other programmes for courses offered in History. It is not necessary to have also majored in the subject of subjects from which these courses are drawn provided that History is satisfied that you are adequately prepared for them. Such substitution must be approved by the other Programme involved, as well as History. The History Programme will be interested in the overall coherence of the course. We do not approve the substitution of a second research essay.
Students enrolled for honours in other subjects may apply to take a History course as part of their programme. This is also subject to the approval of both Programmes. History would normally expect such students to have completed a History major. But we are prepared to waive this prerequisite where it is felt that the student can cope with Honours-level work in History.
Note: HIST489 Research Essays must be one of the courses taken from 2011.
How the Honours programme works
Honours papers are not lecture courses in which you are given a considerable
amount of information which has been previously collected, organised and
interpreted by the lecturer. At Honours level these tasks are required
of the students, who are expected to prepare for seminar discussions of
a particular topic, discussions in which the course organiser expects
to be a moderator, perhaps choosing the particular areas or avenues of
investigation, but expecting the students to be able to carry the bulk
of the discussion, whether by class presentations, commenting on those
presentations, or presenting their own independent views on a topic. It
is important to prepare for seminars consistently throughout the year
so that you acquire a cumulative understanding of the key issues addressed
by the paper.
At the beginning of the year, you will be provided with a course outline
and reading list arranged under various topics. This reading list may
not be sufficient for all your purposes, but provides a starting point
for your work. You will be expected independently to use the various bibliographical
aids in the library to discover additional sources for your topic, both
to read around your subject so as to get an overview, and to read more
deeply in specific areas which interest you. Preparation for seminars
will involve reading texts indicated by the course organiser, but broader
reading is always desirable and, if you are presenting the seminar.
HIST489 Research Essays (Compulsory from 2011)
The HIST 489 essay gives students the opportunity to pursue their own research topic with guidance and support from a supervisor. For full details, go to the HIST489 page. See, also, the links in the right-hand column of this page.
A Catalogue on HIST489 Research Essays from 1984-2006 is available here.
Induction programme and support
History will provide an induction programme for Honours students during the first week of First Trimester, in order to provide guidelines and practical advice about working at this level. All Honours students will be expected to attend. A detailed programme will be available from the History office (Old Kirk 405) during the February enrolment period.
Good reasons for doing History Honours
Employers value History students’ skills in information seeking and sorting, in writing effectively, in thinking clearly and imaginatively and in working systematically. History graduates find work in many different fields including:
- journalism
- politics and government
- public and applied history
- tourism and service industries
- information and creative activities
- teaching
- public relations
- contract or freelance writing
and in many different roles within these fields:
- administrative and managerial
- policy advice
- research
- public advice and information
Making the most of the Honours Year
A full-time Honours year is different from undergraduate programmes in several ways:
- each course is usually organised around fortnightly two-hour seminars, runs through two trimesters, and involves about 14 meetings in total;
- with less classroom time, Honours students have a lot of time for individual study, and it is critically important that you tightly organise that time and use it well; the months of August and September will be nightmarish if you don't get down to working systematically and solid before trimester one starts;
- the Honours class is relatively small (about 30 students), and a strong collegial culture typically develops among class members.
Honours courses in 2010
The Honours courses offered in 2010 are:
- HIST 403: A Topic in Pacific History: Pacification, Warfare and Violence in the Pacific
- HIST 415: A Topic in Chinese History: China and Democracy
- HIST419: A Topic in Historiography and Historical Method 1: History and Theory
- HIST421: A Topic in European History 2: The European outreach into the Atlantic
- HIST 422: A Topic in New Zealand History 1: In Their Place: Perspective on People and Land
- HIST 425: A Topic in European History 3: Witnessing Europe
- HIST 427: A Topic in New Zealand History 2: Empire and Desire: gender and imperialism
- HIST 489: A Research Essay
Honours courses not offered in 2010
- HIST 404: A Topic in the History of the United States
- HIST407: A Topic in European History 1: Magic, witchcraft, religion and science in early modern Europe
- HIST 411: A Topic in Historic Preservation
- HIST 412: A Topic in the History of Sport
- HIST 416: A Topic in the History of Crime
- HIST 418: A Topic in Public History
- HIST 420: A Topic in the History of Race Relations in New Zealand
- HIST421: A Topic in European History 2: The European outreach into the Atlantic
- HIST 423: A Topic in Historiography and Historical Method 2: Film and History
- HIST 424: A Topic in Labour History
- HIST 426: A Topic in Family History
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| Honours Workshops The History Programme runs workshops throughout the year. These are held in the Wood Seminar Room (OK406) on Fridays from 2.10 - 4pm. |
| The HIST489 Research Essay |
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This is now a compulsory component of History honours at Victoria from 2011. For details and deadline dates in 2010, please visit the HIST489 Research Essay page. Visit the HIST489 Topics page to see the topics on which students in previous years have written HIST489 essays. Abstracts of some HIST489 essays are available on the HIST489 Abstracts page. A Catalogue on HIST489 Research Essays from 1984-2008 is available here.
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Updated: 30 October, 2009 © 2003 Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand