Bachelor of Arts [BA]

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The History Programme at Victoria History Courses: levels one, two and three Minimum requirements for completing a History Major Course planning Course Coordinators and tutors Work requirements in 200- and 300-level History Limitations on entry to History courses Submitting your work and getting it back How you can contribute to the History Programme

Also See:

Studying History at Victoria Blackboard Victoria's Bachelor of Arts pages

The History Programme at Victoria

E. H. Carr once described history as ‘an unending dialogue between present and past’. Through the study of history we explore our past in an effort to understand our present more fully. History helps us to see who we are and where we have come from, and provides a context within which present events and debates gain added meaning. It provides a framework within which complex issues of identity, morality and reality can be argued out. By introducing us to cultures distant from our own in time and space, historical study broadens our general cultural knowledge, reminds us that our own cultural values are historically constructed, and teaches us about the development of human societies.

The study of history develops skills that are extremely valuable in the job market. Through in-depth analysis of particular historical periods and sequences of events, students build specific bodies of knowledge that may be necessary for particular jobs, but they also acquire generic skills that are essential to employability. History teaches important research skills, notably the careful collection, selection, and interpretation of evidence, from sources as varied as books, electronic databases, websites, journals, newspapers, archival collections, films, photographs, artifacts, urban spaces, television, and interviews. Studying history helps develop skills in analysis, problem-solving, decision-making, communication, reading comprehension and sound judgement, as well as encouraging imagination and creativity.

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History courses: levels one, two and three

The courses offered by History Programme for the BA Degree has three tiers – the 100-, 200-, and 300-level courses. The 100-level courses are seen as the foundation of all further work in History and a pass in two of these (or in CLAS 104 and CLAS 105) is the prerequisite for admission to a 200-level course.

Upon the foundation laid by passes in two 100-level courses, students can take a number of different routes through the 200- and 300-level programmes to build a history major. It is also perfectly in order, having fulfilled 100-level requirements, to take further 100-level courses in subsequent years. The courses offered are planned to provide a good introduction to further historical study and students intending to advance in history may start with whichever interests them. Intending majors should, if at all possible, take one course in each of the first and second trimesters.

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Minimum requirements for completing a History Major

Students who choose to major in History must obtain passes in a hierarchy of courses through to the 300 level. Completion of a major implies that graduating students have a good grounding in the discipline and its skills, and have come to terms with a wide range of historical literature.

For a History Major, you need to pass at least five courses in any of the following: HIST, or ECHI courses numbered 200-399; ECON 204, 205; CLAS 207, 307, 208, 308; of which:

1. at least three courses shall be HIST courses: selected from HIST 200-399
2. at least two courses shall be at 300 level: selected from HIST, ECHI 300-399, CLAS 307 or 308
3. at least one shall be a HIST 300-level course.

Students should note that 200- and 300-level courses are not designed to be rigidly distinct but rather to intermingle in a variety of patterns suited to students' particular needs and interests. The 200-level HIST courses are of a general kind, whereas 300-level courses are more specialised and considered to require a certain background of general history before they can profitably be taken. The effect is that, except in exceptional cases, admission to 300-level courses is restricted to students who are in at least their third year at the University.

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Course planning

The courses offered by History Programme for the BA degree are arranged in three tiers – the 100-,
200- and 300-level courses. The 100-level courses are seen as the foundation of all further work in History and a pass in two of these (or in CLAS 104 and CLAS 105) is the prerequisite for admission to a 200-level course.

Upon the foundation laid by passes in two 100-level courses students can then proceed to build a considerable variety of structures made up of selections from our 200- and 300-level courses. It is also perfectly in order, having passed in two 100-level courses, to take other 100-level courses in subsequent years. The courses offered are planned to provide a good introduction to further historical study and students intending to advance in history may start with whichever interest them. Intending majors should, if at all possible, take one course in each of the first and second trimesters.

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Course Coordinators and tutors

100-level courses are usually taught by two lecturers, one of whom is the course coordinator.
The tutorials are, for the most part, conducted by tutors, and most 100-courses have two or three tutors.

In 200- and 300-level courses, the course coordinator usually does all of the lecturing and tutoring.

Go to the staff page for list of the History Programme staff. There you will find links to each staff member's personal web page.

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Work requirements in 200- and 300-level courses

200- and 300-level courses are taught and assessed in a variety of ways. The History Programme has a general guideline that the written work for courses at these levels should not exceed 6000 words.

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Limitations on entry to History courses

There are no limitations on entry to History courses for students who have the necessary prerequisites. These are:

• For 100-level HIST courses: no prerequisites
• For 200-level HIST courses: two passes in 100-level HIST courses, CLAS 104, CLAS 105
• For 300-level HIST courses: two passes from the following courses: HIST, or ECHI 200-299; ECON 204, 205; CLAS 207, 208. AT LEAST ONE of your two passes must be in a HIST course. Exemptions from the requirement to have passed two 200-level courses before admission to 300-level HIST courses may be sought from the Head of History under Personal Courses of Study Regulation 10(b).

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Submitting your work and getting it back

All assignment work is posted through either of the two letter-box slots in Old Kirk Room 405 (OK405).

It is the responsibility of students to collect their marked assignments and test papers from lectures or tutorials during the trimester. Marked test papers and assignments that were not collected can be obtained from the History Office (OK405) from Monday to Friday, between 2-3pm for the next six months and then returned to respective course coordinators.

Written work will be returned by mail provided students supply a stamped, self-addressed envelope. To obtain the return of scripts from University-conducted examinations, students must apply to the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences or click here.

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How you can contribute to the History Programme

History, along with other courses in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, has long recognised that all suggestions which can assist in the planning, organisation and evaluation of courses are important in improving learning and teaching. We are always happy to discuss decisions affecting workloads, teaching practices, and methods of assessment in general or in particular courses. It is not suggested that the members of a particular class will be free to determine how that course is to be assessed – the University itself makes certain general rules about examining, and some decisions have to be made the year before a course is offered in order to be printed in the Calendar. History Programme, too, holds certain views; the most important of which, perhaps, is that where work done during a course which has a final exam counts towards the final result (as is generally the case), the exam counts only if it improves the candidates result. What History Programme is very anxious to achieve, however, is a sense of continuing discussion which can help to make our courses challenging, stimulating and rewarding to those students and staff who share an interest in some field of history.

If by any chance students are unhappy with a course they should take the matter up with the lecturer responsible or raise it with their tutor, then, if necessary they can approach the Head of History Programme. In the event of staff and students being unable to resolve a particular problem, the matter could be referred to the Associate Dean (Students) of the Faculty for advice.

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