History major

Its scope spans millennia, its object of study is humanity, its sources are everywhere and everything.

History's endeavour is unashamedly vast, daunting and challenging. In submitting the past to the scrutiny of the present, it explores among so much more the experience of wars, revolutions, conflicts and diasporas, nations, empires, economies, cultures, emotions and people from the most elevated to the lowliest. In History there are no taboo areas and no questions are off limits. Doing History means learning how to learn about the past, it means engaging with its wonders and horrors, and it means joining in its telling and retelling. Doing History immerses you in discovery, debate, discussion, understanding, surprise and awe, and it requires of you rigour, reason, questioning, imagination and passion. By doing History, you become part of the process by which humanity's memory itself comes to be made.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate a capacity to understand imaginatively other times, societies and cultures; (2) demonstrate an awareness of the world we live in, through reference to important aspects of humanity's past experience; (3) demonstrate a knowledge of major historical developments in a range of times and places; (4) identify main issues in a body of complex historical material; (5) critically evaluate differences and issues in others' interpretations of historical events; (6) describe and interpret evidence of past human experience, proposing explanations for the content of such evidence with reference to concepts such as power, myth, representation, culture and social structure; (7) independently formulate a logical argument, supported by relevant evidence; (8) express ideas in clear, cogent and correct English; (9) conduct independent research by locating and organising information relating to a specific question or problem; (10) utilise historical resources for research exercises and apply critical and analytical tools to them; and (11) demonstrate a knowledge of the causes of historical change in a range of times and places.

Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

History can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

BP001 Bachelor of Arts
BH005 Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours)

Overview of unit sequence

History is a degree-specific single major comprising:

  • two Level 1 units
  • three Level 2 units
  • three Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2021

Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2022 or 2023.

Specialisations are optional; students may enrol in a History major with no specialisation.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 HIST1001 Clash of Empires
Prerequisites:
Nil.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST1101 Old Worlds, New Empires 1250–1750
S1 HIST1003 Love, Belief, and Death in Europe, 800-1800
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
MEMS2002 World Views: Religion, Gender and Society in Pre-modern Europe, MEMS1001 Life, Thought and Culture in Pre-modern Europe
S1 HIST1103 Europe to Hell and Back 1890-1945
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Hist1121 'Europe 1890-1945'
S2 HIST1901 Environmental History
Prerequisites:
Nil.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2201 Environmental History

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 18 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
N/A GEND2902 Masculinity, Nostalgia and Change
Prerequisites:
Any Level 1 Arts unit.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
GEND2902 Men and Masculinities in History HIST2902 Masculinity, Nostalgia and Change
S2 HIST2005 Hitler, the Holocaust and the Historians
Prerequisites:
a Level 1 History unit
or
EURO1101 Europe Now: Cultures and Identities
or
GEND1901 Gender in Australia
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST1122 History, the Holocaust and the Historians; HIST2237 German History from Bismarck to Hitler
S2 HIST2006 Imperial America—1845 to Present
Prerequisites:
12 points of Level 1 units
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2240 Cowboy Colonialism: the American West; HIST2275 The USA from Civil War to Superpower; HIST2277 The USA since 1945
N/A HIST2007 Thinking History: The Future of the Past
Prerequisites:
a Level 1 History unit
or
EURO1101 Contemporary European Culture in Historical Perspective
or
GEND1901 Gender in Australia
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.
S1 HIST2008 White Supremacy
Prerequisites:
a Level 1 History unit
or
EURO1101 Europe Now: Cultures and Identities
or
GEND1901 Gender in Australia
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2249 White Supremacy; HIST3349 White Supremacy
S1 HIST2011 From 'Glorious Revolution' to Industrial Revolution: Making Britain, 1688–1888
Prerequisites:
a Level 1 History unit
or
EURO1101 Europe Now: Cultures and Identities
or
GEND1901 Gender in Australia
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2244 Britain 1750–1900: the First Industrial Nation; HIST3344 Britain 1750–1900: the First Industrial Nation
S1 HIST2013 Medieval and Early Modern Women
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 History unit
or
GEND1902 Reading Bodies
or
ENGL1902 Reading Bodies
or
GEND1901 Gender in Australia
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2219 Medieval and Early Modern Women
N/A HIST2014 The City in History
Prerequisites:
a Level 1 History unit
or
GEND1901 Gender in Australia
or
GEOG1103 Geographies of a Global City
or
LACH1010 History and Theory of Landscape Architecture
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.
S1 HIST2015 Looking for Australia: From the Deep Past to Federation
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 HIST2016 When Empire Strikes: Imperial Expansion, Resistance, and Rights from Europe to Australasia
Prerequisites:
a Level 1 HIST
or
GEND unit;
or
INDG1150 Aboriginal Encounters: Strangers in our Backyard
or
INDG1160 Boodjar Moort Katitjin: Introduction to Indigenous Heritage and Knowledge;
or
a Level 1 ASIA, JAPN, CHIN, KORE unit.
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 HIST2017 The History of Sport: Belonging and Identity, Protest and Celebrity
Prerequisites:
12 points of Level 1 units
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 HIST2021 Who Do We Think We Are? Doing Family History
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
N/A HIST2202 Civilisation and Barbarism in European Culture
Prerequisites:
Nil.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
EURO2201 Civilisation and Barbarism in European Cultural History
N/A HIST2224 American Outlaws: Crime and Punishment in the United States
Prerequisites:
Completion of 12 points
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 HIST2345 Renaissance, Reformation, Revolt: Europe 1450–1650
Prerequisites:
a Level 1 HIST
or
GEND unit
or
EURO1101 Europe Now: Cultures and Identities
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2012 Renaissance, Reformation, Revolt: Europe 1450–1650

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take the following unit:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 HIST3001 History in 4D
Prerequisites:
Two Level 2 History units
or
two Level 2 units in the Archaeology major (except ARCY2005 Rock Art Field Unit)
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2220 Making History
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 12 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 GEND3901 Feminist Thought
Prerequisites:
any Level 1 Arts unit
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.
N/A HIST3004 Twentieth-century Britain
Prerequisites:
a Level 2 History unit
or
EURO2201 European Civilisation
or
GEND2902 Men and Masculinities in History
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2245 Britain in the Twentieth Century
S2 HIST3005 African American History: Freedom Struggles from Plantation to Prison and Beyond
Prerequisites:
12 points of Level 2 units.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2279 Twentieth-century African–American History; HIST3379 Twentieth-century African–American History
S1 HIST3007 Crime and Punishment in Britain 1600–1900
Prerequisites:
Completion of 12 points of Humanities units
or
permission of the unit coordinator;
or
any one of: EURO2201 European Civilisation; GEND2902 Men and Masculinities in History; LAWS1110 Crime and Society;
or
LAWS2223 Criminal Justice Systems
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2248 Crime and Punishment in Britain 1700–1900
N/A HIST3008 From Sudan to Saddam: Australia's Foreign Wars
Prerequisites:
a Level 2 History unit
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2270 From Sudan to Saddam: Australia's Foreign Wars
N/A HIST3010 Introduction to African History
Prerequisites:
a Level 2 History unit
or
EURO2201 European Civilisation
or
GEND2902 Men and Masculinities in History
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2247 Introduction to African History
S1 HIST3011 Vikings, Crusaders, and Mongols: Medieval Europe in Conflict
Prerequisites:
a Level 2 HIST unit
or
EURO2201 European Civilisation
or
GEND2902 Men and Masculinities in History
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
HIST2285 The Vikings; HIST3385 The Vikings
S2 HIST3012 Rights, Rule and Power: From Magna Carta to the French Revolution
Prerequisites:
a Level 2 HIST unit
or
EURO2201 European Civilisation
or
GEND2902 Men and Masculinities in History
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil.
N/A HIST3014 Intimate Strangers: Journeys in Indigenous Australian History
Prerequisites:
a Level 2 History unit
or
EURO2201 European Civilisation
or
GEND2902 Men and Masculinities in History
or
any Level 2 unit from the Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage major
Co-requisites:
nil
Incompatibility:
nil
N/A HIST3017 Mysticism, Melancholy and Madness
Prerequisites:
Any Level 2 History
or
Level 2 Medieval and Early Modern Studies unit
or
EURO2201 Civilisation and Barbarism in European Cultural History. .
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
MEMS2215 Mysticism, Melancholy and Madness
N/A HIST3302 Imagining the Nation in European Cultural History
Prerequisites:
any Level 2 unit from the Bachelor of Arts.
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
EURO2203 Imagined Homelands—Survey; EURO3302 Imagining the Nation in European Cultural History

Choosing your degree-specific major

General degrees

You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.

To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how the History degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Arts course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-HISTY

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .

Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music

You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.

Choosing a second major

You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. and Bachelor of Science courses, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.

The following example illustrates how the History degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Arts course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP001-HISTY-Generic

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .