HISTORY09 History

“History isn’t only a subject; it’s also a method. …The work of the historian is not the work of the critic or of the moralist; it is the work of the sleuth and the storyteller, the philosopher and the scientist, the keeper of tales, the sayer of sooth, the teller of truth.”

― Jill Lepore, These Truths: A History of the United States

The history major empowers you to make sense of our complex and contradictory world through knowledge about the past. Through training in critical thinking, research, and writing, you will learn to recognise, understand, and confront the political, cultural, and economic structures that define societies. 

The major is structured to develop in you a range of skills and knowledge. You will learn critical reading, research, and writing skills at every level of the major, but each year puts one aspect of the historian’s toolkit front and centre. Two gateway units provide an engaging, wide-ranging introduction to the past across a broad chronological sweep. In semester 1, you are exposed to the study of the modern era, and in semester 2, you dive deeper into the pre-modern past. In first year, you will focus on learning source analysis—how to ask questions of historical evidence, understanding the limits of the evidence, and the circumstances that created it.

Second-year cornerstones cover core thematic concerns of historical inquiry across the pre-modern/modern divide. In second year, you will build on these skills by delving more deeply into historiographical concerns, i.e., how historians have written about the past. You will also gain a deeper appreciation of historical methodology through inquiry into debates among historians.

With the capstone, you have the opportunity to pursue a major research project of your own design. The emphasis is on the craft of writing, while developing advanced skills in source analysis and historiography.

Elective units develop either a thematic or national focus. Thematic units cover a wide range of topics, including the histories of war, the economy and environment, imperialism, decolonisation, crime and depravity, and disease. Units centred on nation-states include histories of Australia, the US, China, Japan, Germany, and Russia.

Despite its concern with the past, history is a forward-looking discipline. If you complete the History major, you will leave Monash with job-ready, transferable skills. The major equips you to conduct deep, evidence-based research, to advocate verbally and in writing, to project manage, and to work collaboratively. History majors also develop an understanding of the origins of important current issues and crises, intercultural competence, and an ethical awareness that is indispensable in the workplace of today and tomorrow.

Availability
History is listed in A2000 Bachelor of Arts at Caulfield and Clayton as a minor and a major, and in A0502 Diploma of Liberal Arts at Caulfield and Clayton as a major.