Programme description for Bachelor's Programme in History (2025–2028)

Upon completion of the programme, the student shall

Knowledge

• have an overview of ancient and modern Norwegian and international history.
• understand central concepts in historical studies.
• have in-depth theoretical and real-historical knowledge in selected thematic fields.
• be familiar with terminology and central topics within the methodology of history and philosophy of science.
• better understand the present in the light of the historical development of politics, religion, economics, and culture.

Skills

• be able to apply different geographical, cultural, social, economic, and political perspectives on historical processes and events, globally, in Europe, and in Norway.
• be able to analyse historical sources and literature.
• assessing the use and misuse of history.
• be able to collect, analyse and communicate information, orally and in writing.

General competence

• be able to relate actively to the public debate.
• be able to raise issues and critically evaluate argumentation.
• be able to search for information using relevant search tools.
• have experience in the basic use of relevant data tools.
• have experience with collective problem solving.

Higher education entrance qualification.

Admission requirements for admission to the 2nd year of study:

One-year programme in history containing

• Recent history, both global and Norwegian history
• Ancient history, both global and Norwegian history

For conditional admission, the applicant may not be missing more than 30 ECTS in the current degree program.

The study of history is wide-ranging. It deals with cultural, social, economic, political and environmental conditions and how these have developed and changed over time. Knowledge about this is important in itself but also provides a basis for the development of a reflected awareness of history that enables individuals and groups to better understand and act reflectively in the societies we live in today – globally, as well as nationally or locally. How have human societies, from the earliest times and to the present time, developed in dynamics between humans and their use of natural resources? What does understanding of gender, generation, minorities and majorities mean in knowledge about and interpretation of historical processes in the past and present? Why have conflicts arisen and major wars broken out? How has the understanding of society, individuals, duties and rights evolved over time? How have cultural conditions promoted or inhibited innovation processes? Why did Europe gain global dominance for a period, and what leads to a change in global power relations? What have been the drivers of the various revolutions in history, the social, cultural, technological and political? The questions we ask and the various answers that are given can be of great importance to society. Understanding history is an active part of all major social processes and touches on power and interests, and confirms or challenges people's identity.

The Bachelor's programme in History at UiA provides you with knowledge about people and society in the past and in major historical processes that are going on in our time. Through historical studies and insights into critical history science, students develop their awareness of history. You will learn to discover and explore historical issues in the past and present, and critically evaluate historical presentations and sources. In the subject of history, we explore and discuss different understandings, conditions and opportunities for seeking true knowledge, and translate this into our own investigations of various historical topics. The study of history will train you to understand large contexts, make you better able to build up arguments yourself and to reflect critically on reasonable and unreasonable claims about historical contexts.

The study programme provides competence relevant to the following sustainability goals:

• The subject of history will contribute to good education by emphasizing that knowledge of the past should reflect diversity and inclusion, provide historical insight into the importance of justice and education, and that historical knowledge is constantly evolving and changing and can be sought meaningfully and further developed in all phases of life.
• Peace, justice and well-functioning institutions: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies to ensure sustainable development, ensure access to justice for all, and build well-functioning, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
• The Sustainable Development Goals, which deal with the relationship between people, resource use and the living environment, and in particular the goals of sustainable consumption and production, sustainable cities and local communities, eradicating hunger, life on land and halting climate change.
• Gender equality: Achieve gender equality and strengthen the position of girls and women in society.

Insight into past societies in these areas provides a basis for making good choices for present and future societies.

The progression of the programme is partly predetermined, but you also must make your own choices. In the first year, you will complete four compulsory introductory courses and two elective courses. HI-136 Historical Thinking and History as a Science must be completed during the course of study, and is recommended in the second semester. The electives offered may vary slightly from year to year.

In the second year of study, you can choose between several different one-year studies or course groups. You can also choose to spend this year or parts of it at an educational institution abroad. You also have the opportunity to change in the second and third year of study.

In the third year of study, Ex Phil and Ex Fac are completed and two supplementary courses, one of which is the bachelor's thesis. In addition, you must choose a freely chosen topic.

• Lectures
• Assignment writing, individually or in groups
• Literature and thesis seminars
• Colloquium groups
• Independent literature studies

Each course constitutes a unit of its own, with a limited syllabus. The programme is basically a full-time programme. In addition to teaching activities, independent work is required with the syllabus literature and with written assignments given. Emphasis is placed on students encountering a variety of teaching and assessment methods during their studies.

Relevant forms of assessment are written exams, term papers, portfolios with several assignments, and oral exams. In several of the courses, preliminary tests or other coursework requirements must be passed before the student can take the exam.

The study programme in history captures theoretical and empirical knowledge that is transboundary. The history of Norwegian, national social development is put into a broader, international, European and global perspective.

The programme requires English proficiency, and the students develop this knowledge further through work on the syllabus, since significant parts of this are English speaking. In several of the specialization courses, the language of instruction is also English. It is a goal that these will recruit visiting foreign students and that the study environment also has an international character.

40 credits in history (level 1) must be passed in order to take the bachelor's thesis in history (level 2).

The study programme in history is useful background in teaching, social analysis and information/communication work. In combination with other subjects, it can provide work in both public and private enterprises. It is a relevant basic education for students who want to become teachers, researchers, journalists or want to work in publishing houses, in the cultural sector or in national and international organizations. With regard to teaching, it will be important to take a central school subject as well.

The programme can be included as part of a course of study that qualifies for admission to practical pedagogical education (PPU-A) at UiA, and provide the opportunity for employment in upper secondary school and in years 5-10 in primary and lower secondary school. Admission to PPU requires a completed master's degree. See separate website for PPU.

Programme coordinator: Nils Martinius Justvik, nils.justvik@uia.no
Study advisor: Silje Ramfjord Lykkedrang, silje.lykkedrang@uia.no