Understand the past, shape the future.
Understanding the past provides a compass that helps you navigate the present and shape the future. Regardless of geographic area or time period, studying History provides an unrivalled basis for making sense of an increasingly complex and unstable world.
The very human analytical and communication skills that History teaches are also keys for entry to a wide range of rewarding careers. Many of these – such as research, teaching, journalism, public policy, diplomacy, and the heritage and museum sectors – are also among those least likely to be overtaken by historical change themselves, in the form of automation or artificial intelligence.
Why study History?
Above all, History investigates human societies across time and space and few things are more fascinating. Studying History is about questioning the past imaginatively. Historians take nothing for granted: they search behind the façade of the present to uncover multiple ‘truths’ about the past.
Yet History is also firmly grounded in the realities of daily life, and doing History helps prepare you for almost any conceivable career. In the rapidly changing world of the twenty-first century, it is more important than ever to understand human diversity and the complexity of social structures, and to understand why they change. Because of its broad-ranging nature, no discipline is better suited to this task than History.
The historian’s skills of research, analysis, synthesis, and communication are also essential in the modern job market. History graduates work in a range of exciting fields that are as diverse as History itself.
Career opportunities
Employers value History graduates for their ability to research, analyse, and communicate. History graduates know how to deal with large amounts of information and sift out the essential. As well as becoming teachers and researchers, historians find jobs in areas ranging from journalism and public affairs to management and finance.
Examples of positions held by Otago History graduates include: Analyst, Wigram Capital Advisors; Diplomat, New Zealand High Commission, Pretoria, South Africa; Community Engagement Executive, Movember Foundation; History curator, Te Papa Tongarewa; Curator Human History, Canterbury Museum; Digital Content Analyst, University of Canterbury; Historian, Waitangi Tribunal; Data Analyst, AgResearch; Event and Marketing Manager, Southland Chamber of Commerce; Social Media and Content Analyst, Bank of New Zealand; Freelance Book Publicist; Heritage Advisor, Heritage New Zealand.
Background required
All students are welcome to study History at Otago. No prior knowledge is needed – all you need is curiosity about the past. Even if you don’t choose it as a major, doing some History papers will help you understand the world, and complements virtually any other major.
Teaching style
Consistently ranking among the top 100 departments worldwide, at Otago you will be taught by lecturers who are at the forefront of their research fields internationally.
We are very committed to our students and are well-loved for the high levels of care we provide.
We put a great deal of effort into preparing students for their working lives after university, and regularly offer career-oriented talks and social gatherings.
Qualifications
Explore your study options further. Refer to enrolment information found on the following qualification pages.
- Bachelor of Arts (BA)
- Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom)
- Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc)
- Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons))
- Diploma for Graduates (DipGrad)
- Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts)
- Master of Arts (Coursework) (MA(Coursework))
- Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA(Thesis))
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Programme requirements
Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in History
Level | Papers | Points |
---|---|---|
100-level | Two 100-level HIST papers | 36 |
200-level | Three 200-level HIST papers CHIN 244 Writing China: Texts, Ideas and History, CHTH 206, The Reformation, ENVI 211 Environmental History of New Zealand, or MAOR 207 Ngā Kōrero Nehe - Tribal Histories, may be substituted for one 200-level HIST paper. | 54 |
300-level | Four 300-level HIST papers CHIN 344 Writing China: Texts, Ideas and History, or MAOR 307 Te Tūtakitanga o Ngā Ao e Rua, may be substituted for one 300-level HIST paper. | 72 |
Plus | 198 further points; must include 54 points at 200-level or above. Up to 90 points may be taken from outside Arts | 198 |
Total | 360 |
Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)) in History
Papers |
---|
|
Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) in History
The Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) programme in History is the same as the programme for the degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours (BA(Hons)).
Master of Arts (Coursework) (MA(Coursework)) in History
Papers |
---|
|
Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA(Thesis)) in History
Thesis |
---|
Note: Students who have not completed a Bachelor of Arts (BA(Hons)) in History or a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Subjects (PGDipArts) in History must complete the required papers for the BA(Hons) in History prior to undertaking the thesis. |
Minor subject requirements
History as a minor subject for a BA, MusB, BPA, BTheol, BSc, BAppSc, BCom, BHealSc, BACom, BASc or BComSc degree
Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Applied Science (BAppSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Health Science (BHealSc), Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom), Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) or Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc) degree
Level | Papers | Points |
---|---|---|
100-level | Two 100-level HIST papers | 36 |
200-level | Two 200-level HIST papers | 36 |
300-level | One 300-level HIST paper | 18 |
Total | 90 |
Papers
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, a selection of on-campus papers will be made available via distance and online learning for eligible students.
Find out which papers are available and how to apply on our COVID-19 website
Paper code | Year | Title | Points | Teaching period |
---|---|---|---|---|
HIST102 | 2021 | The Global Twentieth Century | 18 points | First Semester |
HIST107 | 2021 | New Zealand in the World from the 18th Century | 18 points | First Semester |
HIST108 | 2021 | From Medieval to Modern Europe | 18 points | Second Semester |
HIST123 | 2021 | Revolutions | 18 points | Second Semester |
HIST204 | 2021 | China: Oracle Bones to Revolution | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST215 | 2021 | Heretics, Witches, and Inquisitors | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST218 | 2021 | Modern Irish History Since 1798 | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST223 | 2021 | Empires and Globalisations | 18 points | Second Semester |
HIST225 | 2021 | Totalitarian Regimes: Europe 1922-1945 | 18 points | Second Semester |
HIST229 | 2021 | Darwin versus God? Science and Society, 1789-1914 | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST230 | 2021 | Special Topic: Creating Kiwi Families: Historical and Legal Perspectives from 1830 | 18 points | Summer School |
HIST231 | 2021 | Special Topic: An Introduction to Pacific History | 18 points | Second Semester |
HIST232 | 2021 | Special Topic | 18 points | Not offered in 2021 |
HIST233 | 2021 | Special Topic: Protest and Collaboration: Māori Political History, 1830-1996 | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST234 | 2021 | Crime, Shame and Scandal in New Zealand | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2023 |
HIST236 | 2021 | Modern Russia and the Soviet Union | 18 points | First Semester |
HIST241 | 2021 | War and the Modern World | 18 points | First Semester |
HIST242 | 2021 | Histories of Crime and Punishment | 18 points | Second Semester |
HIST243 | 2021 | Eurasian Crossroads: Where East Meets West | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST244 | 2021 | New Zealand Society and Religion | 18 points | First Semester |
HIST245 | 2021 | Global Migrations: From Slavery to Refugees | 18 points | First Semester |
HIST246 | 2021 | Activist Histories: Contesting Settler Colonialism | 18 points | Second Semester |
HIST247 | 2021 | Empires Strike Back: A Global History of Decolonization | 18 points | First Semester |
HIST303 | 2021 | Modern India | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2023 |
HIST304 | 2021 | China in Revolution | 18 points | First Semester |
HIST308 | 2021 | New Zealand Society and Religion | 18 points | First Semester |
HIST325 | 2021 | Modern Italy | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST327 | 2021 | Interpreting Māori Lives: Rebels, Radicals and Reformers | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST328 | 2021 | Irish and Scottish Migrations in the 19th and 20th Centuries | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST331 | 2021 | Special Topic: Australia since 1788: Boundaries of Belonging | 18 points | First Semester |
HIST332 | 2021 | Special Topic: Cultural Encounters and Entanglements: Te Tai Tokerau a Murihiku, 1769-1874 | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST333 | 2021 | Special Topic: Creating Kiwi Families: Historical and Legal Perspectives from 1830 | 18 points | Summer School |
HIST335 | 2021 | Special Topic: Victorian Britain | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST341 | 2021 | Patriotism: From Joan of Arc to Kamikaze | 18 points | Second Semester |
HIST348 | 2021 | Origins of Modern Scotland | 18 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2023 |
HIST353 | 2021 | Practising History | 18 points | Second Semester |
HIST354 | 2021 | Russia: Reform to Revolution | 18 points | Second Semester |
HIST401 | 2021 | A Topic in New Zealand History | 20 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST403 | 2021 | Topics in Medieval History | 20 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST406 | 2021 | Gender and History | 20 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST410 | 2021 | Topics in Intellectual History | 20 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2022 |
HIST412 | 2021 | The Russian Revolutionary Movement | 20 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2023 |
HIST430 | 2021 | Special Topic: Commemorating Irish History | 20 points | Second Semester |
HIST431 | 2021 | Special Topic: Peopling New Zealand Since 1840: Migration, Race, and Ethnicity | 20 points | Not offered, expected to be offered in 2023 |
HIST452 | 2021 | Rethinking History | 20 points | First Semester |
HIST481 | 2021 | Special Study | 20 points | First Semester |
HIST490 | 2021 | Dissertation | 60 points | Full Year, 1st Non standard period |
HIST590 | 2021 | Research Dissertation | 60 points | 1st Non standard period, 2nd Non standard period |
Key information for future students
Contact us
History Programme
Email history@otago.ac.nz
Web otago.ac.nz/history