History
Historians study the past to understand the present. History at Waikato will inspire you to understand current events in light of historical context and give you a first-rate history education from a top 200 QS-rated programme.
You'll explore connections to previous generations, how they influence today, and if they were really all that different. History isn't just what happened before, but is also an investigation into, and use of, reliable research methods. We'll challenge you to ask questions, use critical enquiry into historical evidence and consider new ways of looking at the past in light of that new evidence.
When you study History, it isn't just for the classroom either. New Zealanders are keen to gain new perspectives on the "hidden history" of the pre-Waitangi Tribunal. People are also fascinated to learn their family's story and the circumstances that surround their ancestor's immigration to New Zealand.
Papers studied within the History programme at Waikato can be grouped into seven themes – health, sustainability, conflict, global, national histories, professional practice and indigenous/encounter. You'll gain a broad perspective of what goes into the correct historical analysis as well as analytical and critical thinking skills that employers value in other fields.
Key information
| Study Locations: | Hamilton; Online |
|---|---|
| Faculty: |
Study History in these qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Communication Studies
- Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences with Honours
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Media and Creative Technologies
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Science (Technology)
- Bachelor of Social Sciences
- Bachelor of Tourism
- Certificate
- Diploma
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Graduate Certificate
- Graduate Diploma
- Master of Arts
- Master of Arts (Applied)
- Master of Laws
- Master of Management Studies
- Master of Māori and Pacific Development
- Master of Philosophy
- Master of Science
- Master of Science (Research)
- Master of Science (Technology)
- Master of Social Sciences
- Postgraduate Certificate
- Postgraduate Diploma
History as a specialisation of
- Bachelor of Arts
- Bachelor of Communication Studies
- Bachelor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences with Honours
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Media and Creative Technologies
- Bachelor of Music
- Bachelor of Science
- Bachelor of Science (Technology)
- Bachelor of Social Sciences
- Bachelor of Tourism
- Certificate
- Diploma
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Graduate Certificate
- Graduate Diploma
- Master of Arts
- Master of Arts (Applied)
- Master of Laws
- Master of Management Studies
- Master of Māori and Pacific Development
- Master of Philosophy
- Master of Science
- Master of Science (Research)
- Master of Science (Technology)
- Master of Social Sciences
- Postgraduate Certificate
- Postgraduate Diploma
Career opportunities
- Archivist
- Documentary Researcher
- Historian
- Journalist
- Museum or Gallery Curator
- Political Speechwriter
- Tour Guide
Papers
Papers available within this subject
Available History papers
Prescriptions for the GradCert(Hist) and GradDip(Hist)
A Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma are available to graduates who have not included History at an advanced level in their first degree.
For further details, contact the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Office.
Prescriptions for the PGCert(Hist), PGDip(Hist), BA(Hons), BSocSc(Hons), MA and MSocSc
To be eligible to be considered for enrolment in graduate History papers, a student should normally have at least a B average in either the best three of their 300 level History papers or all their undergraduate History papers.
To complete a BA(Hons) or BSocSc(Hons) in History, students must gain 120 points from approved 500 level papers, including at least 30 points in research (normally HIST591).
To be eligible to be considered for enrolment in the MA or MSocSc in History, a student must have completed either:
a) a BA or BSocSc with a major in History (or equivalent) and have gained at least a B+ average in either the best three of their 300 level History papers or all of their undergraduate History papers, or
b) a BA(Hons) or BSocSc(Hons) in History (or equivalent) and have gained at least a B+ average across all 500 level papers.
Completion requirements for the MA or MSocSc in History vary according to admission criteria:
Students admitted under a) above must complete 180 points from approved 500 level papers, including either a 120 point thesis, or a 90 point thesis or a 60 point dissertation.
Students admitted under b) above must complete a 120 point thesis, a 90 point thesis and a further 30 points from approved 500 level papers, or a 60 point dissertation and a further 60 points from approved 500 level papers.
Prescriptions for the MPhil
The Master of Philosophy is a one year research-based degree in which students undertake a programme of approved and supervised research that leads to a thesis which critically investigates an approved topic of substance and significance, demonstrates expertise in the methods of research and scholarship, displays intellectual independence and makes a substantial original contribution to the subject area concerned, and is of publishable quality.
Prescriptions for the PhD
The Doctor of Philosophy is a three year research-based degree in which students undertake a programme of approved and supervised research that leads to a thesis which critically investigates an approved topic of substance and significance, demonstrates expertise in the methods of research and scholarship, displays intellectual independence and makes a substantial original contribution to the subject area concerned, and is of publishable quality.
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| ARTSC110 | Old Worlds - New Worlds | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This multi-disciplinary paper offers students a rich context in which to develop arts-based reading, writing and research skills. It is structured around stories of cultural encounter and journeys through place and time, and focuses on a variety of printed and electronic texts, moving and still images, and sound. The paper is deliv... | ||
| ARTSC111 | Social Science Theory and Action | 18B (Hamilton) & 18B (Tauranga) |
| This paper introduces University of Waikato social scientists as researchers. Each presenter's research will be discussed to demonstrate how it illustrates key themes of the social sciences and their specific disciplines. | ||
| HIST105 | Hyperpower: The United States | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST106 | War and Society | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST107 | New Zealand Histories: Fresh Perspectives | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST117 | Global Histories: 1900 - the Present | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST145 | History on Film: Europe from Classical Times to the Renaissance | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HISTY106 | War and Society | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper considers the interaction of war and society and asks how war reflect the societies and cultures that wage them. This notion is tested by examining a number of case studies from across history and around the globe. Students explore the historical contexts of these conflicts, the experiences of those impacted by them, and... | ||
| HISTY117 | Global Histories | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HISTY145 | History on Film | 18B (Hamilton) |
| An analysis of how historical characters, processes and events in European history have been portrayed in film. Examples are taken from the Classical, Medieval and Early Modern periods | ||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| CHIN221 | East Asia: Tradition and Modernity | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| CHIN222 | East Asia: Tradition and Modernity | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| FASS296 | Work Placement | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST206 | History in Practice: Historical Methods and Research | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST207 | Writing Historical Fiction | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST208 | Religion, Superstition and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST210 | Clean and Green? Environmental Histories of Aotearoa New Zealand | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST211 | Studies in Social History: The United States Civil War | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST230 | Indigenous Histories: First Peoples, Nations and Narratives | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST248 | Silver, Sugar, Slaves: The Atlantic World 1415-1825 | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST280 | Special Topic: Art, History and Culture: The World of Tudor Stuart England | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HISTY206 | History in Practice: Historical Methods and Research | 18A (Hamilton) |
| The paper focuses on the fundamental and accepted practices in academic historical scholarship and surveys a variety of significant historical and theoretical approaches to the discipline. | ||
| HISTY211 | Studies in Social History: The United States Civil War | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper studies the causes, course and consequences of the United States Civil War, which ended slavery and saved the United States, today's world hyperpower. | ||
| HISTY225 | Indigenous Histories: Narrative, Ethics, and Decoloniality | 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines the narrative constructions, ethical and methodological approaches, employed in indigenous histories. It compares and contrasts native histories from different parts of the world. | ||
| INTL221 | East Asia: Tradition and Modernity | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| PHIL215 | Moral and Political Philosophy: A Historical Introduction | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| PHILO215 | Moral and Political Philosophy: A Historical Introduction | 18B (Hamilton) |
| This paper uses Plato's Republic to introduce students to central issues in moral and political philosophy, including questions about virtue, happiness, justice, liberty, democracy, tyranny, feminism, art, censorship, and moral education. | ||
| POLS202 | Surveillance and Accountability: A History of New Zealand's Security and Intelligence Agencies from 1845 to the Present | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| POLSC224 | Terrorism, Violence and the State | 18A (Hamilton) |
| Terrorism is an increasingly prominent global phenomenon. We will clarify it conceptually and situate it historically with theory and case studies in situating it in comparative political and International Relations analysis. | ||
300 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| FASS396 | Work Placement | 18D (Block) |
| This paper enables students to undertake work placement in an area related to their major as part of their degree. Students work in a chosen field for a period of time in order to gain valuable work experience and learn from experts in their chosen field. | ||
| HIST308 | Religion, Superstition and Witchcraft in Early Modern Europe | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST316 | Birth of the United States | 18B (Hamilton) |
| A study of the causes, course and consequences of the American Revolution. | ||
| HIST317 | Imagining a Nation: Australia's Past | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST318 | Empires of Nature? Science, Conservation and Empire | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST319 | Digital Histories: Public and Collective Memories | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST330 | Researching Iwi/Maori History | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines the historiographical, conceptual, ethical and methodological issues surrounding the recording of Maori history. | ||
| HIST338 | An Age of Reason? The European Enlightenment | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST380 | Special Topic: Social History of Medicine and Health in the United States | 18S (Hamilton) |
| This course looks at the role of medicine and health in shaping US history. We will explore such things as the impact of epidemics, popular attitudes toward health, the unique status of physicians, the evolution of public health, the changing place of women in the health system, controversies over vaccination, debates over how to ... | ||
| HIST381 | Special Topic: From Blue Smoke to Fred Dagg: Popular Culture in New Zealand, 1945-1975 | 18A (Hamilton) |
| With the basis in social history and material culture, this paper explores intersecting topics including music, film and television, fashion, sport and leisure, and technology, to develop an understanding of the lives of New Zealanders during the period from the end of World War II to the mid-1970s. | ||
| HIST390 | Directed Study | 18A (Hamilton) & 18B (Hamilton) |
| Admission to this paper is by invitation only and at the discretion of the Programme Convenor. | ||
| POLS300 | Religion and Political Violence | 18A (Online), 18S (Online) & 18T (Online) |
| This paper in the history of political ideas examines Christian attitudes to political violence over the past 2000 years. It gives students knowledge and understanding of both Christian pacifism and Christian 'just war' thought. It does this by examining writings of major Christian thinkers, including Augustine, Aquinas, Luther and... | ||
500 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| HIST512 | Green Histories of the World? Environmental History and Garden History | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST515 | United States Cultural History | 18A (Hamilton) |
| This paper prepares students for historical practice and research, and higher study through an investigation of the cultural history of the United States. | ||
| HIST516 | Historical Theories and Methods | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST526 | Oral History | This paper will not be taught in 2018 |
| This paper will not be taught in 2018 | ||
| HIST590 | Directed Study | 18A (Hamilton) & 18B (Hamilton) |
| Students have the opportunity to pursue a topic of their own interest under the guidance of academic staff. | ||
| HIST591 | Dissertation | 18A (Hamilton), 18B (Hamilton) & 18Y (Hamilton) |
| A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. | ||
| HIST592 | Dissertation | 18C (Hamilton) |
| A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. | ||
| HIST593 | History Thesis | 18C (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | ||
| HIST594 | History Thesis | 18C (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | ||
800 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| HIST800 | History MPhil Thesis | 18C (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | ||
900 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| HIST900 | History PhD Thesis | 18C (Hamilton) & 18D (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | ||
Fresh out of Whakatane High School, Chris came to the University of Waikato a couple of weeks after his 17th birthday to study political science and history – "quite simply, the subjects I enjoyed the most", he says.
Read stories from other students
Scholarships and prizes
New to Waikato? The International Excellence Scholarship is worth up to $10,000.
Visit our Scholarship Finder for information about possible scholarships
Subject links
Subject Requirements
History is available as a major for the BA and BSocSc.
History is available as a major for the BA and BSocSc. History may also be taken as a second major or as a supporting subject within other undergraduate degrees, subject to academic approval of the Faculty or School of Studies in which the student is enrolled.
To complete a major in History, students must gain 120 points above 100 level in History, including HIST206 and at least 60 points above 200 level. All 300 level History papers normally have as prerequisites three papers in History, including at least one at 200 level.
Please note: For all graduate subject requirements check the information provided in the papers section above.
Documents
Contacts
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
Phone: 0800 800 145 or +64 7 838 4030
General and Undergraduate Email Enquiries: hist-fass@waikato.ac.nz
Graduate and Postgraduate Email Enquiries: hist-grad@waikato.ac.nz