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.
Key themes of our research and teaching are Māori and Indigenous history, Pacific history, gender in history, research methods and theory, and US history. 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 Papers offered differ by location. The Catalogue of Papers has full location info. |
|---|---|
| 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
- 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 Philosophy
- Master of Science
- Master of Science (Research)
- Master of Science (Technology)
- Master of Social Sciences
- Postgraduate Certificate
- Postgraduate Diploma
Study 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
- 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 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
Available History papers
100 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| HISTY107 | New Zealand Histories: Fresh Perspectives | 20A (Hamilton) |
| This introductory paper provides students with an overview of New Zealand's history, from first settlement to the present. The paper showcases exciting new developments in local and international historical scholarship and engages with contemporary issues. | ||
| HISTY117 | Global Histories | 20B (Hamilton) |
| This paper introduces students to global history, focusing on social, economic and political encounters between peoples across the Pacific Ocean from the Spanish Galleon trade to Cook's voyages of 'discovery'. | ||
200 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| HISTY200 | Pacific History | 20A (Hamilton) |
| This course introduces students to the history of the Pacific from the middle of the sixteenth century through to World War II. The course will examine cross-cultural encounters and the development of the major imperial systems that were established in the region, with a focus on exploring the ways in which different Pacific commun... | ||
| HISTY206 | History in Practice: Historical Methods and Research | 20B (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. | ||
| PHILO215 | Moral and Political Philosophy: A Historical Introduction | 20A (Hamilton) & 20B (Hamilton) |
| A study of the moral and political philosophy of thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle, Hume and Mill. 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 educat... | ||
| POLSC224 | Terrorism, Violence and the State | 20B (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 |
|---|---|---|
| HISTY300 | Gender in History | 20A (Hamilton) |
| Gender in History examines the role of gender in society, culture, and the lives of individuals by introducing students to a range of historical case studies and methodologies. | ||
| HISTY301 | Sugar and Spice: Commodities in Global History | 20B (Hamilton) |
| An examination of key commodities that have reshaped diets, economies and societies across the globe since the early modern period. | ||
| HISTY330 | Researching Iwi Māori History | 20A (Hamilton) |
| This paper explores the history of Maori and iwi peoples from Pacific origins to the present. It addresses the turning points, myths, discourses and narratives that have been mobilised to present Maori and iwi historical experiences. Students will examine the popular methods, theories, sources, and questions that have driven resear... | ||
| HISTY390 | Directed Study | 20A (Hamilton), 20B (Hamilton) & 20D (Hamilton) |
| A Directed Study is a taught paper enabling an undergraduate student to undertake a piece of extended historiographical research. Students enrolled in this paper work on a focused piece of research and are individually supervised. | ||
| POLSC300 | Religion and Political Violence | 20G (Online) |
| This paper examines religious attitudes to political authority and political violence. Students study the writings of major thinkers in the Christian tradition including Augustine, Aquinas, Luther and Calvin. | ||
500 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| HISTY500 | Private Lives in the Archives | 20B (Hamilton) |
| This paper examines how and why the personal lives of individuals are recorded and preserved in archives, and engages with practical, ethical, and intellectual questions about historical research. | ||
| HISTY516 | Historical Theories and Methods | 20A (Hamilton) |
| This paper prepares students for professional historical practice and higher study through an investigation of relevant historiographical theories and methodologies. | ||
| HISTY591 | Dissertation | 20A (Hamilton), 20B (Hamilton) & 20D (Hamilton) |
| A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. | ||
| HISTY592 | Dissertation | 20X (Hamilton) |
| A report on the findings of a theoretical or empirical investigation. | ||
| HISTY593 | History Thesis | 20X (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | ||
| HISTY594 | History Thesis | 20X (Hamilton) |
| An externally examined piece of written work that reports on the findings of supervised research. | ||
800 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| HISTY800 | History MPhil Thesis | 20X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | ||
900 Level
| Code | Paper Title | Occurrence / Location |
|---|---|---|
| HISTY900 | History PhD Thesis | 20I (Hamilton) & 20X (Hamilton) |
| No description available. | ||
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
Graduate study options
Expand to see graduate study options
Potential PhD, MA or Honours Dissertation Candidates
All potential PhD, MA or Honours dissertation candidates must contact a current History staff member to discuss their Honours, MA or PhD dissertation topic before enrolling.
Staff may already have full supervision workloads or be away on research leave, so the sooner candidates contact staff the better. Potential candidates who wish to enrol in an Honours 591, MA programme or PhD thesis should take time to check whether current staff are available and have expertise in their chosen preferred topics.
Subject links
Subject Requirements
For more information about subject requirements please refer to the Catalogue of Papers for the most up to date information.
For more information about subject requirements please refer to the Catalogue of Papers for the most up to date information. If you have any questions and need more advice contact one of our friendly student advisors phone:
Please note: For all graduate subject requirements check the information provided in the Graduate Study Options section above.
Contacts
School of 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