Bachelor of Historical Inquiry and Practice

The Bachelor of Historical Inquiry and Practice focuses specifically on the professional development of historians.

As it is recommended for professional historians to engage in the study of a cognate discipline relevant to their chosen professional speciality - and because historical inquiry is now widely accepted as elemental to various professions beyond those conventionally associated with history - this course also includes a field of study opportunity whereby the student's study and training in history may be purposefully combined with other disciplines, to facilitate education in, for example, historical fiction and writing, social history and criminology, family history and sociology, national history and languages, cultural history and music.

Course Aims

History is not merely an academic discipline which is the preserve of historians; it is a field of human inquiry which impacts upon everyday life and underpins several major industries and occupations. The Bachelor of Historical Inquiry and Practice is designed to take the study of history at tertiary level into a more professional, vocational sphere, to cater for those students who work with, or seek to work with History in their myriad workplaces and careers. To this end, the degree has been designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of all the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of historical inquiry, and the many and varied methodologies that can be employed to shed light on the past, and to make use of that past for today's changing world. History is also by its nature a cross-disciplinary study, and the degree is structured to provide an understanding of the multidisciplinary applications and relevance of historical study across multiple fields.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: understand history as a critical field of human inquiry, which is multifaceted and global in nature; understand the application of historical inquiry in a variety of different occupations, industries and career-settings; attain an appreciation for the global and multidisciplinary applicability of historical study, both as a support for other fields of human inquiry and knowledge construction, as well as in its own right; employ a variety of methodologies and conceptual approaches in practising historical inquiry, including methods of evidence-location, evaluation, interpretation and application; and demonstrate increased awareness of their status as global citizens, opinion-formers and knowledge-creators for the new century.

Graduate Attributes

Knowledge of a Discipline Graduates will have in-depth knowledge of history as a discipline and of key principles, concepts and methods of historical inquiry and practice. This will include an appreciation of the processes through which historical knowledge has evolved. They will also understand the need to adopt transnational and multicultural approaches to the understanding of historical issues. This knowledge is taught through guided commentaries and specific questions based on them, set readings and podcasts. It is assessed and practised through various types of assessments. Communication Skills Graduates will have the skills to communicate with well-organised and logical arguments the ideas they have developed in studying the various units within the course. They will also have the skills to communicate the results of historical inquiry and practice in a variety of formats and to a variety of audiences. The assessment process focuses on the communication skills of students and how well they articulate knowledge in the area and its particular historical and present day problems. Students also participate in online discussions and so practise communicating their ideas with other students. Problem Solving Graduates will have the critical and creative thinking skills to develop a written argument about a particular issue, and to apply historical understanding and methodologies in a variety of different contexts. Information Literacy Graduates will have wide-ranging skills in evidence location, documentation, evaluation, interpretation and application. These skills are taught through course reading and tasks, and are assessed and practised in assignments. Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility Graduates will have in-depth understanding of ethics in historical inquiry and practice, and the ways in which this underlies their responsibilities to provide balanced and accurate research, and to question and challenge some 'facts' as well as to question and challenge social and ethical values of the past and present. Lifelong Learning Graduates will have the skills to continue learning about global issues from their own observations, reading and other media. They will also have the skills to seek out new information and critically analyse such information to work both independently and cooperatively with others; and to understand and apply the benefits of intellectual curiosity and creativity. Independence and Collaboration Graduates will develop skills in the independent study of history, in particular through autonomously researching and executing their assessment tasks. Graduates will also have the knowledge and skills to work cooperatively and ethically with other researchers in a variety of different environments. Teamwork is practised via the online environment in which students communicate their ideas. Students are taught this through the posing of questions online by staff and encouragement of group activity in considering these questions.