The presentation which accompanied Charlie Rozier's talk on studying humanities at university (Tuesday 19/06)

1. History at University
Charlie Rozier
(Durham University Institute
for Medieval and Renaissance
Studies)
c.c.rozier@durham.ac.uk
www.dur.ac.uk/history/postgraduate/current/charlierozier/
Blog: rozierhistorian.wordpress.com

2. Why History?
1: Personal Interest?
2: Career Prospects?

3. Skills Learned through History (Cardiff University)
- How to read critically and think
independently
- How to gather, organise, and
interpret evidence
- How to analyse and assess a wide
variety of viewpoints and complex
situations
- How to construct a logical and well-
supported argument
- How to communicate effectively in
written work and oral presentations
- How to organise and manage your
time and assignments
- How to work independently and as
part of a group

4. What is it like?
Learning Activities include:
• Going to lectures
• ‘Private Study’ (Reading and note-taking on
your own in the library, or at home in your
room)
• Going to Tutorials or Seminars (classes with a
teacher present)

5. What is it like? Sample Timetable

6. Research-led Teaching
Most universities teach through ‘Research-Led Teaching.
This means:
Students constructing their own knowledge, by being shown how
to research for themselves and being given the means by which
to do so, including:
• Introductory lectures outlining previous historical arguments
and problems surrounding the topic
• Reading-lists and guides to resources/sources which help to
address these leading issues
• Tutorials or Seminars, in which students talk about what they
have read, and collectively discover new interpretations and
answers (led by a Tutor).

7. Sample Curriculum at Durham
University
http://www.dur.ac.uk/history/undergraduate/
(Click link to play the video)

8. Learning Environments

9. Some first-year History courses from
Durham University
• New Heaven, New Earth: Latin Christendom and the World, 1000-1300 A.D.
• The Birth of Western Society, 300-1050 A.D.
• Reformation Europe
• Politics, Information and Culture in Stuart Britain, 1603-1714
• Monarchy and Religion in the British world since 1660
• Tensions of Empire: British Imperialism, 1763-1963
• Britain as an Economic Superpower, 1750-1914
• Enslavement, Exclusion, Assimilation: the Great Racial Dilemma in Nineteenth-
Century America
• Introduction to Chinese History
• Soviet Revolution
• The Making of Modern Africa

10. What do History Students do afterwards?
Ally
Taught English in
Japan (2006-11)
before travelling
home overland via
Central Asia and
Russia. Now
teaches Japanese
in London

11. What do History Students do afterwards?
Erin
Works for a Marketing
company in London

12. What do History Students do afterwards?
Ned
Studied fine art in
Cornwall, now runs his
own gardening
business

13. What do History Students do afterwards?
Franco
Works for his local
Conservative MP,
aiming for a career in
politics

14. What do History Students do afterwards?
Laura
Also taught English in
Japan. Worked for an
English-language
newspaper in Tokyo,
before returning to
London to work for an
on-line fashion
magazine

15. What do History Students do afterwards?
Chloé
Returned to France to
study journalism, now
working for a
computer gaming
magazine with
occasional TV
appearances!

16. What do History Students do afterwards? Statistics
Source: www.prospects.ac.uk

17. What do History Students do afterwards? Statistics
Source: www.prospects.ac.uk

18. How do I get on to a History course?
1: Shop around! Not all universities offer the
same types of courses and modules. Choose
one that you are most interested in.
2: Visit, visit, visit! You only really know what a
place will be like once you go (don’t trust the
idyllic prospectuses!)
3: Stand out: make the University want you by
showing why you are different, and why you
want it more than any other applicants

19. History at University
Charlie Rozier
(Durham University Institute
for Medieval and Renaissance
Studies)
c.c.rozier@durham.ac.uk
www.dur.ac.uk/history/postgraduate/current/charlierozier/
Blog: http://rozierhistorian.wordpress.com