Department of History has been teaching courses in African, European, and World History since 1946. We have a special focus on South African history which reflects our grounding in a society which in the last few decades experienced enormous social changes, including the transition to democracy in 1994 and the subsequent constitutional change.
We offer courses that look at the historical forces of colonialism, apartheid, the political liberation that have shaped our present democracy, as well as the forging of new identities in the democratic era. Since we are part of the African continent and on account of Dutch and British colonial past, we also offer courses that explore these connections.
We offer a whole suite of undergraduate modules/courses delivered in two semesters annually. The exciting range of World History options reflects the latest research in many fields. Our tutorial system encourages an interactive approach to learning, drawing on physical and electronic resources of our excellent library. Our degree programmes, which include specialisation in Global Studies, African Studies, and interdisciplinary Historical Studies, are also flexible to allow students the opportunity to pursue their own interests.
We, in collaboration with the College of Education, offer a certificate Short Course in School History Enrichment which has been especially designed for secondary school history teachers.
At postgraduate level, we offer a variety of papers in the Honours programmes. And for those who wish to undertake independent research, we offer supervised research masters and doctoral degrees. Our staff is particularly able to guide research projects on various aspects of South African, Southern African, and global economic, social, cultural, political, and intellectual histories. We have expertise in other fields as well, including heritage, tourism, gender studies and history education.
We are intimately involved in the production of two academic journals, the South African Historical Journal, and the African Historical Review. Both these journals enjoy international recognition and provide an ideal venue for scholars working in fields mainly related to southern African and African history. The South African Historical Journal is accredited by the Institute for Scientific Information and is abstracted in the Arts and Humanities Citation Index, Current Contents/Arts and Humanities, Historical Abstracts and America: History and Life. The African Historical Review is accredited by the South African departments of Basic Education and Higher Education and Training.
Some members of the Department are rated social scientists, accredited by the National Research Foundation for their research achievements. This attests to the quality of the research and teaching offered and assures prospective students of exceptional academic support and guidance in their studies.
These modules provide students with important insights into some of the most pertinent topics of our time, as well as critical research skills. Students have access to a wide range of relevant electronic sources including journal articles and e-books and they have the opportunity to interact with their lecturer(s) and fellow students in a full online environment.
Our Department has also kept up with the exigent circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, by providing a range of options for online assessments which include portfolios and take-home examinations.
Mrs. A Theron
Tel: 012 429 6842
Email: theroa@unisa.ac.za
Last modified: Thu Apr 18 13:20:37 SAST 2024