UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME
The History Major provides a comprehensive training in debate, creative and critical thinking, and advanced writing and presentation skills. Our students thrive in a programme that encourages them to innovate, collaborate and apply their own ideas in communities local and global. This section of the History Department Website provides information on the study of History at undergraduate level.
Course Offering
All Arts students or students from other faculties who have completed the First Year of study may enroll in the second to third-year courses offered by our Department as free electives.
We offer more than 30 courses each year. These are designed along an integrated curricular spine linking junior with senior years and leading on to postgraduate study. Click here to see the courses on offer this year.
For enrollment enquiries, please contact 3917-2874 or history@hku.hk; students are reminded to include their full name and student number in all correspondence.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HISTORY MAJOR/MINOR
The History Department has developed a major that emphasizes student choice. Our intention is that students undertaking a History major will have the opportunity to select from a wide and exciting range of courses that represent the research expertise and teaching interests of our academic staff.
The History programme consists of introductory and advanced courses. Introductory courses are normally taken in the first year while advanced courses are normally taken in subsequent years. Advanced courses are divided into survey and seminar courses.
- Survey courses are intended to introduce the history of a geographic area, a country, an event, a historical problem or theme in a specific period. The class size is usually larger.
- Seminar courses involve more advanced study of special topics in history. They also require a higher level of engagement with primary sources and/or historiography. The class size is usually smaller. Capstone Experience Courses are usually run in seminar format.
MAJOR IN HISTORY
Students from the Arts Faculty and other faculties are welcome to declare a Major in history. To obtain a Major in History, students are required to take:
- At least 6-credits of courses listed under Introductory Courses (1000-level), designed normally for first-year students. Non-first-year students need to obtain written approval from the course instructor and the Department of History to take an Introductory course (1000-level) retrospectively to fulfill their Major/Minor requirements.
- No less than 54 credits of advanced history courses (2000-level, 3000-level and 4000-level), including capstone courses. Of these 54 credits, at least 12 credits must be in Asian history and at least 12 credits must be in Western history. This requirement may be met by taking either survey or seminar courses (designations are listed on the Course Offering page).
- 12 credits of any introductory courses from any Arts Faculty programme(s) in the first or second year (which may include additional credits in 1000-level History courses).
Students must take at least 6 credits of capstone courses listed under Capstone Experience Courses. In some cases, students in the sixth semester of study may be permitted to enroll in selected capstone courses.
Any student interested in pursuing postgraduate studies in History is encouraged to take either HIST4017 Dissertation Elective (12 credits), HIST4023 History Research Project (6 credits), or HIST4037 Automating the Past: Artificial Intelligence and the Historian’s Craft (6 credits).
MINOR IN HISTORY
Students from the Arts Faculty and other faculties are welcome to declare a Minor in history. To obtain a Minor in history, students are expected to take a total of 36 credits with the following components:
- At least 6-credit of courses listed under Introductory Courses, designed normally for first-year students.
- No less than 30 credits of advanced history courses.
For further details concerning the B.A. major system or how to declare a double-major, you can consult the Faculty of Arts website.
