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History

In the subject of history, we want to develop an understanding of people’s social, financial, political, and cultural conditions in different times.

How have people organised their lives and their societies? What thoughts have people in different times formulated about themselves and their world? How have interpersonal relations manifested in rivalry, the exercise of power, and oppression, but also in collaboration, fellowship, and love? How are different political and other conflicts between groups created and represented, and how do different groups relate to each other across state and national borders? How have people approached nature, and what have they done to provide for themselves? The concept of change – how and why it happens – is central in historical research.

Historians are interested in how the past is perceived, and how history is used in society, media, culture, and – of course –school. Studies in history develop our ability to take a critical stance, and to review and delimit large amounts of information – abilities that are useful in many domains.

At Linnaeus University, we have degree-awarding powers in history at the levels of bachelor, 60-credit master and 120-credit master (including teacher training). We also have third-cycle courses and programmes in history.

Education

At Linnaeus University, we have degree-awarding powers in history at the levels of bachelor, 60-credit master and 120-credit master (including teacher training). We also have third-cycle courses and programmes in history. History is taught as part of the teacher education programme for upper secondary school, the master’s programme in colonial and postcolonial studies, and the master’s programme in cultural sciences, as well as in the form of freestanding courses at different levels. The subject of history is furthermore one of the main fields of study for the programme Integration in a multicultural society.  We also have distance learning courses in a number of specialised subjects, such as the history of the Middle East and China, the Middle Ages, digital history and postcolonial studies.

Courses in history, given in English, master's level

Read more about our courses on our Swedish webpage.

Research

In the subject of history, we conduct research that casts a wide net across time and space, and that is characterised by theoretical innovation and collaboration across subjects. An important research area is that of colonial and postcolonial studies, and several of our researchers are members of the interdisciplinary research centre Concurrences in Colonial and Postcolonial Studies, studying the history of indigenous people, colonial cultural encounters, LGBT history, slavery and more. Another important research field is didactics and the use of history, with networks for research on, for instance, subject didactics and fantasy as a historical phenomenon. Pre-modern history is also well represented; one example of this is a comprehensive project on medieval saints, which combines historical research with digital technology. Other research interests include the modern Middle East, gender history and local history.   

Research groups in history

The subject of history is involved in

Collaborations

The National Graduate School of Historical Studies

Contact person: Stefan Amirell

ESTA (Exploring Slave Trade in Asia), a collaboration between Linnaeus University, IISG Amsterdam, ENS de Lyon and the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies.

Contact person: Hans Hägerdal

Staff