Arts (Asian History), Bachelor

The Bachelor of Arts at The Australian National University is its most diverse, flexible and popular degree. Its approximately fifty majors across the arts, humanities and social sciences are delivered by distinguished scholars, ensuring students receive exceptional education, engage with innovative research and develop a research-oriented approach. These majors may be paired with over seventy minors and specialisations to broaden or deepen study. Regardless of choices, the degree builds core skills in critical analysis, written and oral communication, adaptability and the capacity to drive change, preparing graduates for varied careers or further study.

The Asian History major offers a suite of courses covering developments in a wide range of Asian societies from early times to the recent past. The major provides students with grounding in the course of history in a variety of Asian societies and it builds an empirical basis for the comparative analysis of historical and contemporary developments in Asia and the rest of the world. The major trains students in techniques of source criticism and document analysis, instructs them in the marshalling of evidence for the development of analysis and argument, develops their skills in narrative analysis and in critically applying social science theory to past societies that differ greatly from the western context in which most such theories were developed. The major assists them to analyse the social and cultural context to which history writing and historical memory are put and develops an understanding of the historical traditions of Asian societies.