This advanced undergraduate course enables students to study a range of exciting and important historical topics in collaboration with specialists in the field. The topics will vary from year to year, depending on the expertise of the convenor. The structure and assessment of the course may vary from topic to topic. In each iteration the course will enable students to develop their knowledge and research skills by working with experts. Students will have an opportunity to develop a research project of their own, with guidance and support.
Please refer to the Class tab for details of the specific topic available each year, and the Class Summary for a detailed description including convenor, theme, format, scheduling, detailed assessment structure, and indicative readings.
Sample topics may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The History of Capitalism
- The History of Humanitarianism
- Gender and History
- The Death Penalty and its Alternatives in History
Topic for Semester One, 2027: The History of Humanitarianism
Who counted as deserving of rescue, and who decided? This course examines humanitarian projects seeking to 'save', 'protect' or 'uplift' the 'less fortunate' in Australia and the wider British world, from the late eighteenth century to the present. It will explore the ways colonialism, gender, religion and race shaped the business of doing good. Its scope includes humanitarian advocates and their critics, the people they sought to 'save', and the various ways those people refused, used or reshaped what was offered to them. It asks who was considered 'deserving' of humanitarian care, at various times and places, and why. Topics include the anti-slavery movement, the Aborigines Protection movement, Christian missions, child migration schemes, the Red Cross and international humanitarian activism, refugees and displaced people, and feminist activism. The course also asks how these histories have been told and contested, particularly in current truth-telling work including that related to child removal and institutional abuse.
Working with scholarship from several fields and with primary sources ranging from colonial archives to oral histories, students develop skills in comparative historical analysis and in reading conflicting testimony.
Seminars run on weekly readings, with individual students leading discussion. Assessment centres on a 2,500-word research essay on a topic agreed with the convener, with an essay plan submitted for assessment in Week 7.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- analyse the issues, core concepts and scholarly debates associated with the field of study;
- produce evidence-based historical arguments in written and oral form;
- design and complete a research project in the field of study; and
- work collaboratively with others to develop their knowledge of the topic.
Indicative Assessment
- Article analysis or document exercise (1000 words) (30) [LO 1,2]
- Research project proposal (500 words + bibliography) (10) [LO 1,2,3]
- Research essay (2,500 words) (40) [LO 1,2,3]
- In-class presentation of readings (10) [LO 1,2,4]
- Oral and/or written contribution towards class activities (10) [LO 1,2,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
130 hours of total student learning time made up from:
a) 36 hours of contact over 12 weeks of seminar and seminar-like activities; and
b) 94 hours of independent student research, reading and writing.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
Key course readings will be made available to students through Canvas.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 14
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2027 | $4620 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2027 | $6000 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The History of Humanitarianism | ||||||
| 5315 | 22 Feb 2027 | 01 Mar 2027 | 31 Mar 2027 | 28 May 2027 | In Person | N/A |