I. To acquire practical expertise in a broad range of academic fields relevant to history, including in an interdisciplinary perspective.
At the end of the Programme students will have acquired:
• A wide range of general and inter-disciplinary expertise by reaching out to other disciplines and exploring their connections with History.
Students will:
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Obtain a solid grounding in the different disciplines of ‘humanist’ Philosophy & Literature, in particular History of Art, philosophy and literature (principal theories, vocabulary, methods, objectives, challenges and stakes);
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Acquire a solid grounding in the main social sciences (principal theories, vocabulary, methods, objectives, challenges and stakes);
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Learn to construct an interdisciplinary dialogue between the different human and social sciences and understand the complexities of their relationship with History on a theoretical level.
All the courses in the ‘General’ strand of the three annual standard blocks:
E.g. : Introduction à l’économie (Bloc 1); Littératures comparées I et II (Bloc 1 et 2); Histoire de l’art et archéologie du Moyen Age à nos jours (Bloc 2); Psychologie (Bloc 2); Philosophie de l’Histoire (Bloc 3); Images, film et sociétés (Bloc 3)
• Expertise in areas that are complementary to History
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Students will acquire in-depth knowledge in one or several disciplines that add a complementary dimension to the study of History.
(fr) Dans le programme « Lettres, sociétés, civilisation », l’ensemble des 12 crédits d’UE optionnelles à choisir (3e bloc annuel standardisé (BAS)) parmi les domaines suivants : philosophie, littérature, étude des civilisations, sciences humaines et sociales.
Dans le programme « Sociétés contemporaines », l’ensemble des UE renforcés en sciences de la société (dans les trois BAS), tels que Science politique, Analyse des théories sociologiques, Droit public, etc.
II. To acquire specialised practical knowledge and skills in a range of fields of History
At the end of the Programme students will have acquired:
• A grounding in different specialist disciplines of history and in the objectives, challenges and stakes of the discipline.
The programme will provide students with:
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A general introduction to the major aspects of the history of societies since the Antiquity (frameworks, key events/moments, changes, interpretative frameworks, historiographical debates), including the history of Belgium.
(fr) Les UE du volet « Connaître l’histoire » relevant du BAS 1 : Histoire des sociétés, des civilisations et cultures occidentales ; Histoire de Belgique; Histoire du temps présent ou Geopolitics
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In-depth knowledge of the different periods and fields of History (frameworks, key events/moments, changes, interpretative frameworks, historiographical debates), including socio-economic, political, cultural and religious aspects, in order to be able to critically contextualise any historical issue.
(fr) Les UE du volet « Connaître l’histoire » dans les BAS 2 et 3 : Ex : Histoire de l’Antiquité I et II (Bloc 2 et 3) ; Histoire contemporaine I et II (Bloc 2 et 3) ; Anthropologie historique (Bloc 3)
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An introduction to the development of historiography from its origins to the present day (main academic trends/schools and authors, schools and methods).
Historiographie (Bloc 2)
• Expertise in the use of different methods for analysing and interpreting historical sources, as well as self-reflective and critical skills for their exploration of history.
The programme provides a grounding in:
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the basic epistemological objectives, challenges and issues of historical knowledge.
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theoretically aspects of the creation of historical knowledge, from formulating a question to constructing a narrative and applying the successives steps of source criticism (internal criticism, external criticism and search for corroborative material).
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the types of bibliographical resources available to historians.
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identifying and using the documentary resources that are relevant to the resolution of a historical problem, including tools of the historian, primary and secondary (secondary literature/sources).
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the basic techniques needed to properly exploit and interpret historical sources, in particular paleography and quantitative methods:
(fr) L’ensemble des UE du volet « Faire de l’histoire - Théorie » : Critique des sources de l’information (Bloc 1); Encyclopédie de l’histoire (Bloc 1); Heuristique des différentes périodes de l’histoire (Bloc 2); UE Heuristique de l’histoire contemporaine et Démarches et méthodes de la recherches en sciences sociales (Bloc 2); Introduction pratique à la paléographie et à la diplomatique (Bloc 2); Méthodes quantitatives en histoire (Bloc 3)
• Students acquire the skills to investigate a research question as well as a thorough grounding in their tools and methods of work.
Students will learn:
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to exploit the main bibliographical resources available to the historian, whatever the field of history concerned.
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to design and undertake documentary research on a given historical question (undertake bibliographical research and heuristics for historical works and sources, including by the end of the BA unpublished documents and archives).
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to determine the current scholarly state of investigation (status quaestionis) on a historical question of limited scope.
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to follow instructions in the carrying out of a major piece of work (including respecting deadlines) and acquire the ability to effectively and constructively communicate with their supervisor.
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to set out the terms of a research problem/question, develop sound hypotheses, gather and critically analyse documentation (academic work and sources, where appropriate unpublished), critically exploit information, propose explanations for preliminary hypotheses, present results with appropiate reasoning in a personal piece of work (preparation for the Masters’ dissertation).
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to take a stance as a historian on the issue of the role of the historian in society, in particular on the objectives and stakes of remembrance, the specific characteristics of historical discourse and relating history to the public.
Courses in the strand “Faire de l’histoire - Mise en œuvre de la théorie” of the 1st standard annual block: Initiation à la recherche historique I; Initiation à la recherche historique II
All courses in the strand “Faire de l’histoire - Mise en œuvre de la théorie” of the 2nd and 3rd standard annual blocks. Especially the two or three seminars to be followed depending on the programme chosen (see; Lettres, société, civilisation ou Sociétés contemporaines):
Séminaires d’histoire (niveau intermédiaire) : de l’Antiquité ; du Moyen Age ; des Temps modernes ; contemporaine;
Démarches et méthodes de la recherche en sciences sociales II;
Séminaires d’histoire (niveau approfondi, ayant valeur d’un travail de fin de cycle) : de l’Antiquité ; du Moyen Age ; des Temps modernes ; contemporaine
Séminaire Enjeux & débats : historiographie et métier d’historien
III. To acquire a grounding in the scientific method (‘transferable skills’)
At the end of the Programme students will have acquired:
• Expertise in the techniques of critical thinking and scientific reasoning
Students learn to:
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carry out a piece of academic work in accordance with the scientific method and demonstrate critical skills in the analysis of a given question, in gathering and analysing any type of information and in the review of any type of document (written or visual).
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construct clear and sophisticated reasoning using appropriate terminology, put a question in its theoretical context, establish a hypothesis and verify it.
All History (BA) programme courses
• The ability to analyse and synthesise information and produce a piece of scholarly writing
Students learn to:
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analyse, summarise and identify the objectives, stakes and significance of any text or complex argumentation;
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defend their own intellectual stance in a scholarly debate using their own arguments, including vis-à-vis those who do not share its assumptions.
All History (BA) programme courses
IV. To develop high-level written and oral communication skills (‘transferable skills’)
At the end of the Programme students will have acquired:
• A grounding in the norms of scientific communication and in referencing and publication rules
The programme develops students’ ability to:
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produce a piece of academic work in the respect of the norms and ethics of academic writing (bibliographical references, use of quotations, notes, construction of critical approach, production of relevant annexes, etc.)
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use different formats of academic communication for conveying and defending a research finding (oral presentation, written dissertation, text analysis & commentary, review, etc.)
- All the courses in the strand « Faire de l’histoire - Mise en œuvre de la théorie » of the three standard annual blocks
- Langue française (optional course)
• The ability to read and converse in at least one language other than French
This course develops students’:
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basic oral and written skills in at least one ancient or modern language other than French;
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comprehension of a written text in Old French, Middle French or Classical French;
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comprehension of basic academic vocabulary in at least one language other than French.
Français médiéval et classique
Choice from 9 ECTS from the following: Initiation à la langue latine ; Initiation à la langue grecque ; Textes latins ; Auteurs latins I et II ; Latin médiéval et moderne ; Espagnol usuel ; Italien ; Allemand usuel; Néerlandais I ou II; Anglais I ou II
180 credits
Teaching profile