Master of Arts in History

The Department of Historical and Archaeological Studies has one of the longest-standing postgraduate programmes in the University of Zambia. The Master of Arts in History programme started in 1970, and to date, more than 200 students have completed the programme. The programme is designed to enable students develop a critical awareness of the development of historical writings on selected topics of the role of the historian in society, and the nature of history as a mode of understanding humanity and its civilization. The programme also introduces students to the historiography of Southern African history with a focus on reinterpreting the history of the region from an Afro-centric view as opposed to the Euro-centric view. The Master of Arts in History is a two-year programme. Part I of the programme constitutes course work in which the students take four taught courses. Part II of the programme consists of research and dissertation writing.

The Master of Arts in History degree exposes students to major theories of underdevelopment and development while equipping them with high-level research and analytical skills needed in the leadership of the 21st century African countries. The Master of Arts in History programme is designed to help build a better understanding of why African countries in general and southern-central African countries in particular find themselves in the situation they are in. Students are enlightened on why these societies are largely underdeveloped and how they struggle to get out of that situation. Considering that human history tends to have patterns that repeat themselves, it is important that students study such histories in order to appreciate where the world is coming from. Thus, the programme offers the next generation of scholars and leaders, the capacity to identify where the world has been going wrong, comment on it and attempt to avoid it in the future. In so doing, bring about co-existence, international peace and harmony in nations and among nations.

The Master of Arts in History programme is aimed at developing basic skills required for conducting academic historical research. The most important of these skills being: the ability to seek information independently; to analyse and assess existing information critically; and to produce and apply information independently.

The programme has been well received by key stakeholders over the years. There are several employment prospects for Master of Arts in History graduates. Graduates find employment at the University of Zambia, and other institutions of higher learning in this country and elsewhere in the world as researchers/academics. Others find work in government ministries and departments such as the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs, the National Museums, and the National Heritage and Conservation Commission. The government through the Ministry of Education was thus a key stake holder in the formulation of this programme.

This programme was one of the first postgraduate degrees offered by the University when it began in 1970. It was designed in order to alleviate the national manpower shortage in the field of history education by providing a degree programme that equips graduates who would respond to the developing requirements of the public and private education sector especially at tertiary institutions of education.

Through exploring mankind’s past economic, social, political and cultural activities, achievements and failures, the study of history at this level enables students to come to terms with the present, to appreciate society’s challenges and thus be able to shape the future. This programme equips students with useful analytical, interpretive and writing skills essential to carrying out research and documenting the past. In developing this programme the biggest stakeholder was the government of the Republic of Zambia through the Ministry of Education as it desired to develop a cadre of well-prepared history educators.

The Master of Arts in History programme aims to produce well-grounded graduates who are conversant with historical debates and able to formulate, undertake and supervise research projects that are relevant to the Zambian society and are in tandem with global developments

At the end of the programme, candidates should be able to:
(i) have the ability to define chosen research problems;
(ii) demonstrate the skills necessary for research and writing history at an advanced level;
(iii) demonstrate knowledge of the nature of historical knowledge and its inherent challenges;
(iv) produce a viable research proposal for the Master of Arts in History dissertation;
(v) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the Philosophy of history and the major schools of historical writings;
(vi) evaluate the methodology used in historical research and writing;
(vii) demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the historiography of colonial societies of Southern African up to the 1800s;
(viii) evaluate the major theoretical debates and the various interpretations of the problems of Southern African history;
(ix) assess some issues of gender in the historiography of Southern African history;
(x) demonstrate knowledge and understanding of various schools of thought historical studies;
(xi) design and write a viable research proposal for a historical research