{"id":3000,"date":"2021-04-15T19:32:21","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T19:32:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/open-day\/?post_type=exhibitions&p=3000"},"modified":"2026-04-17T13:14:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T11:14:38","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"exhibitions","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/open-day\/exhibitions\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Arts and Social Sciences<\/h1>\n

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Home<\/a> > Exhibitions<\/a> > Faculties<\/a> > Arts and Social Sciences<\/a> > History<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_id=”blurp-tabs” module_class=”leftExhibition” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row use_custom_gutter=”on” module_class=”artsMenu” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”History” image=”http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/open-day\/files\/2021\/04\/arts-icon.png” icon_alignment=”left” module_class=”exhibitionTabHeadingStyles” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_text_color=”#ff9e1b” header_font_size=”30px” header_line_height=”1.4em” background_enable_color=”off” custom_padding=”0px||20px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”20px||10px||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”General Info” url=”#tab1″ module_class=”tab-title exhibitionTabHeadingStyles” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” header_font_size=”20px” background_enable_color=”off” custom_padding=”||||false|false” border_color_bottom=”rgba(255,255,255,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb title=”Information Session” url=”#tab2″ module_class=”tab-title exhibitionTabHeadingStyles” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_font_size=”20px” background_enable_color=”off” custom_padding=”||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ border_color_bottom=”rgba(255,255,255,0.5)” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text module_class=”backbutton” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” link_font=”|700|||||||” link_text_align=”left” link_font_size=”16px” custom_padding=”20px||20px||false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”50px||50px||false|false” custom_padding_phone=”20px||20px||false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”]< Arts and Social Sciences<\/a>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_id=”tab1″ module_class=”tab-content tab-open rightExhibition” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”%22%22%22default%22%22%22″ custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/open-day\/files\/2021\/04\/History.jpg” title_text=”History” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”%22%22%22default%22%22%22″ background_size=”%22%22initial%22%22″ background_position=”%22%22top_left%22%22″ custom_padding=”30px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

History reveals the complexities of the present. Passionate and innovative undergraduate teaching and postgraduate supervision lie at the heart of the Department of History\u2019s mission, creating a vibrant space where historical inquiry intersects with contemporary issues. We deliver thought-provoking lectures and guide cutting-edge research that pushes the boundaries of historical understanding. Our programmes emphasize analytical and communication skills, equipping students for careers in education, public service, research and media. Our diverse research interests challenge conventional narratives: from political history and social history to the Anthropocene, to the history of ethnicities, the pre-colonial past, animal history, the history of sex, gender and feminism, the history of science and more.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Undergraduate Teaching<\/h3>\n
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Our undergraduate modules show how history shapes today. Passionate teaching, bold research and diverse perspectives prepare students not only with the fact of the past but also the critical skills needed to thrive in a changing present.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”%22%22%22default%22%22%22″ background_size=”%22%22initial%22%22″ background_position=”%22%22top_left%22%22″ custom_padding=”30px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.su.ac.za\/en\/faculties\/arts\/departments\/history” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Explore more | Verken meer” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_id=”tab2″ module_class=”tab-content rightExhibition ” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/youtu.be\/QKmPmV_Jnxk” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_id=”tab3″ module_class=”tab-content rightExhibition” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_video _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||20px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_id=”tab4″ module_class=”tab-content rightExhibition” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/open-day\/files\/2021\/04\/History.jpg” title_text=”History” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||30px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/open-day\/files\/2025\/03\/History-final-brochure.pdf” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”History” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||||false|false” custom_padding=”20px|40px|20px|40px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ module_id=”tab5″ module_class=”tab-content rightExhibition” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/blogs.sun.ac.za\/open-day\/files\/2021\/04\/History.jpg” title_text=”History” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_accordion admin_label=”FAQs” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_accordion_item title=”empty” open=”on” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

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    \n
  1. Transferable skills<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Studying History provides a student with skills which are not confined to the study of the past. Skills of analysis are invaluable in many jobs, and the ability to analyse and then prioritise information is vital to decision making. This not only provides a skills set for a student but it also keeps career options open.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. History is relevant<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      There is a stigma attached to History that it is based entirely in the distant past, but this does not account for the huge amount of modern history which is studied in such depth. In order to make sense of current affairs it is important to study the past, as everything which is happening around us has been influenced by, and is a direct result of, that which preceded it. In this way, the study of History is explicitly relevant to us. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      \u201cI could give you some banal quote about learning from the past-especially that truly annoying one about \u201cthose who don\u2019t learn from the past are doomed to repeat history\u201d. Actually, only my first years who discover Tollies (the pub where students hang out) are doomed to repeat History. Of Course one learns from History- but it mainly offers lessons like \u201cDo not invade Russia in the winter.\u201d Instead, I think the real value of learning about the past is to defamiliarise the present. To know that it was not always so amazingly powerful. It can empower humans to challenge a status quo that they are otherwise taught to believe is \u201cnatural\u201d, \u201cbiological\u201d and \u201cincontrovertible\u201d. My job is to expose that it has a history. Thus if it has changed, it can be further changed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

      Professor Sandra Swart, Department of History at Stellenbosch University.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

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      1. A History degree is an investment in your future<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        If studied at an esteemed university such as Stellenbosch, a degree in History can be an impressive and attractive feature on a CV.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. A degree in History encourages independence\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          A degree in History endorses independence in young people. The typically few contact hours offered by a History degree enable students to lead their own inquiries into the past, while still offering the reassurance of a lecturer who can support and help develop potential theories or lines of thought. Knowledge is not just handed over at degree level; it requires hard work, and in a subject dominated by reading, students will develop self-sufficiency and become less dependent pupils.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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          1. Studying History provides cultural awareness<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            By looking at the history of different cultures, a History student can build up a better understanding of why certain peoples act the way they do. By studying at the various tributaries of humanity, a broad cultural awareness is yours for the taking.<\/span><\/p>\n

            6. A History degree allows us to learn from the past<\/b>
            <\/b><\/p>\n

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            Elementary Schools<\/span>
            <\/span>Secondary Schools<\/span>
            <\/span>Postsecondary Education<\/span>
            <\/span>Historic Sites and Museums<\/span><\/p>\n

            Historians as Researchers<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

            Museums and Historical Organizations<\/span>
            <\/span>Cultural Resources Management and Historic Preservation<\/span>
            <\/span>Think Tanks<\/span><\/p>\n

            Historians as Communicators<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

            Writers and Editors<\/span>
            <\/span>Journalists<\/span>
            <\/span>Documentary Editors<\/span>
            <\/span>Producers of Multimedia Material<\/span><\/p>\n

            Historians as Information Managers<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

            Archivists<\/span>
            <\/span>Records Managers<\/span>
            <\/span>Librarians<\/span>
            <\/span>Information Managers<\/span><\/p>\n

            Historians as Advocates<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

            Lawyers and Paralegals<\/span>
            <\/span>Litigation Support<\/span>
            <\/span>Legislative Staff Work<\/span>
            <\/span>Foundations<\/span><\/p>\n

            Historians in Businesses and Associations<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

            Historians in Corporations<\/span>
            <\/span>Contract Historians<\/span>
            <\/span>Historians and Non-profit Associations<\/span><\/p>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Former graduates have found lucrative jobs at Capitec Bank as policy analysts, wine ambassador at La Motte Wine Farm, publishing at Shuter & Shooter and 30 Degrees South, Cape Town Archives, Anglo-Boer War Museum, environmental Ngos, film consultants, Promotions, Productions and Creative Assistant at Jacaranda FM, Parliamentary research, military history content advisor in the film industry and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

            [\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Should I have queries, who may I contact?” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” open=”off”]<\/p>\n

            You may contact Prof Swart S at <\/span>sss@sun.ac.za<\/span><\/a> and Dr T Dube at <\/span>tdube01@sun.ac.za<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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