Department of History

The department contributes to the Bachelor of Arts in Humanities degree where students can choose History as one of their majors.

Academic Programmes

Undergraduate (Bachelor’s)

• As part of the B.A. in Humanities, students can major in History along with another subject from the Faculty of Humanities.
• The History courses you’d take will cover a range of historical topics—likely including Eswatini/Southern African history, colonial and post-colonial history, and world history depending on the semester and curriculum (specific course lists are available in the university calendar).

Postgraduate (Master’s)

The department also offers a Master of Arts (M.A.) in History through the Institute of Postgraduate Studies:

• Entry requirement: A Bachelor’s degree with History as one of the majors (usually with at least a C grade in the subject).
• Core focus: Research methods in history, themes in pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial histories of Eswatini and Southern Africa, historiography, comparative history topics (such as labour, revolutions, and economic history), and text analysis.
• The postgraduate programme also usually involves a research seminar and thesis component as part of completion.

What You Study

In the History department, students gain:

• Understanding of historical processes in local, regional, and global contexts.
• Skills in research, critical thinking, and writing, which are valuable for careers in education, research, heritage and museum work, archives, public service, and more.
• The curriculum also includes local history, for example work on important political figures and social developments in Eswatini

Why Study History at UNESWA

Studying History helps students:

• Explore how past events shape contemporary society
• Develop strong analytical, writing, and research skills
• Prepare for careers in education, public service, research, cultural heritage sectors, and more