You are here

History and Classical Studies

Enquire

Everything has a history. From a national constitution to modern consumer culture, from the rise of empires to global environmental crises, from the human species to your family: history interrogates the forces that have made the world in which you live. It helps you to understand the present by understanding the past. Beyond exploring societies of years gone by, history teaches students how to investigate the more abstract elements of studies of the past by questioning how history has been produced, and how it informs our approach to the challenges of the future.

History and Classical Studies at ANU encompasses History (North American history; Australian history; biography; British history; and European history), as well as Classics and Ancient History (ancient history; Ancient Greek; and Latin). History at ANU explores the evolution of modern nations including Australia, the United States, Asia and Europe, tracing themes such as empire, terrorism, revolution, war, gender, race, technology and the environment. Classical Studies focuses on two of the great civilisations of the ancient Mediterranean, Greece and Rome. These civilisations have been enormously influential and still have a lasting legacy in modern times. Much of Western culture claims descent from Greece and Rome, yet these ancient societies were also exotically different from our own.

Check the School of History website for more information on the faculty, research, projects, latest news, upcoming events and more.

*QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023

^Times Higher Education - Global University Employability Ranking 2021

Degree programs

Bachelor of Arts

Key facts

3 in Australia
33 for Arts and Humanities in World*

3 year full-time
Semester 1 & 2 intake

#1 in Australia for graduate employability^

UAC Code: 131003
CRICOS Code: 074016B

Graduate Certificate of Studies

Key facts

0.5 Year FT or 3 Years PT
Semester 1 & 2 intake

#1 in Australia for graduate employability^

UAC Code: 830584
CRICOS Code: 082261M

Master of Art History and Curatorial Studies

Key facts

3 in Australia
33 for Arts & Humanities in World*

1 year full-time
Semester 1 & 2 intake

#1 in Australia for graduate employability^

UAC Code: 830041
CRICOS Code: 108306G

Master of History

Key facts

1 in Australia
13 for History in World*

1 year full-time
Semester 1 & 2 intake

#1 in Australia for graduate employability^

UAC Code: 830035
CRICOS Code: 108325D

PhD & MPhil

Key facts

2-4 Year FT or 4-8 Year PT
Semester 1 & 2 intake

#1 in Australia for graduate employability^

My brilliant career

ANU led me to Griffin, Griffin led me to Woroni, Woroni led me to internships, internships led me to HerCanberra.

Beatrice Smith, BA '15

Hear from our students

The Australian National University stood out for me as the best institution to undertake research at an undergraduate level. The ground-breaking researchers are at the forefront of intellectual debate and I was drawn to that.

Alexandra, Bachelor of Arts (History)

Watch the video

Study History at ANU

Study Classics and Ancient History at ANU

View discipline flyers

Learn more

Search this site only

Updated:  1 June 2023/Responsible Officer:  CASS Marketing & Communications/Page Contact:  CASS Marketing & Communications