Bachelier en histoire

Your bachelor's degree begins with a general education in History and History of Art and Archaeology. You discover the different periods of History: Antiquity, the Middle Ages, Modern Times and the Contemporary Era.

Throughout your training, you learn to master the methods specific to the historical field (bibliographical methods, historical criticism, analysis of iconographic documents, research approaches...).

To understand documents from the past and present, you develop your knowledge of several ancient (Latin, Greek) or modern (English, Dutch, German...) foreign languages.

To understand the human adventure, you are also trained in philosophy, literature, art history, but also in human geography, economics, political science and law.

In Block 3, you specialize in one of the great periods of history. You select the course of study of your choice from the ancient, medieval, modern or contemporary periods.

Histoire études

You're off to a good start

  • you're passionate about phenomena of the past and their implication in the present;
  • you're imaginative by nature to find the documents in which information hides;
  • you express yourself with rigor and precision, orally and in writing;
  • you're critical and analytical to understand documents and interpret them.

Teaching methods

Lettres études

Courses, practical work, seminars, group work... everything is done so that you learn to analyze and exploit the written or iconographic documents, oral testimonies and objects left to us by our ancestors.

Technical courses

Technical courses (heuristics, bibliography, paleography...) always include a practical component: so you constantly measure your understanding of the subject and the quality of your study method. Individual contact with teachers and assistants enables you to expose any difficulties.

Initiation to research in history

From the start of the bachelor's degree, you are trained in the methodology of research in history.

How to explain, appraise and exploit written documents, audiovisual sources, landscapes transformed by man's work? How to find original studies or documentation on a subject?...

Throughout the year, you apply these research techniques to novel questions. You conclude this introduction to research by writing a scientific paper, which notably involves the use of computer tools.

The art of communication

At the end of their research, historians must share and communicate their findings. You are therefore trained in the art of communicating orally and in writing, setting up an exhibition or making a video documentary, depending on the audience you are addressing.

Languages

To understand the traces of the past and the work of modern historians, you take a course in Latin (compulsory) and a second language (your choice). Beyond the first year, the choice of two languages is generally free, but may be conditional on the choice of a major (Antiquity, Middle Ages, Modern Times, Contemporary Period). Throughout the year, language courses are accompanied by regular tests.

Success aids

Succeeding in a year of study at university involves many challenges.

To help you meet them, UNamur supports you in developing your disciplinary, methodological and human skills... with the support of numerous professionals.

Preparatory courses, individualized help...

Discover the schemes set up for your training.

Discover how to succeed in history

After the baccalauréat: the master's degree

The bachelor's degree in history gives automatic access, in the French Community, to the master in history.

During this second cycle, you opt for a master's degree that prepares you more specifically for teaching (master en enseignement), research (finalité approfondie) or another professional specialization, such as archivistics, librarianship, communication (finalité spécialisée).

The aims of the master's degree in history are to develop a deeper understanding of methodology and critical skills in locating and applying information, and their application to a period (Antiquity, Middle Ages, Modern Times, Contemporary Era) or field of history, with a view to producing a personal synthesis on a given subject (master's thesis).

You can, if you wish, complete your training at UNamur by enrolling for the Bachelor's degree in Art History and Archaeology for which you will benefit from numerous exemptions (including all first-block courses, common to both Art History and History) enabling you, by adding Art History courses to your second and third year History program, to earn this second degree in an additional academic year.

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Les métiers des historiens

Métiers des historiens

The jobs of historians

Professions for which the Master's degree in History is required

Heritage management

  • Scientific assistant (or equivalent title) in certain institutions such as the Army Museum, the Museum of African History in Tervuren, the Royal Museums of Art and History, the Royal Library...
  • archivist, curator : in Belgium, there are numerous state archive repositories and a number of private archive centers that regularly recruit History graduates.

Teaching

Research

  • teacher and researcher at the University or Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (or equivalents abroad). A doctorate in History is required for access to the position of professor at the University.

Other career prospects

Many history graduates work either in professions directly related to the education they received, or in professions for which their studies did not directly prepare them, but for which training in history proves relevant:

The book and documentation sector

  • libraries, bookshops, traditional and multimedia publishing houses;
  • documentation centers.

The world of communication

  • journalism (written press, radio or television);
  • guide profession (public institutions, a.s.b.l. or foundations with a cultural or tourist vocation);
  • at the request of public bodies or private companies: producing exhibitions, commemorations, publications...

The public service

  • Historians are employed in federal, community, regional, provincial or local Services: urban planning, culture, international relations...

Commercial and non-commercial sector companies

  • as heads of documentation departments or holders of other positions, historians are employed in fields such as insurance, banking, NGOs...

Additional training - particularly in IT or languages - opens up the range of accessible professions more widely. Experience shows that basic training in history enables these complementary studies to be successfully completed, and that holders of these complementary diplomas easily find work.

A look at some of the old ones...

Teaching

  • Sarah, History and Pedagogy teacher at the École Normale Catholique du Brabant Wallon in Louvain-la-Neuve.
  • Alizée, history teacher at the Institut de la Providence in Champion.

Heritage management

  • Marie-Françoise, head of the "Service du Patrimoine Culturel" of the Province of Namur: listed monuments and sites, landscapes...
  • Emmanuel, head of the State Archives in Namur: medieval charters, judicial archives, maps and plans...
  • Marie, head of the Medical Archives department at the Centre Hospitalier de Wallonie Picarde (CHwapi) in Tournai.

The world of communication

  • Lionelle, jounalist at RTBF.
  • Sophie, internet project manager in the communication unit of BEP - Bureau économique de la Province de Namur (project management, community management, online content writing, etc.)

The public service

  • Jean-François, attaché at Forem's research department.
  • Jérémy, human resources attaché (HR analyst) at Fedasil (Federal Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers).

Scientific research and publishing

  • Cédric, editor-in-chief of Courrier hebdomadaire du Centre de recherche et d'information socio-politiques (CRISP).
  • Charlotte, assistant in the Manuscripts section of the Royal Library of Belgium in Brussels.

The book and documentation sector

  • Anouk, bookseller in Namur, specializing in literature and the humanities.
  • Sébastien, librarian manager of the "Bibliothèque Jean de La Fontaine" in Ath and educational manager for the implementation of IT in communal schools.
  • Thierry, attaché librarian - information manager at the Commissariat général aux réfugiés et apatrides (SPF Intérieur).

Tourism

  • Julie, responsible for guiding, events and historical research at the citadel of Dinant.
  • Virginie, tourism trainer in a socio-professional integration organization (Alternatives Formations) and socio-cultural event leader and organizer.

Companies in the market and non-market sectors

  • François-Xavier, multi-residential and single-family prospecting manager at Thomas & Piron.