Studying History at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU) is not about simply learning dates off by heart or holding on to romantic views of the past. Based on modern theories of history, cultural studies and social sciences as well as based on practical work with sources, students rather learn to understand history as a construct of human conceptions of the past that is bound to time, space and culture. In this way, they form a differentiated judgment, for example as regards questions of memory culture, identity formation and historical politics. The opportunity to spend a semester abroad at one of the KU’s many partner universities, participate in international programs, workshops, and conferences and courses for this specific professional field will allow you to broaden your horizons and lay the foundations for your future career.

The subject History can be studied as a major or minor subject in the Interdisciplinary Bachelor's program in the Aisthesis. cultural and media studies variant or in the flexible variant in the amount of up to 150 ECTS credits.

The sub-disciplines can be studied in the Interdisciplinary Bachelor as a major or minor subject in the Aisthesis. cultural and media studies variant or in the flexible variant in the amount of up to 90 ECTS credits; the sub-discipline Economic and Social History in the amount of up to 60 ECTS credits, in combination with at least one other subject and/or the Studium Individuale. In the flexible variant, the sub-disciplines may be combined with each other.

Contents

You can choose the contents of your studies yourself. You can study the entire range of history or specialize in a sub-discipline, e.g. medieval history. By selecting the corresponding courses, you determine further individual areas of specialization. You can choose from the entire range of courses offered by in the History department, which comprises the main European epochs of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, Early Modern Period and Modern History, as well as the sub-disciplines of Comparative Regional History, Latin American History, Economic and Social History and Theory and Methodology of History Teaching.

In addition to broad historical knowledge, you will acquire solid skills in the application and reflection of modern methods and theories of history, cultural and social sciences. You learn to understand history as a construct of human conceptions about the past that is bound to time, space and culture, to distance yourself from conventional perspectives and draw your own conclusions instead and to repeatedly establish a reference to the here and now.

The examination of how society deals with history in political debates, institutions for the communication of history and cultural products plays an important role in this context. You will not only analyze the products of others, but you will also design and implement formats for teaching history in and outside of schools in practical modules and student research projects.

Structure

In the first two semesters of your studies, you will acquire the basic methodological and theoretical knowledge of the subject within the framework of basic modules as well as in introductory events of the respective disciplines on the different epochs. In addition, you are completely free to choose your modules: you will learn and test further methodological skills within the framework of concretization and consolidation modules. In practical, project and teaching student research modules, you will deal with the reception of history or engage in occupation-specific activities.

Facilities

The well-stocked University Library not only provides you with scientific literature, but also enriches the courses with its historical holdings. The work with sources is therefore not limited to the analysis of illustrations and editions. Manuscripts and old prints can be analyzed and experienced in their original form on-site. In addition, the History department has numerous contacts in the field of applied history/public history, which add practical experience to the teaching practice. The KU also provides media equipment for the creation of own digital history teaching formats within the framework of practical courses.

The program in awards and rankings

The History department at the KU attached great importance to the quality of its teaching practice. KU lecturers of History are regularly among the prizewinners for good and innovative teaching. Information on the prizewinners can be found on the University awards website.

The History department at the KU has numerous international partnerships with history institutes (e.g. Milan, São Paulo, St. Petersburg), which are an additional benefit to your studies. The open structure of the Eichstätt History degree program allows you to study abroad for one or two semesters. Before you start your journey, you will agree with your respective department speakers which courses you will take at your destination university. In this way, you ensure that your academic achievements will be recognized and you can continue your studies in Eichstätt seamlessly afterwards – enriched by important international experience.

The KU maintains a partnership network with around 300 universities worldwide. The KU International Office supports students in the planning phase and provides information on different financing possibilities for stays abroad.

The training to become a historian that is offered here in Eichstätt is extremely practice-oriented. You do not have to go through endless abstract courses, but start off right away! By means of research-based learning, you will gradually acquire skills for independent scientific work. You will directly benefit from the research strength of our subject area with a large number of third-party funded research projects.

In specific learning formats, you will also practice occupational activities with a professional focus that you will be confronted with outside University. You will prepare exhibitions, plan series of events or create digital formats for teaching history. In addition, regular field trips take you to historical sites, important memorials and museums, and to important artifacts.

You will gain further practical experience in the course of at least one internship, which you will complete as part of the Interdisciplinary Bachelor's degree program. In your course of study, it is also possible to include an additional internship in a historically relevant institution, e.g. in a museum, archive, municipal cultural office, research institute or newspaper editorial office. For individual advice and support in finding an internship and financing possibilities, the KU Career Service and the International Internship Service are happy to help.

Career prospects

Studying history provides you with valuable skills that are in demand on the job market: You can collect information quickly, evaluate it critically, process it and communicate it in a comprehensible way. This opens up opportunities in many professional fields: typically, in history-related institutions such as archives, museums, memorials, but also in other sectors where language and text are used, such as publishing houses, advertising agencies or in the journalistic field.