History

Why choose History at UVic?

Study history in a hands-on, community-connected program on Vancouver Island. At UVic, you’ll go beyond textbooks—working with archives, engaging with Indigenous communities, and exploring global issues through field schools and research projects.

What you’ll gain from a History degree

History helps you make sense of complex issues and think critically about the world around you. You’ll develop:

• Strong research and analytical skills
• Clear writing and communication abilities
• The ability to evaluate evidence, bias, and misinformation
• A deeper understanding of global cultures and systems

These skills open doors across hundreds of careers—not just one path.

What you’ll study

Customize your degree based on your interests. Choose from a wide range of regions and themes:

• Indigenous history
• Canadian history
• European and British history
• Middle East, Asia, and Global South history
• Environmental history
• Early history
• Thematic and comparative studies

You can also combine your studies with minors or electives to match your career goals.

Field schools

Learn history where it happened. Field schools give you hands-on, immersive experience in Canada and around the world.

Ethnohistory Field School (Stó:lō Nation)

• Work alongside Stó:lō First Nations on community-based research
• Learn directly from Indigenous knowledge and perspectives

Colonial Legacies Field School (South Africa)

• Explore race, colonialism, and food sovereignty
• Participate in community-engaged research in Limpopo Province

Canada’s Internment Era Field School (BC)

• Visit historic internment sites across British Columbia
• Study how history is remembered and taught in Canada

Earn while you learn

Co-operative Education (Co-op)

• Through UVic’s Co-op program, you’ll apply what you learn in paid, career-related positions that count toward your degree—and give you a head start after graduation.
• Co-op is available to everyone, including international students with co-op work permits.
• On average, 70 percent of UVic Co-op students graduate with a job offer already in hand.
• Unlike at some universities, at UVic, you don’t have to compete for a spot in Co-op.

Research work opportunities

Get paid, real-world experience while you study. Through UVic’s Work Study program, you can:

• Work as a research assistant with faculty
• Contribute to active research projects
• Build experience for graduate school or careers.

Student life & community

• History Undergraduate Body (HUB) - Join events like movie nights and study sessions.
• The Ascendant Historian (student journal) - Publish your work in UVic’s undergraduate history journal while gaining editing, writing, and publishing experience.

Inspiring courses

• Women in the Greek and Roman World
• The Fall of the Roman Republic
• Ancient Technology
• Roman Daily Life
• Culture Contact in the Eastern Mediterranean

Career opportunities

A History degree prepares you for careers that require critical thinking, communication, and research. Graduates work in:

• Government and public policy (policy analyst, foreign service officer)
• Museums and archives (curator, archivist)
• Media and communications (journalist, editor, content strategist)
• Law, education, and non-profits

Why it works:

Employers value graduates who can analyze information, communicate clearly, and think critically—core skills you’ll build in this program.

Admission

Apply directly to this program as a high school student or a transfer student from another post-secondary institution.

Alternatively, you can apply to another major and then add this program as a minor after one year of full-time study.

Ready to apply?

We'll walk you through all of the steps in the process, from submitting your online application to accepting your offer of admission.