Program Overview

Course Overview

Introduction to Historical Theory and Methods

The course provides an overview of what is history, how it is produced, and how it is used. By exploring the historian's toolkit, the course sheds light on how our understanding of the past emerges. As well as discussing the development of the field of history and different historiographical debates, the course introduces students to what historians do: coming up with historical questions, finding historical sources, analyzing historical information (both qualitative and quantitative), and writing history.

Course Details

Course Code and Credits

• Course code: HIST1505
• Credits: 7.5
• Level: Foundation courses, level I
• Course start: Spring 2026
• Duration: 1 semester
• Language of instruction: Norwegian
• Location: Trondheim
• Examination arrangement: School exam

Course Content

Overview

The course content includes an overview of what history is, how it is produced, and how it is used. It explores the historian's toolkit, shedding light on how our understanding of the past emerges. The course discusses the development of the field of history, different historiographical debates, and introduces students to the work of historians.

Learning Outcome

A candidate who passes this course is expected to have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

• Explain how knowledge about the past is obtained and constructed and how sources should be contextually situated.
• Be conscious of how different sources (including digital sources) should be evaluated with a source critical approach.
• Have an overview of the main features in the development of history as a science.
• Know central theoretical and methodological concepts about how history is written and researched.
• Have knowledge of how history is written (constructed) from the source material, secondary literature up to the basic structures of historical narratives and analyses.
• Know the main problems that come with the use of historical knowledge.

Skills

• Understand and master source criticism.
• Be able to distinguish between different categories of sources.
• Be able to search for, find, and assess relevant sources for historical research.
• Put together basic historical representations based on a limited source material.
• Analyze historical texts and understand the reasoning, use of sources, and structure.
• Have foundational skills in interpreting and utilizing historical statistics, tables, and visual presentations in a historical context.
• Present and discuss basic theoretical and methodical questions by using terms from the field of history.

Learning Methods and Activities

• Lectures and mandatory exercises in group sessions and/or written assignments.
• The format of the exercises is announced at the beginning of the semester.

Evaluation

• Compulsory assignments: Group lessons with an obligatory paper.
• Further on evaluation: Four-hour final exam.

Previous Knowledge

• Recommended previous knowledge: None
• Required previous knowledge: None

Course Materials

• See syllabus for course materials.

Credit Reductions

• Course code HIST1515 has academic overlap with this course. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject Areas

• History

Examination Details

• Examination arrangement: School exam
• Grade: Letter grades
• Ordinary examination - Autumn 2025 and Spring 2026: School exam with specific weighting, examination aids, date, time, duration, and exam system.