History
Historians seek to document and analyse past events in order to better understand the development of humanity. History is best viewed as a sequence of occurrences with chains of causation between events, rather than a series of isolated incidents.
In that sense, historians have as much to say about the present and the future as they do about the past, as they are trained to understand and recognise parallels, as well as their appreciation of surrounding circumstances. A historian’s input on human behaviour is just as valid as an economist’s or a psychologist’s, and in fact these disciplines do complement each other remarkably well.
In Malaysia, it is possible to take a course in history in terms of a specific period or region, for example, local (i.e. Malaysian) history, Southeast Asian, Islamic, and so on. Generally, the main core subject is theory and research methods, together with brief introductory courses of the chosen topic of specialisation.
For example, for an MA (Master of Arts) in Southeast Asian History, the core subjects would be:
- Theory and research methods in history
- Political history of Malaysia
- Twentieth century Southeast Asian history
Further modules may include:
- Socio-economic history of Malaysia
- Intellectuals and the current of change
- Southeast Asia in international history
- Golden age of Southeast Asian history, 3rd-15th century
- Religion, culture and society in Southeast Asian history
- Trade in Southeast Asia before WWII
- Colonialism and the resurgence of Southeast Asia
- Government and politics in Southeast Asia
Courses run from one to four years. You may choose to take the MA in either Malay or English. Candidates should possess a good bachelor’s degree (second class upper) or CGPA of above 2.75 in their respective fields of specialisation.
