Dr Julian Cresser  Head of Department

Welcome to the Department of History and Archaeology (DOHA) and thank you for choosing us to be a part of your developmental journey. The principal objective of the undergraduate programmes of DOHA is to provide students with a thorough understanding of Caribbean history, heritage and culture, as well as the broader currents of world history which have helped shape the region.  Accordingly, the Department’s courses focus not only on the Caribbean but also on Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America, and on the methodologies of history, archaeology, and heritage studies. This, we believe, is necessary to make sense of a rapidly changing world and to make informed decisions regarding national and regional development. We have every expectation that you will soon number among our graduates who have played important roles in fields such as education, law, government, and cultural resource management – both locally and internationally.

As you come on board, we do realise that there may be some hesitations about the practicality of History (and more broadly, Humanities) degrees in terms of career options. I wish to relieve those fears: a quick scan of the current news with events related to war, migration, and geo-politics – among many other things – tells us that as much as ever, the world needs History’s help in understanding diverse cultures and confronting the complex problems we face today. A History degree has always been one of the best ways to develop critical thinking, which in a world becoming dominated by AI, will be a rare and valuable skill. Furthermore, in a world in which ‘content is king’, historical material features prominently in areas such as film, television, podcasts, and social media.

Recognising this, we have evolved and refashioned our programmes to equip our graduates with transferable skills that can sustain career-long-learning and adaptability. The DOHA has undergone a systematic revision of our undergraduate programmes and course offerings. In addition to our core History and History and Archaeology degrees, we are pleased to welcome students doing History and International Relations, and History and Journalism. Courses like Digital History expose students to new media for the research, teaching and presentation of History and the broader Humanities. Our final-year Capstone research project also allows students the flexibility of presenting their work in a variety of multi-media formats. All the while you will be learning about past-present-future connections, and engaging in conversations with lecturers and peers that will help you to develop informed perspectives on the Caribbean’s and the World’s past.

One thing that has not, and will not, change is our commitment to excellence in education as this remains the best way that we can help you prepare to succeed in a constantly changing and competitive world. The Department is committed to being student-oriented and maintaining the synergies between student and staff from which we can all benefit. Please be sure to use the Department’s website, social media and other communication channels and share your feedback, as we continue breaking ground for the History and Archaeology Department of the future.

Welcome again.