2025
Theory of History
Name: Theory of History
Code: HIS02449L
6 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours
Scientific Area:
History
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese
Regime de Frequência: Presencial
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
1. Know the major cognitive and substantive Theories of History
2. Know the various Historiographical Traditions
3. Identify the major Historiographical Transformations of the last three decades
4. Know the main trends in several areas of current professional writing of History
5. Understand the responsibilities and ethics of professional historians and the public role of History as Knowledge
6. Knowing the critical literature on the subject .
7. Develop oral and written communication skills, embodying modern scientific vocabulary and categories.
8. Acquire knowledge that enables the student to pursue in-depth historical studies
9. Develop skills in teamwork, academic writing and foreign languages
2. Know the various Historiographical Traditions
3. Identify the major Historiographical Transformations of the last three decades
4. Know the main trends in several areas of current professional writing of History
5. Understand the responsibilities and ethics of professional historians and the public role of History as Knowledge
6. Knowing the critical literature on the subject .
7. Develop oral and written communication skills, embodying modern scientific vocabulary and categories.
8. Acquire knowledge that enables the student to pursue in-depth historical studies
9. Develop skills in teamwork, academic writing and foreign languages
Contents
I: Historiography and Historical Thought (HHT)
1. HHT in the West: from the Classical, Christian and Jewish Traditions to Modern Historiography. The expansion of European models and their consequences
2. HHT in the Islamic World; in Asia(s); in sub-Saharan Africa
5. Current trends and "regional" diversity
II: Historiography and Professionalization
1. Historians and Ethics
2. The Role of Public History
III: Form and Rhetoric in the Writing of History
1. History of Civilizations
2. National and International History
3. Comparative, Cross, Entangled and Transfer History
4. Transnational History
5. Global History
6. European History as History of Europe
7. History of the Atlantic
IV: The Historiographical field and new paradigms for the XXI Century: examples
1. History and empirical logical unities
2. Social History
3. Historical Biography and Prosopography
4. History of Gender
5. The Global Labor History
6. History of Colonization, Colonialism and Decolonization
1. HHT in the West: from the Classical, Christian and Jewish Traditions to Modern Historiography. The expansion of European models and their consequences
2. HHT in the Islamic World; in Asia(s); in sub-Saharan Africa
5. Current trends and "regional" diversity
II: Historiography and Professionalization
1. Historians and Ethics
2. The Role of Public History
III: Form and Rhetoric in the Writing of History
1. History of Civilizations
2. National and International History
3. Comparative, Cross, Entangled and Transfer History
4. Transnational History
5. Global History
6. European History as History of Europe
7. History of the Atlantic
IV: The Historiographical field and new paradigms for the XXI Century: examples
1. History and empirical logical unities
2. Social History
3. Historical Biography and Prosopography
4. History of Gender
5. The Global Labor History
6. History of Colonization, Colonialism and Decolonization
Teaching Methods
1. Lectures theoretical and practical.
2. Tutorial support for the preparation of text and papers.
2. Tutorial support for the preparation of text and papers.
Assessment
1. Continuous assessment:
MODULE 1 (Fernanda Olival) ? 50%
a) short in-class assignment, which may be subject to an oral presentation ? 15%;
b) attendance and participation ? 5%;
c) written test ? 30%.
MODULE 2 (Quintino Lopes) ? 50%
a) short in-class assignment, which may be subject to an oral presentation ? 15%;
b) attendance and participation ? 5%;
c) written test ? 30%.
Final assessment:
Exam ? see dates in the summary of the 1st or 2nd class.
NOTE: During assessment tasks, whether as part of continuous or final assessment, the use/consultation of mobile phones is prohibited (they must be switched off and put away), as is the use of earphones/headphones of any kind, as well as smartwatches.
Artificial Intelligence use policy
1 - In this course unit, in the 2025?26 academic year, the responsible use of AI tools is permitted for translating texts, occasional creation of images, and as support for learning, statistical processing of data, and bibliographic research, provided that the student:
a) critically validates any resulting information they use and retains human control over the content;
b) properly cites, in their work, the tools used and states the purposes for which they were used;
c) agrees to sign a declaration regarding their use, if requested by any professor.
2 - When assessment by the teaching team, or any of its members, is directly involved, the following uses of AI are unacceptable in this course unit in the academic year stated:
a) clarifying concepts in order to reproduce them verbatim in assessed work, since this is a Theory course unit;
b) generating or rewriting text, since the text itself is also being assessed;
c) creating the work plan;
d) correcting the structure and writing of the text as a whole or of parts of it;
e) generating data;
f) generating PowerPoints or equivalent slide decks to be presented in class;
g) failing to cite these tools when they have been used.
3 - Entering personal or sensitive data, fabricating bibliographic references and citations, or reproducing content without review constitute violations of the principles of academic ethics.
4 - Improper use of AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may entail, depending on severity:
a) being required to take an oral assessment or oral exam to determine the grade;
b) the penalties set out in the Academic Regulations ? Article 119.
5 - Materials submitted for assessment may be subject to plagiarism-detection systems or other fraud-detection measures.
MODULE 1 (Fernanda Olival) ? 50%
a) short in-class assignment, which may be subject to an oral presentation ? 15%;
b) attendance and participation ? 5%;
c) written test ? 30%.
MODULE 2 (Quintino Lopes) ? 50%
a) short in-class assignment, which may be subject to an oral presentation ? 15%;
b) attendance and participation ? 5%;
c) written test ? 30%.
Final assessment:
Exam ? see dates in the summary of the 1st or 2nd class.
NOTE: During assessment tasks, whether as part of continuous or final assessment, the use/consultation of mobile phones is prohibited (they must be switched off and put away), as is the use of earphones/headphones of any kind, as well as smartwatches.
Artificial Intelligence use policy
1 - In this course unit, in the 2025?26 academic year, the responsible use of AI tools is permitted for translating texts, occasional creation of images, and as support for learning, statistical processing of data, and bibliographic research, provided that the student:
a) critically validates any resulting information they use and retains human control over the content;
b) properly cites, in their work, the tools used and states the purposes for which they were used;
c) agrees to sign a declaration regarding their use, if requested by any professor.
2 - When assessment by the teaching team, or any of its members, is directly involved, the following uses of AI are unacceptable in this course unit in the academic year stated:
a) clarifying concepts in order to reproduce them verbatim in assessed work, since this is a Theory course unit;
b) generating or rewriting text, since the text itself is also being assessed;
c) creating the work plan;
d) correcting the structure and writing of the text as a whole or of parts of it;
e) generating data;
f) generating PowerPoints or equivalent slide decks to be presented in class;
g) failing to cite these tools when they have been used.
3 - Entering personal or sensitive data, fabricating bibliographic references and citations, or reproducing content without review constitute violations of the principles of academic ethics.
4 - Improper use of AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may entail, depending on severity:
a) being required to take an oral assessment or oral exam to determine the grade;
b) the penalties set out in the Academic Regulations ? Article 119.
5 - Materials submitted for assessment may be subject to plagiarism-detection systems or other fraud-detection measures.
Teaching Staff
- Maria Fernanda de Olival [responsible]
- Quintino Manuel Junqueira Lopes
Accreditations and Certifications
