Daugavpils University

History

Aim of the Study Programme:

to train specialists of history and cultural history of academic level with profound theoretical and methodological knowledge, able to do independent scientific research work.

Tasks of the Study Programm:

• contribute to master students’ knowledge and understanding of the diversity of methodologies and theoretical approaches, by researching history and cultural history;
• develop master students’ skills
  • to critically evaluate conceptions existing in the modern historical research and culture studies,
  • to explain and substantiate their understanding of the essence and significance of facts and processes of history and cultural history,
  • to ground their choice of methodology for their own research within an appropriate methodological framework;
• to improve master students’ competence in:
  • identification and processing of data by applying various methods of historical sources and historiography and modern technologies;
  • presenting the conception, process and findings of a research by means of modern technologies.

As a result of the programme’s acquisition, the graduate will acquire and be able to demonstrate:

Knowledge:

Students are able to demonstrate more profound/extended knowledge and understanding of:

• historical thought in the Antiquity, idea of history in the Middle Ages, emerging of the idea of historicism and historical discipline;
• variety of conceptions for contemporary philosophy of history;
• specific character of the discipline of history,  theory of historical source;
• research methods, methodologies and their reciprocity;
• issues of historical regionalism;
• traditions and directions of Latvian historiography;
• organization of the discipline of history and institutions in Latvia and abroad;
• interaction between history and culture;
• interaction of history and culture.

Skills:

Students can independently

• analyse and compare theoretical conceptions of philosophy of history, historiography, source studies;
• critically evaluate theoretical findings and results of the conducted researches;
• substantiate their understanding of history and the theme and methodology of their own research;
• study and select the necessary information from scholarly literature and electronic information resources;
• plan, organize and conduct studies, research and other activities;
• solve research problems;
•  carry out a research:
• investigate collections of historical sources (archives, museums, press etc.) and select sources to reveal the research theme,
• create source complexes,
• apply appropriate research methods for obtaining of information from the sources,
• compare, interpret and gather information from different sources,
• make historical reconstructions,
• assess research findings and determine further perspective of the research;
• render the results of their own research in scientific papers, publications and presentations;
• participate in scientific communication by providing arguments and explanations of facts, and discussing the aspects of history.

Competence:

Students are able to

• independently formulate and critically analyse complex problems of history;
• integrate knowledge of different fields, apply research methodology in practice for creation of new knowledge in the field of history;
• improve their  own knowledge and skills relevant to the field of activity; study Latvian and foreign periodicals, the novelties of research literature, acquiring topical tendencies in the field of history;
• act in accordance with the principles of ethics and with attention, understanding and tolerance towards ideas and results of work done by other people; are responsible for accuracy and correctness of their own work.

Content of AMSP “History” (study courses)