This course provides an opportunity for people interested in local, family and applied history to pursue formal studies in their areas of interest and to acquire qualifications as historians. The focus is on learning and practising the specific skills and knowledge required to investigate, interpret and present histories that meet professional standards, utilise different sources and media, and engage a variety of different audiences.

Course content includes introductions to the history and nature of history; the evolution of local, family and applied history; the development of skills to investigate and interpret heritage sites, memorials, material culture, museums and oral history interviews; the importance of national and international perspectives; and opportunities for work experiences as professional historians.

Successful completion of the course entitles students to advanced standing in the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Historical Inquiry and Practice where students can do more history units and pursue other areas of study.

Career Outcomes

The Advanced Diploma in Local, Family and Applied History will open doors to a range of career opportunities, including: cultural and heritage tourism; family and history organisations; family history and genealogy; history and heritage consultancies; local government planning and heritage.

Course Aims

The course recognises that there is a wide range of people from differing educational backgrounds who are interested in the pursuit of local, family and applied history as a cultural study in its own right, as a means of promoting community service or as a professional qualification. The popularity of family history on the internet and in television programs is a testament to this interest. This course caters for these students. It recognises their interests and wealth of experience, and aims to build on these in order to enhance their professional skills and the work opportunities available to them as qualified historians.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• identify and interpret a variety of historical sources and demonstrate an understanding of diverse historical approaches;
• communicate detailed historical investigation and ideas with depth in a variety of written, oral and multi-media forms;
• understand and apply historical imagination, creativity, intellectual curiosity and critical thinking in the investigation, interpretation and presentation of local, family and applied history;
• demonstrate an understanding of the ethical and social responsibilities of historians to the communities with whom they work and to the discipline of history more broadly; and
• identify the variety of ways in which local, family and applied history is practised in community, professional and academic settings.