2003:12 R
Evaluation of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in History at higher education institutions in Sweden
Both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in History maintain a good standard on the whole. Students and teachers agree that study of the subject helps to develop the students´ capacity for critical thought and to identify, formulate and solve problems. Generally speaking, the teaching functions well and all the institutions have staff who both teach and conduct research.
History is studied as a major subject for a bachelor´s or more advanced degree at 20 institutions. Postgraduate programmes are offered at nine universities. On the whole the universities have large numbers of students at every level and can offer a broad programme of courses. The panel of assessors also considers that the university colleges can offer a stimulating environment for the subject, and can make up for their small size by the scope offered for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary cooperation. The dependence of the environment on individuals may make it vulnerable.
On the whole the academic and teaching qualifications of the teachers are considered to be high. One important factor that can be noted is the great interest in research among all categories of teachers at both the university colleges and the universities. The panel of assessors draws attention, however, to the importance of planning the total allocation of time for research at departmental level. There must always be an adequate and continuous supply of qualified teachers who can participate in the teaching. Time allocated for research must, in the opinion of the National Agency, always be allocated so that students have access to well-qualified teachers to an adequate extent.
The number of students who continue to third and fourth semester programmes at C and D level is limited. The National Agency considers it important for the continued development of the subject for more students to opt to continue to more advanced levels. Information about the labour market for historians is important if students are to dare to invest in more advanced programmes in History. One way of providing a basis for this information would be to use a questionnaire survey to follow up previous undergraduate and postgraduate students. Surveys of this kind would also provide feed-back on the organisation and implementation of the programmes. The National Agency would like to emphasise the importance of following up previous students and the need to survey other aspects of the labour market.
One problem indicated by the panel of assessors is the restricted recruitment by the universities to postgraduate programmes of students who have taken undergraduate degrees elsewhere. More graduates from higher education institutions without their own postgraduate programmes must be given a chance to compete for postgraduate places on equal terms. This would also provide a greater incentive to these institutions to invest in further development of good C and D programmes without necessarily aiming to introduce their own postgraduate training. More national graduate schools are required to enable greater mobility.
On the whole the panel of assessors gained a positive impression of postgraduate programmes. The changes in their structure and organisation made since 1998 are extensive. A larger proportion of these programmes is now devoted to thesis work overall and supervision seems to have become more structured. There seems to be a conscious desire to make it possible for postgraduate students to complete their studies in the time stipulated. There are however major variations in working conditions for doctoral students. The institutions should endeavour to provide the best possible working conditions for all postgraduate students.
International student exchanges in the subject are described as being almost non-existent. One reason could to some extent be that many of the research links in undergraduate courses are based on work in local or regional archives. More effort on the part of the institutions to enable students to take some of their courses at an institution outside Sweden would be desirable.
As in many of the humanities there is a general preponderance of men among teaching staff, postgraduate students and undergraduates at C and D level and a general preponderance of women in undergraduate programmes as a whole. This is something that many of the higher education institutions are taking active steps to rectify, but even greater efforts are required.
A good but vulnerable teaching environment at both universities and university colleges
History is studied as a major subject for a bachelor´s or more advanced degree at 20 institutions. Postgraduate programmes are offered at nine universities. On the whole the universities have large numbers of students at every level and can offer a broad programme of courses. The panel of assessors also considers that the university colleges can offer a stimulating environment for the subject, and can make up for their small size by the scope offered for interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary cooperation. The dependence of the environment on individuals may make it vulnerable.
As is the case in many of the evaluations of subjects and programmes, attention has been drawn to the wide variations in the pre-entry knowledge of students. The National Agency has raised this problem in previous evaluation reports, emphasising the necessity of methodological development work that will enable all students to benefit as greatly as possible from their studies. The National Agency also notes that History is one of the subjects in which a great deal of methodological inventiveness can be found in both the planning and implementation of teaching and examinations.
Teachers who research
On the whole the academic and teaching qualifications of the teachers are considered to be high. One important factor that can be noted is the great interest in research among all categories of teachers at both the university colleges and the universities. The panel of assessors draws attention, however, to the importance of planning the total allocation of time for research at departmental level. There must always be an adequate and continuous supply of qualified teachers who can participate in the teaching. Time allocated for research must, in the opinion of the National Agency, always be allocated so that students have access to well-qualified teachers to an adequate extent.
The panel of assessors also recommends that teachers with continuous tenure should be allocated unbroken periods of time for research within their posts as is the case at some of the higher education institutions. The National Agency considers that the institutions and faculties should endeavour to create the conditions in which such terms of employment can be offered.
Relatively few students in more advanced undergraduate programmes
The number of students who continue to third and fourth semester programmes at C and D level is limited. The National Agency considers it important for the continued development of the subject for more students to opt to continue to more advanced levels. Information about the labour market for historians is important if students are to dare to invest in more advanced programmes in History. One way of providing a basis for this information would be to use a questionnaire survey to follow up previous undergraduate and postgraduate students. Surveys of this kind would also provide feed-back on the organisation and implementation of the programmes. The National Agency would like to emphasise the importance of following up previous students and the need to survey other aspects of the labour market.
Need to recruit more postgraduate students from the university colleges
One problem indicated by the panel of assessors is the restricted recruitment by the universities to postgraduate programmes of students who have taken undergraduate degrees elsewhere. More graduates from higher education institutions without their own postgraduate programmes must be given a chance to compete for postgraduate places on equal terms. This would also provide a greater incentive to these institutions to invest in further development of good C and D programmes without necessarily aiming to introduce their own postgraduate training. More national graduate schools are required to enable greater mobility.
Changes in postgraduate programmes
On the whole the panel of assessors gained a positive impression of postgraduate programmes. The changes in their structure and organisation made since 1998 are extensive. A larger proportion of these programmes is now devoted to thesis work overall and supervision seems to have become more structured. There seems to be a conscious desire to make it possible for postgraduate students to complete their studies in the time stipulated. There are however major variations in working conditions for doctoral students. The institutions should endeavour to provide the best possible working conditions for all postgraduate students.
Shortcomings in international student mobility
International student exchanges in the subject are described as being almost non-existent. One reason could to some extent be that many of the research links in undergraduate courses are based on work in local or regional archives. More effort on the part of the institutions to enable students to take some of their courses at an institution outside Sweden would be desirable.
Gender imbalance
As in many of the humanities there is a general preponderance of men among teaching staff, postgraduate students and undergraduates at C and D level and a general preponderance of women in undergraduate programmes as a whole. This is something that many of the higher education institutions are taking active steps to rectify, but even greater efforts are required.
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Swedish National Agency for Higher Education Visting address: Luntmakargatan 13 Box 7851, 103 99 Stockholm
Phone: 08-563 085 00 Fax: 08-563 085 50 Email: hsv@hsv.se
Phone: 08-563 085 00 Fax: 08-563 085 50 Email: hsv@hsv.se
