Updated on Aug 5, 2022 06:51 IST
Sarjana Sinha

Sarjana SinhaContent Writer

History is one of the broad fields of study. It includes the study of Art History, Ancient History, Cultural History, Economic History, Military History, Social History and World History. The three main branches of History are: Ancient History, Medieval History and Modern History. Students studying History get an opportunity to learn about different periods, religions, geographical places and culture and economy of past regimes. Histroy courses in India are offered by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under the Humanities stream. Candidates who have completed class 12 level education can pursue Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Certificate and Diploma courses in History. Read this article on History courses further to know more details such as course types, distance History courses, top History colleges with courses, and much more.

Types of History Courses

Types of History courses can be categorised based on the mode of study. Different educational institutes offer courses with different modes of education. A traditional college will most likely provide full-time education. While a MOOC platform provides online education. The space below mentions the types of History courses based on the mode of education.

History Courses with Different Modes of Study

Nearly all the universities in India impart education in the field. Candidates can choose the mode of study for a History course based on their academic needs, and future goals. History courses with different modes of education are as follows:

  • Full-time courses: This is a classroom-based course offered by several colleges/institutes with UGC recognition. A full-time History course follows the traditional education method of physically attending college.
  • Distance/Correspondence Course: This course is identical to a full-time History degree course; however, students can complete a distance course and get the degree credential without studying at a college.

Popular History Courses

Full-time Histroy courses are among the top choices of candidates who aspire to become a historian. Besides a regular History degree, candidates also consider a Distance learning course. Besides the degree course, very less students consider a certification course in History right after completing Class 12.

Some of the popular courses in History courses are:

  • BA in Ancient History
  • BA in Ancient Indian History and Archeology
  • BEd History
  • MA in Ancient Indian History
  • MA History
  • MPhil History

History Degree Courses

An undergraduate course in History is a three-year degree course offered based on the merit of candidates in Class 12 level examination. The table below mentions the key highlights of the History course:

Course Features

Course Details

Name of course

History

Duration of course

3 years

Course fees

Fees typically ranges below INR 1 lakh for the course

Eligibility

Candidates who have completed Class 12 with a minimum of 50 per cent aggregate. However, some colleges do not have minimum score criteria.

Admission process

Entrance/Merit-based

What after a degree in History?

Candidates can pursue a master's degree course. Alternatively, they can eye for job profiles like teaching, Librarian, Historian, Archivist, Consultant etc.

Top History Degree Courses

Candidates can find a few of the top History degree courses along with the college offering the course in the table below:

Name of Course Name of College
Bachelor of Arts in History
BA (History, Economics, Political Science, Psychology)
BA (History, Economics, Political Science)
BA (Hons) in Liberal Arts
BA (History, Economics, Philosophy)
BA (Hons) in History
BA (History, Sociology)

Distance History Courses

Besides the full-time course, Histroy courses are also offered in distance mode. However, the admission process, eligibility criteria, course curriculum, and career prospects remain the same even in the distance mode of education. The only difference lies in the mode of lecture delivery. The table below mentions key highlights of a Distance degree in History:

Course Features

Course Details

Name of course

Distance course in History, also known as Correspondence History

Duration of the course

3 years

Course fees

Course fee typically lies below INR 1 lakh

Eligibility

Candidates must have passed Class 12 or equivalent. Candidates from all streams are eligible to apply for the distance course.

Admission process

Merit-based

What after a Distance degree?

Candidates can pursue master's degree courses, or get a job that requires an expertise in History

Top Distance History Courses

The table below mentions the top History courses along with the universities/colleges offering the course in Distance mode:

Name of Course Name of College
BA (Economics, History, English)
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
BSc (Hons) in History
BA in Historical Studies

Diploma Courses in History-UG

UG diploma course in History are also the popular choice among the candidates after degree courses. The Diploma courses are usually of one year duration. The eligibility criteria for Diploma courses is 10+2 passed in any stream. Usually there is no entrance test conducted for admission to diploma courses. The Diploma courses in History are tabulated below:

Name of Course Duration Name of College
Diploma in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology 1-year K J Somaiya Institute of Dharma Studies
Diploma in Manuscriptology 1-year UNIPUNE - Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU)

History Certificate Courses

Candidates who wish to pursue a short term or a certificate course can opt for below-mentioned courses:

Name of Course Name of College
Certificate in History

History Degree Courses – PG

PG courses in History can be pursued after completion of a UG course in History. The details are tabulated below:

Course Features

Course Details

Name of course

History (PG)

Duration of course

2 years

Course fees

Fees typically range below INR 1 lakh for the course

Eligibility

Candidates who have completed bachelor's with a minimum of 50 per cent aggregate in History. However, some colleges do not have minimum score criteria.

Admission process

Entrance/Merit-based

What after a degree in History?

Candidates can pursue a master's degree course. Alternatively, they can eye for job profiles like Heritage Manager, Lecturer, Anthropologist, Historic Building Inspector, Historian, Archaeologist etc.

Top History PG Degree Courses

Candidates can find a few of the top History PG degree courses along with the college offering the course in the table below:

Name of Courses Name of Colleges
MA in History
MA in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology
MA in Historical Studies

FAQs on History Courses

Q. What is a History course about?

A. History is the study of facts, events, individuals and society in the past. There are many sub-branches to History.  Candidates pursuing a course in History get the opportunity to learn about the incidents, inventions, discoveries which developed the society.

Q. Is History a good course to pursue?

A. Yes. Candidates who wish to pursue a career in the field of Archaeology, Anthropology, Linguistics, Political Science, etc need to complete a course in History. Hence, there is an immense scope of History as a subject.

Q. What is the duration of the History UG degree course?

A. Similar to other UG degree courses. A History degree has a duration of three years. Three years of the History course is divided into six semesters.

Q. Can I pursue a History degree in an online mode?

A. No. a degree course in History is not offered in an online mode. However, several MOOC platforms offer certification courses in History.

Q. Can I pursue History in distance mode?

A. Yes. Several open universities and distance education departments offer History degree courses in distance education mode. Distance learning courses in History are also known as correspondence in History.

Q. What are the basic eligibility criteria to pursue an undergraduate course in History?

A. Candidates who have completed Class 12 level education are eligible for the History undergraduate course. Candidates across streams can apply for such courses.

Q. I completed Class 12 with a Commerce stream. Am I eligible for the History course?

A. Yes. Candidates, irrespective of their stream in Class 12, can pursue a course in History. However, several universities only offer the course to candidates who have completed Class 12 with a Humanities stream.

Q. What are the eligibility criteria to pursue a PG degree course in History?

A. Candidates must have completed their graduation with History as one of the main subjects to pursue a postgraduate course in History.

Q. Which are the popular courses in History?

A. The popular courses in History are BA in Ancient Indian Culture, BA History, BA (Hons) History, MA History of Art, MA Ancient History etc.

Q. Which are the popular entrance exams in History?

A. The top entrance examinations through which one can take admissions to the History programmes are:

Q. In what areas can candidates pursue a career after completing a course in History?

A. Some of the popular job profiles are historian, lecturer, Anthropologist, Heritage Manager, Academic Researcher, Teacher, Archaeologist etc.
Table of contents
  • Popular History Colleges in India
  • Popular Private History Colleges in India
  • Popular Exams
  • Popular History Specializations
  • Most Popular Courses
  • Popular History UG Courses
  • Popular History PG Courses
View More

Popular History Colleges in India

Following are the most popular History Colleges in India. Learn more about these History colleges (Courses, Reviews, Answers & more) by downloading the Brochure.
3 Courses
55.95 K - 86.01 K
9.24 - 9.5 LPA

#1 NIRF

14 Courses
15.21 K - 19.09 K
7 LPA

#2 NIRF

432 - 540
8.4 LPA

#3 NIRF

6 Courses
47.45 K
5.4 LPA

#4 NIRF

1.4 L - 1.42 L

#5 NIRF

1 Course
540
4.62 LPA

#7 NIRF

Popular Private History Colleges in India

2.76 L - 5.52 L
3.7

#75 India Today

History Applications open. Apply Now

75 K - 42.96 L
10.6 LPA

History Applications open till Jan 21, 2026. Apply Now

4.5 L

History Applications open. Apply Now

4 Courses
70 K - 3 L
3.0

History Applications open. Apply Now

2 Courses
80 K - 1.14 L
3 - 3.6 LPA
1.47 L - 2.39 L
5.5 - 7.5 LPA

History Applications open. Apply Now

Popular Exams

Following are the top exams for History. Students interested in pursuing a career on History, generally take these important exams.You can also download the exam guide to get more insights.

Jun '26

CPGET 2026 Notification

TENTATIVE

Jun '26

CPGET 2026 Registration

TENTATIVE

3 Jan ' 26 - 30 Jan ' 26

CUET 2026 Application Process

11 May ' 26 - 31 May ' 26

CUET 2026 Exam

27 Feb ' 26

Last date to apply for March Attempt

14 Mar ' 26

SAT India exam (March attempt)

Mar '26

PUBDET 2026 Applications

TENTATIVE

To Be Notified:

PUBDET 2026 Application Correction Window

Popular History Specializations

Following are the most popular History Specializations . You can explore the top Colleges offering these Specializations by clicking the links below.

Popular Specializations

Popular History UG Courses

Following are the most popular History UG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these UG Courses by clicking the links below.

UG Courses

Popular History PG Courses

Following are the most popular History PG Courses . You can explore the top Colleges offering these PG Courses by clicking the links below.

PG Courses

qna

Student Forum

chatAnything you would want to ask experts?
Write here...

Answered Yesterday

Khyati credit 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒏 app customer 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉elpline Number √° 86530-78173™™₹₹₹Khyati credit 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒏 app customer 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉elpline Number √° 86530-78173™™₹₹₹Khyati credit 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒏 app customer 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉elpline Number √° 86530-78173™™₹₹₹Khyati credit 𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒏 app customer 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉elpline Nu

...Read more

s

sutapa biswas

Contributor-Level 6

Answered a week ago

Aap B.A honours History or Political Science se kar sakte ho koi dikkat nhi hai. Aapne jo sub 12th me padha hain unme se hi three sub domain and English or Hindi ko language me select karo aur unka exam do. Then aap Preference me dal sakte ho ki aapko kis subject me Honours karna hai. Aap History/ P

...Read more

S

Sandhya Kumari

Beginner-Level 2

Answered 2 weeks ago

The South East Technological University came into existence after 2 institutes of technology- Waterford IT and IT Carlow came together into existing university of over 50 years of experience in higher education, research, etc. In 2022, SETU was established under the Universities Act 2018 by Minister

...Read more

K

Kanishka Gambhir

Contributor-Level 10

Answered 3 weeks ago

The history syllabus of the UGC NET exam consists of several topics that is, Indian History, Pre-History, Ancient History, Medieval Indian History and Modern India including the National Movement and post independent phase. The history syllabus is divided in to ten units. The topics for the History

...Read more

K

Kritika Sharma

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 4 weeks ago

To puruse B.A (Hons.) History from DU, candidates must appear for CUET UG 2026 exam and register for exam online. While filling the CUET online form, candidates must select below CUET Arts subjects:

Combination I: Any one Language from List A + Any three subjects from Domain Subjects 

OR

Combination II

...Read more

N

Nishtha Pandey

Contributor-Level 6

Answered 4 weeks ago

Hi.

Yes, PCM students can apply for BA LLB and BA (Hons) through CUET-UG, but subject choice is very important.

 CUET Subjects for BA LLB (5-year integrated)

Most central universities (like DU, BHU, AMU, AU, etc.) follow this pattern:

Compulsory Subjects

  1. Language (Any ONE)

    • English (recommended)

    • or Hindi /

...Read more

h

heena agrawal

Scholar-Level 17

Answered a month ago

Jamia Millia Islamia was born out of the independence movement, and was created to instill nationalistic and secularistic values in its students. The university was born as a separate Muslim minority institution to resist the British influence over Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

The Jamia Milla Isl

...Read more

A

Ashwin Yadav

Contributor-Level 10

Find insights & recommendations on colleges and exams that you won't find anywhere else

On Shiksha, get access to

  • 66k Colleges
  • 1k Exams
  • 681k Reviews
  • 1800k Answers