History courses in India offer programs ranging from certificate courses, degree and doctorate courses. The basic eligibility criterion for anybody to opt for this career is completing 10+2 level from a recognized school/college.
Since excavations are still taking place across the globe, there are always new discoveries taking place and the need for archaeologists and historians are intensifying. As a result, there are tremendous opportunities for students after completion of this course.
There are short term online certification courses provided by various online sites like the Udemy, Coursera, Edx, etc and apart from that one can pursue this course full time too with various bachelors and masters degree programs.
We will be providing you with all the necessary information about this course, the best colleges, the fee details, admission process, job prospects and average salary after the completion of History course.
- History courses need an extensive study, the reason why diploma courses are not available at present in India.
- The online certificate courses are generally self-paced. However, the course duration ranges from a few hours to few months, generally.
- Online courses give a gist of Ancient, Medieval and Modern History and basically enhance the skill for future studies.
- For Bachelors, universities usually short-list candidates based on marks obtained in 10+2 or equivalent level of education.
- For PG and doctorate level many universities conduct entrance tests for selecting the candidates.
After graduating students get jobs like Anthropologist, Academic Researcher, Archaeologist, Historian, School Teacher, College Professor, Information Officer, etc.
After graduation in History, students can expect an average starting salary of around INR 3 to 7 LPA, in India.
History Courses: Highlights
| Popular Courses |
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| Duration |
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| Eligibility |
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| Average Fees |
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| Online Courses | Available for certificate programs |
| Top Job Prospects | Anthropologist, Academic Researcher, Archaeologist, Historian, School Teacher, College Professor, Information Officer, etc. |
As you now have the gist of what history course actually is, what are the job prospects and which courses to opt from, we have provided a detailed list of colleges, fees, duration, jobs and average salary insights for your convenience.
Certificate History Courses
Certificate courses in history provide a brief and in-depth study about various significant historic eras. There are primarily online certificate courses available, however, offline certificates are not available at present, in India. The course provides basic knowledge about Ancient, Medieval, Modern and Contemporary History of the world.
Certification programs in History provide the candidates with additional skills and they do not have to leave other commitments for pursuing the course. It is generally self-paced and does not demand long hours from the students.
Below we have listed down the best online certificate programs for your reference.
Online Certificate History Courses
| Certificate | Provider | Duration | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Modern World, Part One: Global History from 1760 to 1910 | Coursera | 21 hours | INR 2,155 |
| The Modern World, Part Two: Global History since 1910 | Coursera | 24 hours | INR 2,155 |
| History Courses | Harvard University | Self-pace | INR 10,258 |
| Ancient History Courses | FutureLearn | 2 weeks | INR 4,354 |
| Medieval History Course | FutureLearn | 6 weeks | INR 5,461 |
| Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology | St. Xavier’s College -Autonomous, Mumbai | 6 months | INR 2000/course |
How are Admissions in Certificate Programs of History Courses Done?
- For online certificate courses there are usually eligibility criteria, however, it is preferred to have at least a 10+2 level of education.
- History courses provided by Harvard University consist of wide variety of subjects like Judaism through its Scriptures, Hinduism through its Scriptures, Islam through its Scriptures, etc.
- Similarly online history courses provided by FutureLearn, St. Xavier’s College, etc. provide a wide variety of topics related to important periods of history covering subjects like Epigraphy and Numismatics of Ancient India, Archaeology, Social History, British History and many more.
PG Diploma History Courses
There are only a few colleges offering PG Diploma in History as the course demands in-depth knowledge about the subject to be a successful Historian. PG Diploma in History provides students with extensive knowledge about a specific topic of History. It does not cover overall history as a subject, but equips students with deep knowledge about Archival Science, Manuscriptology, Museology and Indian History of Arts.
Top PG Diploma History Courses
Below we have listed down colleges offering this course
| Course Name | Institute Name | Duration | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| PG Diploma in Museology & History of Indian History of Indian Arts | Osmania University, Hyderabad Vikram University, Ujjain | 1 year | INR 2,200 |
| Post Graduate Diploma in Archival Science and Manuscriptology | Osmania University, Hyderabad | 1 year | INR 2,200 |
How are Admissions in PG Diploma History Courses Done?
For admission in PG Diploma one must have a Graduate degree from a recognized institute with an aggregate of 45%
Candidates can directly go to the website and apply for the course.
Colleges offering PG Diploma History Courses
| Institute Name | Location |
|---|---|
| Osmania University | Hyderabad |
| Indira Kala Sangit Vishwavidyalaya | Chhattisgarh |
| Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Avam Jansanchar University | Chhattisgarh |
| Vikram University | Ujjain |
Bachelor History Courses
BA in History is an extensive learning program about significant historical occurring, their dates, archaeology, their significance and many more. It is a 3-year full time course offered by various premiere institutes on the basis of merit and entrance exams. Also, there are many part-time courses offered by institutes like IGNOU, Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu Open University, Osmania University, etc.
Top Undergraduate (UG) History Courses
Below we have listed down full-time courses provided by various institutes for your reference.
| Course Name | Institute | Duration | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| BA History | Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi Christ University, Bangalore St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai | 3 years | INR 15,870 |
How are Admissions in Bachelor History Courses Done?
- Candidates must complete their 10+2 level of education with an aggregate of 45% or 55% (depends on the institute) in any stream to be eligible for admission.
- Generally students are selected on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination.
- Colleges lay out a cut-off list according to which students are selected.
- For institutes like Christ University, they conduct their own entrance exams for short-listing the candidates.
- Some of the top entrance exams for the course are PUBDET (Presidency University), CUET (Christ University), JNUEE, etc.
Colleges for Bachelor History Courses
| NIRF Ranking | Institute Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Lady Shri Ram College | New Delhi |
| 4 | St. Stephen’s College | New Delhi |
| 5 | Presidency College | Chennai |
| 6 | Loyola College | Chennai |
| 11 | Calcutta University | Kolkata |
| 12 | Jadavpur University | Kolkata |
| 16 | Jamia Millia Islamia | New Delhi |
| 42 | Fergusson College | Pune |
| 90 | St. Xavier’s College | Mumbai |
Master History Courses
Post graduation program in History is a 2-year full time course offered to equip students with historical facts about Indian history, world history, various historical ideologies, cruelties of many leaders against mankind, detail and dates of significant events in the past and many more. Students must have a graduate degree to avail this course. Also, students wanting to further their academics in the field of research in history can go for the course to apply for PhD after its completion.
Below we have listed down some of the top colleges offering this course for your reference.
Top Postgraduate (PG) History Courses
| Course Name | Institute | Duration | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| MA History | Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad Jadavpur University, Kolkata | 2 years | INR 14,400 |
| MA Ancient History | Annamalai University, Annamalai | 2 years | INR 5,585 |
How are Admissions in Master History Courses Done?
- Candidates must complete their graduation degree in History or any equivalent course.
- Aspirants must have an aggregate of 50%.
- For premiere institutes like Delhi University, students must secure 60% in their graduation or any equivalent domain.
- Some colleges give admission on the basis of merit.
- Students need to sit for an entrance exam, often followed by personal interviews in some colleges.
- Students need to clear entrance tests like BHU PET, JMIEEE, DUET, etc organized by institutes to be selected in premiere colleges.
Colleges for Master History Courses
| NIRF Ranking | Institute Name | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Loyola College | Chennai |
| 8 | Jawaharlal Nehru University | New Delhi |
| 12 | Jadavpur University | Kolkata |
| 14 | Sri Venkateswara College | New Delhi |
| 17 | Madras Christian College | Chennai |
| 18 | Delhi University | New Delhi |
| 31 | Aligarh Muslim University | Aligarh |
| 46 | Ethiraj College for Women | Chennai |
| 53 | Osmania University | Hyderabad |
Doctorate History Courses
PhD in History is an extensive study which requires immense research on the part of the students pursuing it. Aspirants can expect to learn about various written documents throughout the history by further researching about the social, cultural, political and geographical aspects of the period of their specialization. This course is usually for 3 years but can extend up to 5 or even 6 years.
Below we have listed down top institutes offering this course for your reference.
Top PhD History Courses
| Course Name | Institute | Duration | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhD in Ancient History | Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi | 4 years | INR 400 |
| PhD in Ancient India History and Archaeology | Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi | 3 years | INR 8,368 |
| PhD in History | Loyola College, Chennai Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi | 3 years | INR 9,285 |
| PhD in Ancient Indian History Culture and Archaeology | Utkal University, Bhubaneswar | 3 years | INR 9,500 |
How are Admissions in Doctorate History Courses Done?
- Aspirants must complete their post graduation in History or any equivalent course with an aggregate of 55%.
- They must sit for entrance exams conducted by the institutes for short-listing the candidates.
- Admissions are done on the basis of marks obtained in the entrance tests, marks in graduation and personal interview.
- Entrance exams like JNUEE, JMI, LPU NEST, UGC NET, etc are conducted for selecting the candidates.
- However, for some institutes like Jadavpur University, candidates having an M.Phil degree or students who have qualified NET or SET are not required to appear for the written test.
Colleges for Doctorate History Courses
| NIRF Ranking | Institute | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Loyola College | Chennai |
| 11 | University of Calcutta | Kolkata |
| 12 | Jadavpur University | Kolkata |
| 18 | Delhi University | New Delhi |
| 79 | Banasthali Vidyapith | Jaipur |
| 101 | Utkal University | Bhubaneswar |
| 151 | Presidency University | Kolkata |
What are the Top Job Options after History Courses?
Archivist
Archivists are trained to organize and manage various documents, artifacts, computer records, maps, etc and preserve them from any further damage. Their main task is to observe if something is valuable and if it is useful in future, after which they gather and accumulate all the information related to that particular item for future reference.
Starting Salary: INR 5,54,000
Skills Required
- Excellent writing skills
- Communication skills
- IT skills
- Typing Skills
- Leadership skills
- Decision making skills
Archaeologist
Archaeologists are extensively trained to preserve extremely delicate past remains and further study them to disclose mysteries of a particular period of history. Archaeologists study numerous and wide-ranging cultures which existed in the past by further determining, social, political and geographical aspects of a certain era.
Starting Salary: INR 3,50,000
Skills Required
- IT skills
- Decision making skills
- Eye for detail
- Writing skills
Historian
Historians are the ones who have done in-depth study about politics, demographics, social and cultural aspects of the past. They study the past by further predicting the future of the world. They study how current scenarios like politics, ideologies, cultures, traditions, etc are directly or indirectly interlinked with the past. They visit the excavation sites, thoroughly read historical books, and study the ancient artifacts to determine various aspects of historical events.
Starting Salary: INR 9,20,000
Skills Required
- Communication skills
- Research skills
- IT skills
- Eye for detail
- Writing skills
High School Teacher
High school teachers, especially history teachers are responsible for guiding and teaching students about historical events, stories of the past, socio-cultural aspects of the significant events, etc. They generally work indoors and equip students to further their career in history. Their main tasks include lectures, discussions, seminars, maintaining student records, conducting exams and many more.
Starting Salary: INR 3,00,000
Skills Required
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent writing skills
- Leadership skills
- Research skills

What Skills are Required in History courses?
Apart from all the general skills like leadership, communication, etc., recruiters do want skills that make one stand tall from the crowd. They search for certified skills, especially skills that are transferable.
Survey Data Collection
This course is important for learning fundamentals of surveying, evaluation research, and analyzing the raw data collected through extensive surveying. Historians and archaeologists must have knowledge about data collection, cluster sampling, missing data, R programming, etc through the mode of surveys. This practical skill will make any aspirant stand out from others in the eyes of the recruiters.
Top Survey Data Collection Courses
| Course | Provider | Duration | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey Data Collection and Analytics | Coursera | 5 months | INR 3,641 |
| UX Research at Scale: Surveys, Analytics, Online Testing | Coursera | 22 hours | INR 3,641 |
| Digital Land Surveying and Mapping | SWAYAM (Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee) | 8 weeks | Free |
Survey Data Collection Course Syllabus
| Framework for data collection and analysis | Sampling people, networks and records |
| Digital land surveying | Dealing with missing data |
| Global Positioning System (GPS) | Behavioral Analytics |
| Remote testing | Asking the right people |
Survey Data Collection Job Profiles
- Archaeologist
- Field Survey Executive
- Building Control Surveyor
Writing Skills
Historians must possess excellent writing skills in order to create a compelling and appealing narrative after the completion of their research. They must have knowledge about how to structure a proper brief paragraph by not missing out on any detail. They should know where to place significant or non-significant information with correct punctuation and construct a crisp journal.
Top Writing Skills Courses
| Course | Provider | Duration | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective Communication: Writing, Design and Presentation | Coursera | 1 month | INR 3,641 |
| English Composition: Research and Writing | EDX | 8 weeks | - |
| Punctuation Mastery | Udemy | 2.5 hours | INR 455 |
Writing Skills Course Syllabus
| Business writing | Effective communication Capstone Project |
| Knowledge of Conventions | Successful Presentation |
| Digital Technology | Importance of Punctuation |
Writing Skills Job Profiles
- Historical Writer
- Content Writer
- News Writer
- Copywriter
History Courses Online Fees and Rating Comparison
| Course | Provider | Duration | Rating | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective Communication: Writing, Design and Presentation | Coursera | 1 month | 4.8 | INR 3,641 |
| English Composition: Research and Writing | EDX | 8 weeks | - | - |
| Punctuation Mastery | Udemy | 2.5 hours | 4.5 | INR 455 |
| Survey Data Collection and Analytics | Coursera | 5 months | 4.2 | INR 3,641 |
| UX Research at Scale: Surveys, Analytics, Online Testing | Coursera | 22 hours | 4.4 | INR 3,641 |
History Courses: FAQs
Ques. What are the job prospects after the certification course?
Ans. There are no job prospects after certification course as it needs broad knowledge about the subject to have a successful career. However, you can hone your skills for entrance exams for premiere institutes like DU, BHU, Jadavpur University, Osmania University JNU, etc
Ques. I have completed my 12th standard in Commerce, can I pursue this field?
Ans. Yes, you can. You must have an aggregate percentage cut-off.
Ques. Is computer knowledge important for a History course?
Ans. Yes, computer knowledge adds up to the skills for pursuing this course as it deals with statistical data and data analysis.
Ques. Is a History course a good option?
Ans. Of course, with constant new discovery through excavations, history is in its exploring phase and many companies hire graduates from the course. It is the best choice if you have a passion for it as it provides huge job opportunities like Historian, Archaeologist, etc.
Ques. Can I pursue a diploma in History?
Ans. At present, there are little to no colleges offering this course, however, you can go for online certificate courses.
Ques. What are the specializations offered in M.A History courses?
Ans. MA in history provides specializations in Ancient, Medieval and Modern History.
Ques. What are the specializations offered in PHD History courses?
Ans. PhD in history provides specializations in Ancient History, Archaeology, Culture, Ancient Indian History, etc.
Ques. I have done B.A in Political Science, can I apply for M.A in History?
Ans. Yes, you can as the course demands a graduate from History or any equivalent domain.
Ques. What are the career prospects after B.A in History?
Ans. You can go for higher degrees like M.A. or you can apply for jobs like high school teacher, archivist, museum curators, etc.
Ques. How much a Historian gets paid?
Ans. Historians are paid on the basis of their experience, the number of articles, journals, and research papers they have published. A senior level historian gets paid up to INR 16 LPA.
Ques. Which are the top institutes for History courses?
Ans. The above mentioned colleges are some of the top colleges in History, however, you can go for BHU, Jamia Millia Islamia, St.Xavier’s, Loyola College, etc for the best history education.







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