History is a branch of knowledge that deals with past events, specifically those that are related to humanity. It is a very broad discipline, and it is often studied in a chronological manner. In this learning area, many aspects are involved such as culture, ideologies, and traditions.
Many big names in the field are mentioned in history books for their significant contributions and influences. A few of the most noteworthy ones include Herodotus who is known as the “Father of History,” French writer Voltaire, German historian and one of modern history’s founders Leopold von Ranke, British social historian Edward Palmer Thompson, and Polish sociologist Barbara Engelking.
In line with this, people who earn a degree in history have plenty of job options. They can be government historians, historical consultants, museum curators, archivists, history teachers, and a lot more.
Read on below to learn about some free history schools that don’t have tuition fees.
Where is the Best Place to Study History?
There is no better place to study history than where the events took place. All countries record and preserve their history and can provide a detailed account and an accurate representation of what things were like at any given point in time. There are, however, some history schools around the world-renowned for their well-designed and thought-provoking courses that recount historical events with the utmost faithfulness and accuracy, allowing students from all over the world to gain a comprehensive understanding of the past. There are no particular courses for history on our website at the moment, but our database is constantly being updated, so make sure to check back soon. In the meantime, check out all our available courses on the Open Courses Page.
Free History Schools
1. University of Cologne
One of Germany’s educational institutions that is of high standing is none other than the University of Cologne (UoC), a free history school that was established in 1388, which gives it an immensely rich historical background. As of 2020, there are approximately 50,800 students and 4,700 academic staff thriving at UoC. Speaking of students, it has an extensive list of noteworthy alumni which includes businessman Werner Geissler, civil servant and lawyer Hans-Georg Maaßen, philosopher Jesús Padilla Gálvez, radio astronomy, and astroparticle physics professor Heino Falcke, and broadcast journalist Tina Hassel.
Furthermore, it has six faculties: the Faculty of Management, Economics, and Social Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, and Faculty of Human Science. In line with this, UoC offers around 336 degree programs.
UoC students, regardless of their nationalities, do not pay any tuition fees. However, like all public German universities, there is a social contribution fee to be paid every semester. On another note, the center of learning’s Department of History is under the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and it offers study options for both undergraduates and postgraduates.
2. Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin (HU Berlin) opened its doors to students in 1810, making it one of the country’s oldest universities. At present, it has about 37,920 students spread out across its nine faculties. Moreover, it has three campuses: Campus Adlershof, Campus Mitte, and Campus Nord. As it is a public institute of higher education, it does not charge any tuition fees and students are only required to pay a semester fee.
Going back to HU Berlin’s faculties, these are the Faculty of Law, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Language, Literature, and Humanities, Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, as well as the medical school that is also handled by the Free University of Berlin.
The university’s Department of History offers degree programs for incoming Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD Students. Currently, it has 1,500 students, 80 academic staff members, and 20 professors.
3. Nord University
Another free history school on this list is Nord University, an eminent Norwegian state university located in the counties of Nordland and Trøndelag. It was established in 2016. Additionally, it has other study locations in Bodø, Levanger, Mo i Rana, Namsos, Nesna, Steinkjer, Stjørdal, and Vesterålen.
As for its faculties, the center of excellence has five: the Business School, Faculty of Biosciences and Aquaculture, Faculty of Education and Arts, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, and Faculty of Social Sciences. In addition to this, there are no tuition fees for all students at Nord University since it is a public institution.
Its Faculty of Social Sciences offers a Bachelor’s degree program and a one-year program in History. Both are to be taken full-time, utilize Norwegian as the medium of instruction and are only available at the Bodø campus.
4. Dalarna University
Dalarna University (DU) is a reputable Swedish university that was founded in 1977. Presently, there are approximately 15,750 students and 847 employees at DU. Adding to this, it offers 68 degree programs and 1,103 courses that are focused on a variety of learning areas like Business, Economics, and Tourism Studies, English Studies, Health and Politics, Data Science and Business Intelligence, as well as Technology and Engineering.
Students who are EU/EEA and Swiss citizens do not need to pay tuition fees. On the other hand, international students of different nationalities are required to do so. As for the history programs, they only offer two options which are both for Master’s students.
5. Jagiellonian University
Best known as the oldest university in Poland, Jagiellonian University was founded in 1364 and is now popular for being a prestigious institute for tertiary studies. Over the years, it has garnered various awards. On a similar note, it has a long list of notable alumni such as chemist and benzodiazepine inventor Leo Sternbach, business owner and the inspiration behind the film Schindler’s List Poldek Pfefferberg, art historian George Jerzy Zarnecki, psychiatrist and philosopher Antoni Ignacy Tadeusz Kępiński, and science-fiction writer Stanisław Lem.
When it comes to faculties, Jagiellonian has quite a handful and it includes the Faculty of Law and Administration, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of History, Faculty of Philology, Faculty of Polish Studies, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy, and Applied Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Chemistry, Faculty of Biology, Faculty of Management and Social Communication, Faculty of International and Political Studies, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Biotechnology, and Faculty of Geography and Geology.
In Poland, EU/EEA and Swiss students can get free education at public universities. Although, international students of other nationalities are obligated to pay tuition. Jagiellonian University is a free history school with its Faculty of History offering courses and programs centered on archaeology, ethnology and cultural anthropology, history of art, Jewish studies, musicology, and protection of cultural property.
We hope this article on free history schools was informative and helpful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs in Europe!
