History Schools and Programs in Mexico

History Studies in Mexico

In Mexico, history is a university degree (licenciatura) in the humanities. Students learn to work with written, material, visual and digital sources, to read the main historiographical traditions and to write their own research. Teaching is in Spanish, and Mexican and Latin American history are at the core of most programmes.

SpainExchange lists 4 schools in Mexico that teach history, in Coyoacán (Mexico City), Guadalajara, Puebla and Hermosillo: the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), the Universidad de Guadalajara, the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) and the Universidad de Sonora.

How the history degree is organised

Mexican universities count the licenciatura in semesters and credits, not in ECTS, and each university writes its own plan. The schools in our directory show the range:

• UNAM: the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras teaches history both in its on-campus system and in its open and distance system (SUAyED), where the Licenciatura en Historia is offered in open mode
• BUAP: the Colegio de Historia opened in April 1965, together with the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras; the degree has had nine study plans since then
• Universidad de Guadalajara: the Licenciatura en Historia is taught at the Centro Universitario de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades (CUCSH) and covers local, national, Western and world history
• Universidad de Sonora: eight semesters in Hermosillo, with the title of Licenciado en Historia and an emphasis on regional history

Beyond research methods, several programmes prepare for specific fields. The Universidad de Sonora trains students for research, teaching, the organisation and management of archives, and public history. Most programmes also require a foreign language: at the UNAM's open-system degree, students must pass a reading comprehension exam in a modern foreign language.

Graduation usually involves social service and a final piece of work. At the UNAM, the professional exam consists of an oral defence and a written work, which can be a thesis, a shorter tesina or one of several types of academic report; the final work is worth 30 credits. The Universidad de Sonora also requires the Servicio Social Universitario.

Admission and language

Admission is decided by each university, usually through an entrance exam. For applicants from outside the UNAM, the open-system history degree asks for a completed bachillerato with an average of at least 7 and a pass in the selection exam. The Universidad de Sonora asks for the upper-secondary certificate and a pass in its entrance exam.

Applicants with school certificates from abroad must have them recognised. The Universidad de Guadalajara, for example, asks for:

• Certificates legalised by a Mexican consulate or with an apostille
• Revalidation of the studies; for bachelor's and postgraduate level, by the SEP's Departamento de Revalidaciones y Equivalencias
• An official translation of documents from non-Spanish-speaking countries and a grade equivalence table
• Proof of command of the language

Students who only want one term in Mexico can look at mobility programmes; the Universidad de Sonora addresses its programme information also to students interested in a mobility semester.

Postgraduate study

History can be continued at master's and doctoral level. The UNAM runs a joint Programa de Maestría y Doctorado en Historia and publishes information on costs, scholarships and support for its students.

Visa and costs

Foreign students who will stay longer than 180 days generally need a student visa, according to the Mexican consulate in Chicago, which charges a non-refundable fee of US$56. Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warns that Spanish citizens need a visa to study in Mexico whatever the length of the stay, and that some Spanish students have been refused enrolment without one. After arrival, the visa is exchanged for a migration document at the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM).

Fees are set by each university. At the Universidad de Sonora, for example, enrolment and tuition fees are linked to the minimum wage in Hermosillo. At private institutions, check that the programme has a RVOE (Reconocimiento de Validez Oficial de Estudios); without official validity, studies give no right to a title or a cédula profesional.

Careers

According to the UNAM, history graduates work in four main fields: research, teaching at secondary, upper-secondary and university level, the communication of history to different audiences, and the management of cultural projects. The BUAP adds research institutes, archives, libraries and museums, public history, consultancy and cultural management.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a history degree take in Mexico?

Usually about four years. At the Universidad de Sonora, the Licenciatura en Historia lasts eight semesters; social service and a final work are needed to graduate.

Can I study history at the UNAM without attending classes every day?

The UNAM's Facultad de Filosofía y Letras offers the Licenciatura en Historia in its open system (SUAyED) as well as on campus. Admission for applicants from other institutions requires a minimum average of 7 and a pass in the selection exam.

What jobs do history graduates do in Mexico?

They work in research, teaching, archives, libraries and museums, cultural management and the communication of history.