HIST10015 Dictators & Democrats: The Modern World
University of Melbourne · Level 1 · 12.5 points · Runs in 2026: Semester 2.
- Final exam 45%
- About 3 class hours a week
Is HIST10015 hard?
HIST10015: About average. Makes it easier: First-year subject. Makes it harder: 1 other hurdle task. The easier and harder points roughly balance out. No student reviews yet — based on the Handbook only.
What you learn
A global history of dictatorship and democracy over the last 200 years, and what helped one or the other take hold.
After it you can
- Describe how dictatorships and democracies rose and fell
- Tell primary sources apart from secondary ones
- Build a historical argument from a case study
What you need first
None
What it leads to
How it’s assessed
Quizzes 15%, Participation 20%, Assignments 0%, Reports and essays 20%, Final exam 45%
Student reviews and ratings
Summarised from 4 students on StudentVIP (2019–2026)
- Each week dives into a different topic from the 18th century on, often with guest lecturers, which some found broad and inconsistent.
- Assessment is a creative final project (any medium) and an essay-style exam rather than standard essays. The 2020 reviewer liked the freedom; 2019 and 2026 reviewers found the tasks hard and poorly explained.
- Readings can be very long, sometimes a whole book for a tutorial. Overall opinion is mostly negative, and the newest review (2026) is critical of how it is run.
A summary of public reviews, not scored here.
Taken this subject? Rate it anonymously (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Rate HIST10015
Quick answers
- When is HIST10015 offered?
- Runs in 2026: Semester 2.
- What do I need before taking HIST10015?
- No prerequisites.
- Does HIST10015 have a final exam?
- Yes, the final exam is 45% of the mark. Assessment: Quizzes 15%, Participation 20%, Assignments 0%, Reports and essays 20%, Final exam 45%.
- Is HIST10015 hard?
- From 4 student reviews on StudentVIP: Each week dives into a different topic from the 18th century on, often with guest lecturers, which some found broad and inconsistent.
- What do students say about HIST10015?
- Each week dives into a different topic from the 18th century on, often with guest lecturers, which some found broad and inconsistent. Assessment is a creative final project (any medium) and an essay-style exam rather than standard essays. The 2020 reviewer liked the freedom; 2019 and 2026 reviewers found the tasks hard and poorly explained. Readings can be very long, sometimes a whole book for a tutorial. Overall opinion is mostly negative, and the newest review (2026) is critical of how it is run.
- How many class hours a week does HIST10015 have?
- 3 h a week in class
- Can I take HIST10015 as breadth?
- Yes, for: Bachelor of Biomedicine, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Animation), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Film and Television), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Music Theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Production), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Screenwriting), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre), Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Art), Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science.
- What can I take after HIST10015?
- 2 subjects need it first, for example HIST30060, POLS20034.
- Can I rate HIST10015?
- Yes. If you've taken it, rate it anonymously on this page (difficulty, workload, marking, would you recommend it) and leave a tip for next year's students. Averages show once 3 students have rated it; tips are checked before they appear.
Source: University of Melbourne Handbook 2026
Always confirm in the official Handbook.
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