The History Department was created in 1977, counting among its founders some prominent figures of Portuguese historiography, such as António Henrique Oliveira Marques, José Mattoso  and Joel Serrão. During the 1980s, it grew and consolidated its faculty, which allowed it to gain uncontroversial prestige and authority, asserting itself in national and international terms.

Since its creation, the Department has secured the Degree course in History and it has also pioneered the creation of Master’s Courses specialized in several areas  of historical knowledge: Egyptology, Civilizations of the Middle East and Ancient Asia, Medieval History, Modern History and Discoveries and Contemporary History. The Master’s Courses, with the many thesis defended and published, are the best testimony of a path focused on learning and research and that continues to be a reference in the university panorama of our country.

The Department of History’s mission is the public service for the high-level qualification of citizens in the field of history, as well as for the dissemination of knowledge of the Past to all who wish to deepen their lifelong training. To accomplish this mission, it assumes the following objectives: excellence in teaching and research in the areas of History, Archaeology and Heritage both nationally and internationally; a permanent search for innovation; the development of complementary actions to disseminate scientific results.