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About the Program

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History majors develop a unique set of skills designed for analytical thinking.

Upon completion of the History program, students will be able to:

THINK historically, read critically, write coherently, speak persuasively, and communicate effectively.
SITUATE major historical events within their proper chronological, geographical, thematic and comparative context.
CONNECT and integrate historical knowledge, grasp the ethical and moral dimensions of history and appreciate the complex and often multi-causal origins of past events.
IDENTIFY and interpret a variety of historical sources, both primary and secondary.
EXPLAIN the value and application of historiography and various historical methods, approaches and theories.
EVALUATE and critically assess the validity of historical evidence and interpretations.
USE primary and secondary sources to construct sophisticated, persuasive, and logical interpretations of historical problems and events.

Major Requirements

The following courses are required for students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in History.

Lower Division

History 1, 2, or 4, 5; 10; 17, 18 (History 1, 2 is the World History sequence; History 4, 5 is the Western Civilization sequence. Students may combine History 1 and 5 or History 2 and 4, but may not combine History 1 and 4 or History 2 and 5).

Upper Division

Students majoring in history must complete eight upper-division history courses, including:

One course in specific problems of research and writing (History 106) and one course in either historical interpretation (History 104) or historical theory (History 105)
Two upper-division courses in two of the following areas of concentration and one in a third area of concentration (at least one area of concentration must be in Asian, African, or Latin American history)
- United States: History 130 (when applicable), 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142
- Latin America: History 150 (when applicable), 151, 152, 153, 154, 155
- Medieval Europe: History 110 (when applicable), 111, 112, 113, 114
- Modern Europe: 110 (when applicable), 115, 116, 117, 118, 119
- Africa: History 170 (when applicable), 171, 172
- Asia: History 160 (when applicable), 161, 162
- World: History 100 (when applicable)
An upper division elective, chosen from any of the History department’s courses.

Students intending to work toward advanced degrees should consult their advisor about foreign language preparation.

Ideal Four Year Schedule

Minor Requirements

To earn a minor in History, a student must complete a total of six courses:

Any two lower-division history courses
History 10
History 104, 105 or 106; and
Two additional upper-division courses, each in a different area of concentration.

Senior Thesis

All History majors demonstrate their skills as historians by producing their own piece of original research. Typically completed in the junior or senior year, the thesis is at least thirty pages of text.

thesis 1

thesis 3

Independent Study

Exceptional students who wish to explore a topic, theme, or subject that the History Department does not offer as part of the curriculum have the option of creating a one-on-one tutorial with a professor and developing an independent study. With faculty approval, the student will engage in one semester of in-depth investigation and writing.

The criteria for the Independent Study option in History includes:

1. Overall GPA of 3.0
2. Junior or Senior status
3. Satisfactory completion of History 10
4. Evidence the student has done previous course work on the region of intended study
5. The subject matter of the study is not regularly offered in the department
6. The student submits a proposal that includes the following:

Information about previous work in the region of intended study (including courses taken, books read, and grades received)
The topic to be studied, including periodization
A reading list for the semester, prepared in consultation with the intended faculty advisor, for the equivalent of 27 hours
What writing assignments will consist of, including number of pages
Timeline for completion
Name and approval by faculty advisor

7. The proposal must be sumitted and approved before the end of the semester prior to the semester the independent study will be undertaken. For Fall semester, the deadline is May 1. For Spring semester, the deadline is October 31.
8. The proposal must be approved by the department chair

Please contact the Department Chair for questions and information.

Research Assistantships

Advanced history majors have the opportunity to work with faculty as paid research assistants. Individual students and professors define a project to work on, including researching newspapers, bibliographies, or archives, depending on faculty interests and needs. Students typically work as research assistants during the summer, but semester-long projects are a possibility.

Please get in touch with the individual professor you want to work with for more information.