Major Program

The Department of History has recently revised its major.  Students who entered the program under the old major (prior to fall 2009) and have earned no more than 18 credits in history have the option of either completing the original requirements in effect when they first declared their major, or fulfilling the new requirements as outlined below.  Students who have earned more than 18 credits in history will follow the old requirements.

As of Fall 2009, in addition to meeting the standards and requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences, history degree candidates must complete a minimum of 36 credits in history and 6 credits in history to be distributed as follows:
View the College of Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum Requirements  

1. Six (6) credits of introductory courses from among the following:

HIST 1101 -1102	World History I-II
HIST 1201-1202	Western Civilization I-II
HIST 1301-1302	United States History I-II

Note:  Students may elect to take courses as a two-semester sequence to fulfill College of Arts and Sciences core requirements, but a sequence is not required for the history major.

2. Twenty-one credits distributed as follows:

		Credits
	Advanced European history (2000 level or above)	3
	Advanced United States history (2000 level or above)	3
	Introductory or advanced Latin American, African, Asian,  Middle Eastern history	3
	Pre-1750 History (see list below)	3
	Additional history electives*	9

Note:  Up to an additional three credits at the 1000 level in Latin American, African, Asian, and Middle Eastern history can count toward the additional history electives.

3. The following nine credits of required credits of required courses: 
Note:  HIST 5711 Honors Research is pursued in addition to the 36-credit major.

		Credits
HIST 2108	Introduction to Historical Research	3
HIST 5199	Senior Seminar	3
	Historical Colloquium (Course numbers vary depending on topic)	3

Courses that count toward the pre-1750 distribution requirement include:

		Credits
HIST 2170	Women in Antiquity	3
HIST 3183	Historians of Greece and Rome	3
HIST 3221	Roman Civilization	3
HIST 3230	Europe in the Middle Ages	3
HIST 3233	Dante and His World	3
HIST 3234	Medieval Italy	3
HIST 3240	Renaissance and Reformation	3
HIST 3246	Kievan Rus' and Muscovy	3
HIST 3254	Early Modern Ireland	3
HIST 3320	Greek Civilization	3
HIST 3341	Colonial America	3
HIST 3621	History of Traditional China	3
HIST 3622	History of Traditional Japan	3

Students are required to meet with their advisers at least once each semester to plan their program in light of their abilities and special interests, and to evaluate progress toward completion of the history degree requirements.

The department recommends that the student acquire competency in at least one foreign language through the third-year level. This is particularly important for students who plan to pursue graduate studies. (The department will not give an unqualified recommendation for graduate studies in history unless the student demonstrates a reading ability in one foreign language equal to that obtained by completion of two years of language study.)