History Undergraduate Degrees

Requirements for the Major

The Department of History is organized into 10 fields of study. For the purposes of the undergraduate major, these fields are divided into two categories, reflecting a Western or non-Western orientation. Some courses can provide credit in either category.

Category I

• Ancient
• Medieval
• Modern Western Europe
• Russia/Eastern Europe
• United States

Category II

• Africa and Middle East
• East Asia
• Latin America
• Native America

The minimum requirement for a major in history consists of 30 credit hours representing both Categories I and II, as follows:

1. HIST 301 The Historian's Craft
2. Five courses (15 hours) in either Category I or Category II
3. Three courses (9 hours) from the other Category
4. HIST 696 Seminar
5. 24 hours numbered 300-699  (i.e., no more than 2 courses numbered 100-299)

Exceptions to any of the above requirements must be by petition to the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Only two courses are required for all majors: History 301 (Historical Methods), ideally taken as soon as the student decides to major in history, and must be taken before a student can register for the other required course, History 696 (Senior Research Seminar). HIST 696 is normally taken during the senior year. Students with at least a 3.5 grade-point average in history and a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average may also apply to complete a 2-semester Honors Thesis class (HIST 498 and HIST 490) instead of HIST 696. We urge every major to work closely with an advisor to develop a coherent course of study that reflects his or her intellectual interests.

Thematic Areas

Classes offered by the Department of History touch on a variety of themes that transcend the division between Western and Non-Western History. Students are encouraged to select courses that examine areas of interest to them. Choosing courses from the same thematic area allows students to consider historical questions and problems across time and space and can help students gain an awareness for how Western and Non-Western societies have experienced similar historical issues.  The following themes reflect concentrations in the department’s undergraduate curriculum that may be of interest to students.