Dec 10, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

History, B.A.


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The study of history involves complex and creative inquiry, critical analysis, and communication skills. Through the three “C’s, our program prepares its students for their careers, personal lives, and engaged citizenship. We offer a flexible curriculum that allows students to pursue areas of interest in the specialties offered by departmental faculty, as well as to pursue an academic minor and public history internships that can enhance their professional knowledge and skills. Our program stands for:

  • Complex and creative Inquiry: We approach history as a creative act, one in which historians imagine the interpretive possibilities that exist within the world of our sources. We approach history as a dynamic and rigorous interdisciplinary craft.
  • Critical analysis: We approach history as a set of intellectual skills that enable our students to develop a deep appreciation for evidence as the basis for all knowledge.  Through our rigorous curriculum, our students are well-prepared to pursue evidence-based answers to questions. Our curriculum encourages students to think critically and constructively about past and present issues as the basis for responsible citizenship, and discuss such issues civilly and respectfully.
  • Communication: History done well is a well-articulated and engaging story of the past. We approach history as necessitating excellent oral, visual, and written communication skills up to that task of crafting narratives of cause and effect, or continuity and change over time.

Degree Requirements

Institutional Degree Requirements  

Program-Specific Degree Requirements: To be eligible for graduation, students majoring in History must maintain a 2.0 grade point average in the course requirements of the major and receive a grade of 2.0 or better in all History courses.

General Education Requirement


First Year Seminar


Foundations Requirements


Communication course:


Advanced Communication course:


Choose 3 credits of the following Quantitative Fluency courses:


Choose 3 credits of the following Global Citizenship courses or students have the option to complete this requirement by successfully completing 6 credits of the same foreign language:


Disciplinary Perspectives Requirement


Humanities course:


Choose 3 credits of the following Arts courses:


Choose 3 credits of the following Social and Behavioral Sciences courses:


Choose 3 credits of the following Natural and Physical Sciences courses:


Constellation Requirement


The Constellation requirement is met when a student completes four courses from a minimum of three disciplines within the Constellation requirements. Students who transfer in 60 credits or more at the time of admission to the college will be waived from the Constellation requirement, except for Education majors. The waiver applies to the requirement for graduation but does not waive the credits to graduate; students need to meet the overall bachelor’s degree credit requirement.

Required Courses


Proseminar


Students must complete 3 credits of the following courses before registering for History Seminar (HIS 485  or HIS 499 ):

Public History Electives


Students must complete 3 credits of the following courses:

History Electives


Students must complete 21 credits of History electives of which 12 credits must be at the 300 level or higher.

General Electives


Students must complete 27 credits of elective courses.

Suggested Course Sequence


Freshman Year


Fall Semester (15 credits)


Spring Semester (15 credits)


Sophomore Year


Fall Semester (15 credits)


Spring Semester (15 credits)


  • Disciplinary Perspectives - Natural and Physical Sciences course 3 credit hours
  • Public History course 3 credit hours
  • History Support - Global Learning course 3 credit hours
  • History Elective course 3 credit hours
  • Elective course 3 credit hours

Junior Year


Fall Semester (15 credits)


  • 3 credit hours
  • Proseminar course 3 credit hours
  • History Elective course 3 credit hours
  • Constellation course 3 credit hours
  • Elective course 3 credit hours

Spring Semester (15 credits)


  • History Skills Enhancement course 3 credit hours
  • History Elective course 3 credit hours
  • History Elective course 3 credit hours
  • Constellation course 3 credit hours
  • Elective course 3 credit hours

Senior Year


Fall Semester (15 credits)


  • History Elective course 3 credit hours
  • History Elective course 3 credit hours
  • Constellation course 3 credit hours
  • Elective course 3 credit hours
  • Elective course 3 credit hours

Spring Semester (15 credits)


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