Undergraduate

Director of Undergraduate Studies: Michael Maas 

NOTE: This is the official departmental document. Check with the History Department Office for updates or questions.

A student majoring in history must take a minimum of 30 semester hours (ten courses) in history, of which 18 semester hours (six courses) must be on the advanced level (300 or 400). Two of the students' advanced courses must be chosen from a departmental list of seminars devoted mainly to writing and discussion. In addition, students who matriculated since fall 2008 must distribute their ten courses over four fields:

A.  Premodern: one course minimum

B.  Europe: one course minimum

C.  United States: one course minimum

D.  Asia, Latin America, Africa: one course minimum

E.  Seminar: two courses minimum

Students who matriculated before fall 2008 may follow the departmental distribution guildlines for students who matriculated since fall 2008 and described above, or the following guidelines:

A.  Ancient or Medieval: one course minimum

B.  Modern Europe: two courses minimum

C.  United States: two courses minimum

D.  Asia, Latin America, Africa: two courses minimum

E.  Seminar: two courses minimum

For a listing of courses according to fields please see the corresponding links above (Premodern, Europe, United States; Asia, Latin America, Africa; and Seminar). For a listing of all departmental courses, please consult the General Announcements.

History majors also are advised to acquaint themselves with humanistic disciplines other than history (for example, literature, fine arts, and philosophy) and also with social sciences such as political science, sociology, economics, and anthropology whose contributions to historical studies are vital. Some foreign language proficiency is desirable for a history major, and the department highly recommends that students contemplating graduate work in history study at least one foreign language in some depth (most graduate schools require a reading knowledge of French and German for the Ph.D. degree).

In addition to the departmental requirements for the major, students must also satisfy the distribution requirements and complete no fewer than 60 semester hours outside the departmental requirements for a total program of at least 120 semester hours. See Degree Requirements and Majors in the current General Announcements.