History, BA

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Required Credit Hours: 33

Major Computing Requirement:

Students satisfy the Major Computing Requirement (MCR) for History by (1) attaining a C or better in a History course designated by the Department as satisfying the MCR requirement or (2) attaining a C or better in CSCI 131 - Concepts in Computer Science , CSCI 141 - Computational Problem Solving , or a more advanced course in Computer Science.

Major Writing Requirement:

Students satisfy the Major Writing Requirement (MWR) for History by attaining a C or better in an upper-level undergraduate History course designated as a colloquium. Each Colloquium has the letter “C”: directly after its course number (for example, HIST 490C , HIST 491C , and so on).

Beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year, all History colloquia will meet both the Major Writing Requirement and the Major Computing Requirement.

Core Requirements:

Students majoring in History must complete 33 credit hours in History. Of those 33 credit hours at least 15 must be taken in residence at the College, and no more than six of the remaining 18 semester credits may be Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate credit. The 33 credit hours must include the following:

HIST 121 - American History to 1877 (3)
HIST 122 - American History since 1877 (3)
HIST 111 - History of Europe to 1715 (3) or
HIST 112 - History of Europe since 1715 (3)

One 100-Level Survey in Non-Western History, to be Chosen From Among the Following:

One Upper-Level Class Designated as a Colloquium.

Each colloquium has the letter “C” directly after its course number (for example, HIST 490C , HIST 491C , and so on). Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in the colloquium in order to fulfill the Major Writing Requirement and the Major Computing Requirement. Each colloquium is a small, writing-intensive seminar: such courses may ask students to conduct original research in primary sources, examine historiography or methodology, and examine broader or narrower topics, problems or periods.

Additional Information:

Students may use course credit and course exemptions earned through the College Board Advanced Placement Examination and through the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Exam to satisfy the Department’s Core Requirements. For more details, please consult the “Advanced Placement and Credit by Examination” section of the Undergraduate Course Catalogue.

The Department strongly recommends that majors finish their survey requirements – HIST 121 -HIST 122 , either HIST 111 or HIST 112 , and a 100-level non-Western survey - in their first and second years at the College. Students usually enroll in a colloquium in the junior or senior year. Individuals who intend to write an Honors thesis in History are encouraged to take the colloquium in their junior year, in order to gain desirable writing and research experience. Foreign languages are recommended for students planning to major in History, especially if they plan to enter graduate programs in the discipline. Students are advised not to limit their junior and senior year classes to courses focused only on the history of a single nation. Students must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in order to pursue independent study in History.