History, B.A.

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Requirements for the Major:

Twelve courses including the core and distribution requirement
At least one course on the period before 1700
Two-300 level courses
One-400 level seminar
Two-term senior project

Students will choose a core of Africa/Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America, US, Public History, or a thematic concentration. Examples of thematic concentrations include “Africana,” “Women and Gender,” “Revolution,” “Empires,” etc. In close cooperation with their advisors, history majors will select the courses for a thematic concentration and submit their proposal to the Department Chair for written approval by the start of Winter Term of the Junior year. If students select a US, European, or Public History core, they must complete at least four courses in US, European, or Public history, respectively. If they select Africa/Middle East, Asia, or Latin America, they must complete either (1) four courses in the respective field, or (2) at least three history courses in the core geographical area they have chosen, along with at least two other approved courses in relevant interdisciplinary programs, such as Africana Studies, Asian Studies, and Latin American Studies. These are generally not language courses.

Public History Core

Additional Requirements

Students will also fulfill a distribution requirement. If students select a US, European, or Public History core, they must complete at least two courses each in two of the following areas: Africa/Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. If they select a Africa/Middle East, Asia, or Latin America core, they must complete at least two courses each in two of the following areas, excluding the area of the core: Africa/Middle East, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and US history. These requirements apply to students who entered Union in the fall of 2013 and after. Students who entered Union before the fall of 2013 should consult the Academic Register for 2012-2013 for the correct requirements.

400-level seminars are normally limited to 15 students and are designed to teach research skills. The 300-level courses are specifically designed for history majors and include bibliographical and historiographical components. 400-level seminars and 300-level courses may be used to meet the core requirements. Senior projects normally must pertain to a topic in the core, but cannot count toward courses in the core. Students must complete a 400-level seminar before beginning the thesis. 400-level seminars are normally offered in the winter and spring terms. If a student does not complete a 400-level seminar by the end of their junior year, then they may not be able to graduate by the spring of the following year. Double majors must do a separate two-term senior project in History. Students who want to do an interdepartmental senior project should declare an interdepartmental major.

Two of the following classics courses may be counted toward the history major, but not toward a core:

Requirements for Honors in History:

To be eligible for departmental honors, a student must fulfill the following requirements: (1) a minimum index of 3.30 in history; (2) a grade of “A minus” or higher on the senior project; and (3) a grade of “distinction” or “high pass” in an oral examination based on the senior project. In addition, the student must satisfy College requirements for departmental honors.

Course Selection Guidelines:

Placement: We accept the following AP courses: World History, United States History, and European History. If the score is 4 or 5, then we assign credit for one of our introductory courses, HST 106 for World History, HST 102 for United States History, and HST 147 for European History, all of which will count towards the major.

Courses Suitable for Non-Majors: Although 300 and 400 level courses are designed with History majors and minors in mind, all History courses are suitable for non-majors.

Course Numbering: 300- and 400-level courses have as a prerequisite any 100- or 200-level course or permission of the instructor.