The Bachelor of Arts in History degree explores history's fascinating events, people, and cultures that determined the course of modern civilization. Whether you’re interested in the Antiquities, Western Civilization, Colonial or American History, the Civil War, World War II, the Cold War, Middle East history, or an analysis of Iran, this dynamic history program offers compelling choices. This bachelor’s program emphasizes critical and analytical thinking, and effective research and writing skills. Graduates with history degrees can often be found as curators, archivists, educators, or in professions involving research, writing, editing, advocacy, politics, or historical preservation.
Many university faculty members teaching these courses are published historians who bring unique perspectives and relevant research into the classroom. You’ll also connect and interact online with other students who share your enthusiasm for history.
Degree Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate knowledge of key historical facts, values, and ideas that have shaped civilizations throughout history.
- Analyze primary sources in their historical context.
- Analyze secondary sources and identify various approaches to historical interpretation through critical reading.
- Evaluate historical arguments based on primary sources and the historical method.
- Demonstrate ability to conduct independent historical research in primary and secondary sources and complete a major research paper.
Degree at a Glance
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 30 | |
| Major Required | 9 | |
| Select one of the following concentrations: | 39 | |
| Final Program Requirements | 6 | |
| Elective Requirements | 36 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120 | |
Degree Program Requirements
General Education Requirements (30 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Humanities (6 semester hours) 1 | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Arabic I | ||
| Arabic II | ||
| Art Appreciation | ||
| Survey of Photography | ||
| Film and Literature | ||
| Image Enhancement using Adobe Photoshop® | ||
| French I | ||
| French II | ||
| German I | ||
| German II | ||
| Introduction to Japanese | ||
| Literature of American Encounters, Revolution, and Rebellion | ||
| From Abolition to #MeToo: Literature of the American Civil Rights Movement | ||
| Pivotal Figures in Early British Literature | ||
| British Literature from Wordsworth through the Wasteland | ||
| Leadership in World Literature: Antiquity to the Early Modern Period | ||
| Literature of the Newly Globalized World: The Individual’s Struggle to Adapt | ||
| Music Appreciation | ||
| Jazz and Rock | ||
| World Music and Cultures | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Critical Thinking | ||
| Introduction to Ethics | ||
| Philosophy of Science | ||
| Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese | ||
| Introduction to the Study of Religion | ||
| Introduction to World Religions | ||
| Russian I | ||
| Spanish I | ||
| Spanish II | ||
| Thinking and Acting Ethically | ||
| Civics, Political and Social Sciences (6 semester hours) 1 | ||
| Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Anthropology | ||
| World Archaeology | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in Humanities & Education | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in Business | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in Health Sciences | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in STEM | ||
| Planning Your Future with Purpose in Security & Global Studies | ||
| Social Media and Society | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Microeconomics | ||
| Macroeconomics | ||
| Humane Education: A Global Interdisciplinary Perspective | ||
| Introduction to Geography | ||
| Practical Food Safety and Awareness | ||
| International Relations I | ||
| Forgotten America--Under Represented Cultures in American Literature | ||
| Introduction to Political Science | ||
| American Government I | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Death and Dying | ||
| Race & Religion | ||
| Hope and Resilience | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Social Problems | ||
| American Popular Culture | ||
| Exploring Society and Cultures via Science Fiction | ||
| Communication: Writing, Oral, and Multimedia (9 semester hours) | ||
| COMM120 | Information and Digital Literacy | 3 |
| ENGL110 | Making Writing Relevant | 3 |
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Public Speaking | ||
| Proficiency in Writing | ||
| Argumentation and Rhetoric | ||
| Introduction to Literature | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Scientific Writing | ||
| Effective Business Communication | ||
| Human Relations Communication | ||
| Information Literacy and Global Citizenship | ||
| Introduction to Information Technology Writing | ||
| Human Relations | ||
| History (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| American History to 1877 | ||
| American History since 1877 | ||
| Western Civilization before The Thirty Years War | ||
| Western Civilization since The Thirty Years War | ||
| African-American History before 1877 | ||
| African-American History since 1877 | ||
| History of the American Indian | ||
| History of Science | ||
| The History and Context of STEM | ||
| Mathematics and Applied Reasoning (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Accounting for Non Accounting Majors | ||
| Fundamentals of Programming | ||
| College Algebra | ||
| College Trigonometry | ||
| Pre-Calculus | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Math for Liberal Arts Majors | ||
| Calculus | ||
| Natural Sciences (3 semester hours) | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Biology | ||
| Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Chemistry | ||
| Introduction to Meteorology | ||
| Introduction to Geology | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Science | ||
| Introduction to Physics | ||
| Introduction to Astronomy | ||
| Introduction to STEM Disciplines | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 30 | |
| 1 | All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101 - Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110 - Making Writing Relevant . |
Major Required (9 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST111 | World Civilization before 1650 | 3 |
| HIST112 | World Civilization since 1650 | 3 |
| HIST300 | Research Methods in History | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 9 | |
Students must choose a concentration for this degree program and may select from a General Concentration, Concentration in American History, Concentration in European History, or Concentration in Global History.
General Concentration (39 semester hours)
Students who pursue a General History Concentration will examine a wide array of historical events to include their causes, consequences, and social impact. They will learn critical and analytical thinking and effective writing and research methods. Students explore the philosophies, personalities, strategies, leadership, and other factors that influenced the world. Topics cover American History, Ancient and Classical History, as well as European and Global History.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a broad knowledge of historical literature that is relevant to the discipline.
- Summarize historical experiences that go beyond a single time period and national or cultural experience.
- Identify historical forces that have shaped social change and contemporary human problems.
- Interpret documents, and other forms of evidence, in their historical context.
- Apply historical methods to critically evaluate the past.
- Articulate, in writing, a persuasive and well-structured historical argument.
Concentration Requirements (39 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST230 | History of East Asia | 3 |
| HIST301 | Ancient Greece | 3 |
| HIST302 | Ancient Rome | 3 |
| HIST402 | Colonial America | 3 |
| HIST403 | The Early Republic, 1783-1815 | 3 |
| HIST406 | Civil War And Reconstruction, 1861-1877 | 3 |
| HIST350 | History of the Middle East | 3 |
| HIST310 | History of Modern Europe | 3 |
| HIST408 | The United States: 1900 to Second World War | 3 |
| HIST409 | The United States: WW II to the Present | 3 |
| Select 3 courses from the following: | 9 | |
| The Middle Ages | ||
| The Renaissance | ||
| France in the Age of Enlightenment | ||
| The British Empire | ||
| The Age of Dictators: Europe 1914-1945 | ||
| History of European Colonialism | ||
| Special Topic: History | ||
| Independent Study: History | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 39 | |
Concentration in American History (39 semester hours)
Students in the American History Concentration are encouraged to take HIST101 American History to 1877 and HIST102 American History since 1877.
Students who pursue a concentration in American History will study U.S. history from the Colonial Period to the present. This includes an examination of the philosophies, personalities, strategies, leadership, and other factors that influenced the United States. Topics cover foreign policy and military operations as well as the domestic political, economic, and social components of America.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Assess the social, economic, and political situation in the United States from colonization to the present.
- Illustrate America’s evolving relationship with the rest of the world.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the major events, ideas, trends, and problems in American history.
- Explain how the past has shaped the present.
- Interpret documents, and other forms of evidence, in their historical context.
- Apply historical methods to critically evaluate the past.
- Articulate, in writing, a persuasive and well-structured historical argument.
Concentration Requirements (39 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST402 | Colonial America | 3 |
| MILH320 | The American Revolution | 3 |
| HIST403 | The Early Republic, 1783-1815 | 3 |
| HIST404 | Jacksonian America, 1815-1846 | 3 |
| HIST405 | Antebellum America, 1846-1861 | 3 |
| HIST406 | Civil War And Reconstruction, 1861-1877 | 3 |
| HIST407 | The Gilded Age, 1877-1900 | 3 |
| HIST408 | The United States: 1900 to Second World War | 3 |
| MILH360 | World War II | 3 |
| HIST409 | The United States: WW II to the Present | 3 |
| Select 3 courses from the following: | 9 | |
| History of the Holocaust | ||
| Ancient Greece | ||
| Ancient Rome | ||
| The Middle Ages | ||
| France in the Age of Enlightenment | ||
| The British Empire | ||
| History of European Colonialism | ||
| History of Modern Europe | ||
| History of Russia | ||
| History of Africa | ||
| History of the Middle East | ||
| Special Topic: History | ||
| Independent Study: History | ||
| World War I | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 39 | |
Concentration in European History
Students in the European History Concentration are encouraged to take HIST121 Western Civilization before The Thirty Years’ War, and HIST122 Western Civilization since the Thirty Years’ War as part of their General Education Requirements.
Students who pursue a concentration in European History will focus on Europe’s history from ancient Greece to the present. Students will examine the political, philosophical, scientific, and social changes that laid the foundation for early Europe to the key developments that gave rise to modernity. Topics include the development of political, economic, and cultural institutions in early European societies and the rise of Europe as a global power in the modern period.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Understand influences of the past on contemporary European events and problems.
- Analyze significant problems and situations as they relate to the current issues and the investigation of history.
- Demonstrate a wider perspective that recognizes the political, economic, and cultural interdependence of differing societies and people.
- Assess the specific contributions and perspectives of diverse members of European society.
- Interpret documents, and other forms of evidence, in their historical context.
- Apply historical methods to critically evaluate the past.
- Articulate, in writing, a persuasive and well-structured historical argument.
Concentration Requirements (39 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST301 | Ancient Greece | 3 |
| HIST302 | Ancient Rome | 3 |
| HIST303 | The Middle Ages | 3 |
| HIST304 | The Renaissance | 3 |
| HIST305 | France in the Age of Enlightenment | 3 |
| MILH365 | The Napoleonic Wars and the Long Peace | 3 |
| HIST306 | The British Empire | 3 |
| HIST307 | The Age of Dictators: Europe 1914-1945 | 3 |
| HIST308 | History of European Colonialism | 3 |
| HIST310 | History of Modern Europe | 3 |
| Select 3 courses from the following: | 9 | |
| History of Africa | ||
| History of the Middle East | ||
| History of Latin America | ||
| Colonial America | ||
| The Early Republic, 1783-1815 | ||
| Jacksonian America, 1815-1846 | ||
| Antebellum America, 1846-1861 | ||
| Civil War And Reconstruction, 1861-1877 | ||
| The Gilded Age, 1877-1900 | ||
| The United States: 1900 to Second World War | ||
| The United States: WW II to the Present | ||
| The Cold War | ||
| Special Topic: History | ||
| Independent Study: History | ||
| World War I | ||
| World War II | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 39 | |
Concentration in Global History (39 semester hours)
Students enrolled in the Concentration in Global History will examine the cultural interconnections, trade networks, conflicts, and major events that have taken place in the world from pre-history to the present. Students will study the political, philosophical, scientific, and social changes that shaped the world. Special emphasis will be placed on how the various regions of the globe interacted with one another over the millennia to create the modern world.
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this concentration, the student will be able to:
- Assess the ways that different cultural groups have interacted through conquest, migration, commercial exchange, and cultural diffusion.
- Explain the development of different social, economic, and political systems.
- Describe the practices, ideals, and developments of major belief systems.
- Evaluate the social, economic, and political effects of the Industrial Revolution.
- Interpret documents, and other forms of evidence, in their historical context.
- Apply historical methods to critically evaluate the past.
- Articulate, in writing, a persuasive and well-structured historical argument.
Concentration Requirements (39 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST230 | History of East Asia | 3 |
| HIST340 | History of Africa | 3 |
| HIST350 | History of the Middle East | 3 |
| HIST308 | History of European Colonialism | 3 |
| HIST306 | The British Empire | 3 |
| HIST360 | History of Latin America | 3 |
| HIST320 | History of Russia | 3 |
| HIST310 | History of Modern Europe | 3 |
| MILH355 | World War I | 3 |
| MILH360 | World War II | 3 |
| Select 3 courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Ancient Greece | ||
| Ancient Rome | ||
| The United States: 1900 to Second World War | ||
| The United States: WW II to the Present | ||
| Globalization and the Market Economy | ||
| Special Topic: History | ||
| Independent Study: History | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 39 | |
Final Program Requirements (6 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| HIST491 | Writing a Research Proposal | 3 |
| HIST498 | Senior Seminar in History (to be taken as the last course before graduation) 1 | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 6 | |
| 1 | Prerequisite: HIST491 - Writing a Research Proposal and Senior Standing and completion of all major courses prior to enrollment. HIST491 may not be taken concurrently with HIST498. |
Elective Requirements (36 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Select any courses not already taken to fulfill the requirements listed above. Credits applied toward a minor or certificate in an unrelated field may be used to fulfill elective credit for the major. | 36 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 36 | |