History (B.A., B.S.)

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Sample Degree Plan

Program Summary

The History program is committed to preparing undergraduate students to understand their historical and cultural heritage. It supports the University’s mission by emphasizing excellence in teaching with courses grounded in the liberal arts and sciences tradition. Its curriculum is designed to foster knowledge of human cultures and instill intellectual and practical skills involving inquiry and analysis, critical thinking, written and oral communication, teamwork, and problem solving. The history discipline supports the General Education program at the University. In cooperation with the College of Education and Human Performance, the department prepares students for teaching careers in elementary and secondary schools, and it works to qualify majors for graduate study and advanced administrative specialization. In keeping with the University’s mission, the program emphasizes personal and social responsibility by requiring students to complete projects involving civic engagement, experiential learning, and service learning that elevate students’ civic knowledge, intercultural competence, and ethical reasoning, experiences that together provide foundations for engaged citizens and lifelong learning.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will possess factual and critical knowledge about past historical events, institutions, movements, figures, and societies and have the ability to identify key events that express change over time in a particular place or region, identify how change occurs over time, and explain historical continuity and change.
Students will understand, describe, and critically assess historical theories, principles, and concepts and possess the ability to apply historical theories, principles, and concepts.
Students will demonstrate effective oral and/or written communication skills.
Students will demonstrate the ability to apply historical methods and research protocols to formulate historical questions, obtain data from primary and secondary sources, critically assess primary and secondary sources, and follow scholarly conventions of the discipline.
Students will possess and demonstrate critical and analytical thinking and reasoning skills and demonstrate the ability to construct well-organized historical arguments that utilize historic data in support of a thesis.

Program Information

All courses must be passed with a “C-” (1.7) or better to be counted in the major.
No more than 12 lower-division (1000-2999) credits will be accepted towards the history major.
History majors must take at least 21 hours of elective credit.

General Education Requirement (30-35 Credits)

See General Education for course options.

Core Course Requirements (12-15 Credits)
Knowledge Area Requirements (16-20 Credits)

Please note: All students must complete a minimum of 30 credits between the Core and Knowledge Area requirements.

Bachelor’s Degree Type: Arts or Science Requirement (12* or 16** Credits)

Select one degree type from either Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science:

Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree Requirement (12 Credits*)

Bachelor of Science Degree - Math or Science minimum requirement 12 Credits

* Note: A portion of the B.S. requirements may be met by fulfilling the General Education Core and Knowledge Areas. Because of this, these credits are typically not counted in the degree total at the bottom of page. Some students majoring in non-science fields may need additional math/science courses to reach the minimum 12 credits. Consult your Student Success Advisor for details.

or

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree Requirement (16 Credits**)

Bachelor of Arts Degree - Foreign Language Requirement 16 Credits

** Note: One semester of a foreign language may also fulfill the General Education Humanities requirement. The 16 credits may be fulfilled by taking four semesters of a foreign language or by testing out of a language and purchasing the credits. These credits are typically counted in the degree total at the bottom of the page. Consult your Student Success Advisor for details.

History Curriculum (36 Credits)

Diversity Requirement (3 Credits)

Select one course from the following:

HIST 3000 - American Indian History 3 Credit(s)
HIST 3620 - African American History to 1877 3 Credit(s)
HIST 3630 - African American History Since 1877 3 Credit(s)
HIST 3700 - Latin American Civilization 3 Credit(s)
HIST 3880 - History of the American Southwest 3 Credit(s)
HIST 4600 - Women in Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern Europe 3 Credit(s)
HIST 4760 - The History of Gender in Early America to 1865 3 Credit(s)
HIST 4780 - The History of Gender in America Since 1865 3 Credit(s)

History Electives (21 Credits)

Select 6 credits of lower-division or upper-division HIST offerings
Select 15 credits of upper-division HIST offerings

Free Electives (33-57 Credits)

Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. For a bachelor’s degree, students must earn a minimum of 40 upper-division credits (courses numbered 3000-4999). Students may need to select additional upper-division courses not included in their major requirements in order to reach this minimum. Please consult your Student Success Advisor for details.