Bachelor of Arts in History

The Department of History and Political Science engages students in disciplines that are scholarly and humanistically enlarging. In History courses, the department extends to each student the opportunity to acquire the temporal perspective needed to understand and appreciate the varied activities and pursuits of human beings. In Political Science courses, the department extends to each student the opportunity for systematic study of the varied activities of human beings who as citizens seek to craft orderly and just societies and to discern the proper relation between the individual and the community. Through both disciplines, the department aims to develop in students the necessary perspective and critical capacities to be contributing members of their communities and to live enriched and enriching lives.

By engaging students in dialogue about the nature of human activity past and present, by developing their analytical abilities, and by working with them to effectively communicate their insights, the department at the same time strives to develop competent, self-confident, articulate individuals ready for productive careers. The programs of the department provide excellent preparation both for further study and for work in a variety of fieldsâ€”teaching, business, civil service, law, journalism, library science, and archival work.

Where Will Your Degree Take You?

Screenwriter

Civil Servant

Museum Curator

Diplomat

Legislator

National-Security Agent

Program Of Study (36 Credits)

History Major (36 credits)

HI 111 Western Civilization I

HI 112 Western Civilization II

HI 121 United States History I

HI 122 United States History II

HI 385 Historiography

HI 391 Senior Research Seminar

Six courses from among the following: (18 credits)

HI 252 Topics in Historical Study

HI 253 Topics in Historical Study

HI 302 Women and Society in Early Modern Europe

HI 304 History through Biography

HI 311 Renaissance and Reformation

HI 315 Nineteenth-Century Europe

HI 316 War and Peace in 20th Century Europe

HI 320 History of Colonial America

HI 321 The American Revolution

HI 324 American Civil War

HI 334 The Sixties: From Kennedy to Vietnam

HI 341 World Revolution in the Twentieth Century

HI 343 Imagining Heaven and Hell

HI 344 Slavery in the Atlantic World

History Minor (18 credits)

The minor in History consists of 18 credits chosen in consultation with the Department Chair and including HI 385.