History, BA

The perspectives, content, and skills you will gain as a History major or minor will improve your understanding of the complex global world around you and strengthen your professional abilities in many areas. Employers, whether in business, government, education, international organization, or any other field, are looking for employees who can read carefully, write clearly, think logically, learn independently, work with people across cultural and geographical perspectives, and analyze problems within the appropriate critical contexts. The study of history cultivates all of these skills as well as your pathways of humanistic empathy and understanding of the world around you, your scientific skills of objective investigation, and your creative skills of expression and interpretation.

General Information

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History requires the following:

• A minimum of 36 credit hours of HIST course work. At least 21 of those hours must be upper division (courses numbered 3000 or higher).
• A grade of C or better in courses applied to the major.
• A minimum 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all HIST course work.
• No more than 60 credit hours of HIST course work may apply to the bachelor’s degree.

Additional course work is required to complete the History, BA degree. Please see the advising guide on the Academic Advising website for more information.

History Major Options

The following options, or tracks, may be added to the History major. Options may have different course, grade, GPA, or hour requirements.  See below for more information.

• Elementary Education 
• Secondary Education

Learning Outcomes

• Articulate original arguments using critical analysis and complex reasoning.
• Use, integrate, and discuss primary source evidence effectively in writing and oral discussion, based on an understanding of the methods of historical research and analysis.
• Use, integrate, and discuss secondary sources and historiography effectively in writing and oral discussion, based on an understanding of the methods of historical research and analysis.
• Use, integrate, and discuss methodological, conceptual, and theoretical approaches effectively in writing and oral discussion.
• Demonstrate clarity of thought and critical thinking in the organization, form, framing, and development of arguments.
• Use proper writing mechanisms, appropriate authoritative voice, and active verbs/sentence structures.

Departmental Honors

The History Department gives Honors at graduation. Students with a grade point average overall of 3.9 and above, with an A on their Senior Thesis, receive the designation of Highest Honors, equivalent to Summa Cum Laude; those with a grade point average of 3.7 and above, with an A or A- on their Senior Thesis, receive the designation of High Honors, or Magna Cum Laude; those with a grade point average of 3.5 or above, with an A or A- on their Senior Thesis, receive the designation of Honors, or Cum Laude.

Double Majors

Students with a double major (history and another major) must complete 30 credit hours of history courses, meeting the same course and grade requirements as detailed above. Specific agreements exist with:

• Anthropology and History Double Major  
• History and Political Science Double Major  
• History and Women’s & Ethnic Studies Double Major  
• Philosophy and History Double Major  

 Beginning fall 2025, a new History and Geography & Environmental Studies Double Major is available. Please visit the Academic Advising website for information.