History

major minor
Archaeology class on a dig

Program at a Glance

Degree(s)

Bachelor of Arts

College(s)/School(s)

College of Arts and Humanities

Department(s)

History

We are located in Virginia's "Historic Triangle" – among the most historically significant regions of the country. In small classroom settings with award-winning professors, who emphasize important skills of research, analysis, and communication, our History program will prepare you to apply the past in order to understand the present and to shape the future. Beyond the classroom, you can hold a guaranteed internship, study abroad to see where history happened, conduct research in the nation's archives, and earn funding and college credit for all of these opportunities.

Degree Requirements

Students majoring in History who complete all requirements earn the degree of BA, History.

Core

  • Choose one:
    • HIST 111 - The Ancient and Medieval World
    • HIST 112 - The Modern World
  • Choose one:
    • HIST 121 - Early America to the Civil War
    • HIST 122 - Modern America: Reconstruction to Global Power
  • HIST 300W - Historical Methods and Historiography
  • HIST 490W - Senior Seminar

History Major Coursework

A minimum of 24 additional credit hours, six of which must be at the 400-level.

  • Six credits of American history:
    • HIST 304 - U.S. Women’s History
    • HIST 305 - History of Gender and Sexuality in the United States
    • HIST 324 - America and the Second World War
    • HIST 325 - Cold War Politics and Culture
    • HIST 327 - History on Film
    • HIST 336 - American Foreign Relations
    • HIST 341 - The Long Civil Rights Movement
    • HIST 342 - American Environmental History
    • HIST 346 - History of the American Frontier
    • HIST 348 - Introduction to Historical Archaeology
    • HIST 349 - The Rise and Fall of American Slavery
    • HIST 350 - American Indians
    • HIST 351 - American Military History
    • HIST 352 - Colonial North America to 1700
    • HIST 354 - The American Revolution and Early Republic, 1775-1820
    • HIST 355 - Civil War and Reconstruction
    • HIST 356 - The United States in the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, 1877-1919
    • HIST 357 - Twentieth Century America, 1920-1960
    • HIST 358 - Twentieth Century America, 1961-Present
    • HIST 388 - The US South: Histories, Cultures, and Identities
    • HIST 396 - African American Women's History
    • HIST 397 - Medicine and the African American Experience
    • HIST 407 - American Energy and Power
    • HIST 435 - Public History
    • HIST 443 - 20th Century American Popular Culture
    • HIST 446 - The Rise of Jacksonian America
    • HIST 480 - The United States as a World Power
    • HIST 485 - The Great Depression
    • HIST 489 - Women and Social Movements in U.S. History
  • Six credits of European history:
    • HIST 301 - The Ancient Greeks
    • HIST 302 - The Roman Republic
    • HIST 306 - Revolutions in France: Violence, Culture, and Mass Society, 1750-1918
    • HIST 308 - Tudor Britain
    • HIST 310 - The Reformation Era
    • HIST 317 - Europe since 1945
    • HIST 320 - Imperial Russian History
    • HIST 321 - Soviet History and Beyond
    • HIST 326 - The Nazi State and the Holocaust
    • HIST 329 - Modern France
    • HIST 338 - History of Modern Germany, 1945 to the Present
    • HIST 339 - History of Propaganda: A Film Study Course
    • HIST 379 - Early Middle Ages
    • HIST 380 - Later Middle Ages
    • HIST 382 - Disease and the Rise of Modern Medicine
    • HIST 383 - Filthy Paris: Sex, Health, and Hygiene in the City of Light
    • HIST 408 - The Crusades
    • HIST 415 - The Byzantine Empire
    • HIST 423 - Communism’s Collapse
    • HIST 432 - World War II in European Memory
  • Six credits of World regions history:
    • HIST 312 - Ancient Egypt
    • HIST 343 - Global Environmental History
    • HIST 347 - Atlantic World Encounters 1400-1700
    • HIST 360 - History of Traditional East Asia
    • HIST 364 - History of Brazil
    • HIST 367 - Modern Chinese History
    • HIST 368 - Modern Japanese History
    • HIST 375 - History of the Modern Middle East
    • HIST 376 - Modern North Africa: History, Society, and Culture since 1830
    • HIST 389 - Comparative Slavery
    • HIST 403 - Ancient Persia
    • HIST 405 - Law and Justice in Chinese History
    • HIST 462 - The Mexican Revolution
    • HIST 466 - Society and Culture in Chinese History
    • HIST 479 - De-Colonizing the Middle East: Theory and Methods
  • Six additional credits of history electives, satisfied by the following options:
    • one 200-level lecture/discussion course
    • HIST 276 - The Study of History Abroad (study abroad)
    • HIST 299 - Undergraduate Research in History
    • HIST 491 - Practicum (internship at partner institution)
    • HIST 499 - Independent Study (undergraduate research or internship)
    • an additional three or six credit hours of American, European, and/or World Regions history at the 300-level or higher (excluding HIST 490W)
  • Select one:
    • HIST 111 - The Ancient and Medieval World
    • HIST 112 - The Modern World
  • Select one:
    • HIST 121 - Early America to the Civil War
    • HIST 122 - Modern America: Reconstruction to Global Power
  • Select four courses (12 credit hours) in history courses at the 200-, 300-, or 400-level, provided that only three credit hours from the 200-level may be counted toward the history minor.
    • HIST 210 - History of Virginia
    • HIST 211 - Comic Books and American Society
    • HIST 212 - Viva Zapata? Revolution and the Peoples of America
    • HIST 213 - Greek and Roman Warfare
    • HIST 214 - The Black Death
    • HIST 216 - Israel/Palestine: One Land, Two Peoples
    • HIST 299 - Undergraduate Research in History
    • HIST 300W - Historical Methods and Historiography
    • HIST 301 - The Ancient Greeks
    • HIST 302 - The Roman Republic
    • HIST 304 - U.S. Women’s History
    • HIST 305 - History of Gender and Sexuality in the United States
    • HIST 306 - Revolutions in France: Violence, Culture, and Mass Society, 1750 - 1918
    • HIST 308 - Tudor and Stuart Britain
    • HIST 310 - The Reformation Era
    • HIST 312 - Ancient Egypt
    • HIST 317 - Europe since 1945
    • HIST 320 - Imperial Russian History
    • HIST 321 - Soviet History and Beyond
    • HIST 324 - America and the Second World War
    • HIST 325 - Cold War Politics and Culture
    • HIST 326 - The Nazi State and the Holocaust
    • HIST 327 - History on Film
    • HIST 329 - Modern France
    • HIST 336 - American Foreign Relations
    • HIST 338 - History of Modern Germany, 1945 to the Present
    • HIST 339 - History of Propaganda: A Film Study Course
    • HIST 339 - History of Propaganda: A Film Study Course [formerly HIST 429, NOT equivalent]
    • HIST 341 - The Long Civil Rights Movement
    • HIST 342 - American Environmental History
    • HIST 343 - Global Environmental History
    • HIST 346 - History of the American Frontier
    • HIST 347 - Atlantic World Encounters 1400-1700
    • HIST 348 - Historical Archaeology
    • HIST 348 - Introduction to Historical Archaeology
    • HIST 349 - The Rise and Fall of American Slavery
    • HIST 350 - American Indians
    • HIST 351 - American Military History
    • HIST 352 - Colonial North America to 1700
    • HIST 354 - The American Revolution and Early Republic, 1775-1820
    • HIST 355 - Civil War and Reconstruction
    • HIST 356 - The United States in the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era, 1877-1919
    • HIST 357 - 20th-Century America, 1920-1960
    • HIST 358 - 20th-Century America, 1961-Present
    • HIST 360 - History of Traditional East Asia
    • HIST 362 - History of Modern Latin America
    • HIST 364 - History of Brazil
    • HIST 367 - Modern Chinese History
    • HIST 368 - Modern Japanese History
    • HIST 375 - History of the Modern Middle East
    • HIST 376 - Modern North Africa: History, Society and Culture since 1830
    • HIST 379 - Early Middle Ages
    • HIST 380 - Later Middle Ages
    • HIST 382 - Disease and the Rise of Modern Medicine
    • HIST 383 - Filthy Paris: Sex, Health and Hygiene in the City of Light
    • HIST 388 - The U.S. South: Histories, Cultures and Identities
    • HIST 389 - Comparative Slavery 
    • HIST 396 - African American Women's History
    • HIST 397 - Medicine and the African American Experience
    • HIST 403 - Ancient Persia
    • HIST 405 - Law and Justice in Chinese History
    • HIST 407 - American Energy and Power
    • HIST 408 - The Crusades
    • HIST 415 - The Byzantine Empire
    • HIST 423 - Communism’s Collapse
    • HIST 432 - World War II in European Memory
    • HIST 435 - Public History
    • HIST 443 - 20th Century American Popular Culture
    • HIST 446 - The Rise of Jacksonian America
    • HIST 462 - The Mexican Revolution
    • HIST 466 - Society and Culture in Chinese History
    • HIST 479 - De-Colonizing the Middle East: Theory and Methods
    • HIST 480 - The United States as a World Power
    • HIST 485 - The Great Depression
    • HIST 489 - Women and Social Movements in U.S. History
    • HIST 491 - Practicum (internship at partner insititution)
    • HIST 499 - Independent Study (undergraduate research or internship)
Course Catalog

Career Options

  • Legal Professional
  • Policy Analyst
  • National Security Professional
  • Museum Curator
  • Educator
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