History, BA

The history program seeks to provide a well-balanced and intellectually challenging major, flexible enough to meet the needs of students seeking a broad liberal arts background, a teaching career, admission to graduate or professional school or work in the areas of applied or public history. With its focus on critical thinking and communication skills, history contributes to the liberal arts curriculum and intellectual engagement by appropriate participation in the general education and serves those students taking history courses as electives, as a minor area or in conjunction with other majors. The history major earns a B.A. degree.

In addition, history in conjunction with other academic programs, supports majors in American studies and politics and international relations.

Honors

Students may be invited by the full-time history faculty to undertake a senior honors thesis. Upon successful completion of the thesis, along with HIS 498  and HIS 499 , a student will graduate “with honors in history.” Normally in order to be considered, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 or above and a minimum major GPA of 3.5 or above. The faculty may invite a student to undertake honors who has not met the GPA requirement, and likewise may not invite every student who has done so. HIS 498  may count as a history elective and HIS 499  counts as three credits beyond the major requirements.