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 Core Curriculum, 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.
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