History Major
Philip Slaby, Assistant Professor, Chair
Adrienne Israel, Professor
Timothy Kircher, Professor
Sarah S. Malino, Professor
Damon Akins, Assistant Professor
Zhihong Chen, Assistant Professor
History is the study of the complex forces in the past that precipitate change in the human environment. These forces include ideas, political and economic developments, and social and cultural conditions. Historical investigation demands logical thinking and critical analysis as well as imagination and intuition. Students of history learn to recognize the significance of the sequential nature of events and to bring order to apparently random facts. Historical knowledge fosters an appreciation of human diversity, a global perspective, and a rich comprehension of the contemporary world and one’s own experience.
The History major challenges students to understand the present by knowing its short- and long-term causes that have brought it into existence. All events, students learn, are the result of a complex interaction of forces. Students learn to differentiate between major and minor causes of events. This major is an excellent foundation for careers in teaching, research of all varieties, law, community service and business, among others.
Degrees Offered
The Bachelor of Arts degree is offered in History.
Major Requirements
The major consists of eight courses (32 credit hours). No more than two of these courses may be at the 100 level, while one must be at the 300 level, and one must be the HIST 400 Seminar. The remainder of the courses may be at the 200 or 300 level. An Historical Perspectives course taught by the Department of History faculty counts toward the major requirements.
Students may choose an area of historical specialization but must take at least one course in each of the following three geographical areas: United States, Europe and non-Western (e.g., Asia, Africa or Latin America). In addition, they must take one course focusing on history before 1800 and one course focusing on history after 1800, in order to ensure a breadth of chronological knowledge.
The capstone course for the major is HIST 400 Research Seminar, recommended to be taken in the junior year, particularly for students planning to complete a two-semester thesis. It is required of all students majoring in history and is generally taught in the evening every semester. As preparation for this research, students must take at least two courses at the 200 level prior to taking the seminar. It is strongly advised to take a history course at the 300 level prior to taking the seminar course.
To develop their understanding of how historical knowledge relates to other academic disciplines, students may take one course taught by a faculty member outside the Department of History, provided that the course has been approved for the major by the department in advance (e.g., ECON 302 Economic History of the U.S.).
- Any two 100-level history courses (score of 4 or 5 on an AP history exam will count as one 100-level history course) – 8 credits
- One history course before 1800 from: 4 credits
- HIST 101 The Medieval Web
- HIST 233 Medieval Civilization: Crusades and Chivalry
- HIST/ART 235 The Renaissance and Florence
- HIST/REL 236 Reformation: Luther to Fox
- HIST 241 Africa before 1800
- HIST 271 Colonial Latin America
- HIST/ENGL 336 The Elizabethan Age
- HIST 383 Imperial China
- HIST 385 Medieval Japan
- IDS 452 Ancient Greece Homer – Socrates
- One US history course from: 4 credits
- HIST 103 U.S. Origins: From Pre-Colonial Times to 1877
- HIST 104 Modern Times: The U.S. from 1877 to the Present
- HIST 205 United States Imperialism and Progressivism
- HIST 212 American Frontiers
- HIST 221 Changing Face of the South
- HIST 222 North Carolina History
- HIST 223 Gender and Power in US History
- HIST 225 African American History
- HIST 227 Urban Environmental History
- HIST 276 Civil War and Reconstruction
- HIST 302 Economic History of the United States
- HIST 303 US Social History and Social Memory
- HIST 308 The Underground Railroad
- HIST 311 The US since 1945
- HIST 312 Indians in American History since 1800
- HIST 315 The Civil Rights Movement
- HIST 324 American Rivers
- One Europe course from: 4 credits
- HIST 101 The Medievel Web
- HIST 102 The Web of Europe since 1400
- HIST 233 Medieval Civilization: Crusades and Chivalry
- HIST/ART 235 The Renaissance and Florence
- HIST/REL 236 Reformation: Luther to Fox
- HIST 237 Europe in Revolution
- HIST 238 War and Peace
- HIST 245 Europe since World War II
- HIST 255 The Second World War
- HIST 289 The French Revolution and Napoleon
- HIST 314 Immigration & a Multicultural Europe, 1800-Present
- HIST 319 Europe Between the Wars
- HIST/ENGL 336 The Elizabethan Age
- IDS 452 Ancient Greece Homer – Socrates
- One non-Western history course from: 4 credits
- HIST 241 African before 1800
- HIST 242 African since 1800
- HIST 264 The Asian Pacific in Modern Times
- HIST 266 Contemporary Chinese Society in Film
- HIST 268 History of Chinese Women
- HIST 271 Colonial Latin America
- HIST 272 Modern Latin America
- HIST 343 Women in Modern Africa
- HIST 383 Imperial China
- HIST 384 China in Revolution
- HIST 385 Medieval Japan
- HIST 386 Japan: The Road to War
- Any HIST 300 level course – 4 credits
- HIST 400 Seminar in History – 4 credits
Total credits required for A.B. degree in History – 32 credits
