Since the present was forged in the past, the study of history is uniquely suited to enable us to comprehend and deal with the modern world. A major in History promotes critical thinking, data analysis and communication skills. It also provides excellent preparation for careers in professional fields such as business, law, journalism, government and education. In addition to a wide range of courses and the opportunity to undertake directed studies, the Department of History offers both a major and minor. Students participate in broadly-based and globally-oriented study through either a regional concentration (American, European, Asian or Latin American/Caribbean) or a thematic concentration (for example, economic or military history.)
In addition to the specific major requirements described below, students must also complete all designated requirements in Foundations for Success, Contexts & Perspectives in the Arts & Sciences, Business Dynamics, Communication Intensive coursework, and the additional degree requirements for Arts & Sciences majors (including the Modern Language requirement). Details can be found in the Degree Requirements section of the catalogue, including the Overview and the Arts & Sciences Majors tabs.
Students must receive approval from the History Department Chair for a regional concentration or thematic area within history. Examples might include American, European, Asian or Latin American/Caribbean, or thematic concentrations in economic history, social history or war and society. Students are encouraged to speak to the department chair as early in their career as possible to seek approval for their concentration courses.
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses | ||
Four courses in a field of regional concentration, or in a thematic area in history approved by the Department Chair | 12 | |
One course in non-Western history | 3 | |
Latin America (1800-present) | ||
History of China: Before Confucius, After Mao (formerly HI 270) | ||
History of Japan: Samurai and Salarymen (formerly HI 272) | ||
Middle East: Islamic and Contemporary (formerly HI 284) | ||
Modern South Asia | ||
The Caribbean: Past, Present, Future | ||
Contemporary Japan | ||
Fashion Film and Food in South Asia | ||
Women and Gender in South Asia | ||
South Asian Religions | ||
History and Culture of North Korea | ||
Selected Topics in Asian History | ||
Selected Topics in Latin American/Caribbean History | ||
Two unrestricted history electives (any HI course not otherwise required) | 6 | |
HI 402 | Seminar in History | 3 |
Total Credits: | 24 |
Approved History Themes
Concentration/themes within history must be approved by the History Chair. Possible options include, but are not limited to:
Course | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
History of the Americas | ||
Latin America (1800-present) | ||
The Caribbean: Past, Present, Future | ||
Colonial America (1400-1750) | ||
The Revolutionary Generation in the United States (1750-1815) | ||
Modern United States History (1920-present) | ||
Constitutional History of the United States | ||
Economic History of the United States | ||
Work and the American Worker | ||
History of American Technology | ||
Serfs, Slaves and Sojourners: The Minority Experience in the United States | ||
The American Religious Experience | ||
History of Capitalism in Modern America | ||
American Environmental History | ||
The United States: From Nation to Empire (1865-1920) | ||
America and Its Arts | ||
U.S. Women's History | ||
Immigration in U.S. History | ||
History of American Sports | ||
Baseball as American History | ||
History of Boston | ||
The Civil War | ||
European History | ||
History of Ireland: From St. Patrick to "The Troubles" | ||
Arts and Society | ||
The Medieval West | ||
The Romantic Age | ||
Modern British History | ||
The Soviet Union and After | ||
World War I | ||
World War II | ||
Europe Reborn: From Cold War to the War in Ukraine | ||
War and Society | ||
Genocide in Modern History | ||
Historic Approach to Modern Terrorism | ||
Revolutions and the Modern World | ||
The Revolutionary Generation in the United States (1750-1815) | ||
The Civil War | ||
World War I | ||
World War II | ||
The Vietnam War | ||
Economic History | ||
History of the World Economy | ||
Economic History of the United States | ||
Work and the American Worker | ||
History of Capitalism in Modern America | ||
Asian History | ||
History of China: Before Confucius, After Mao (formerly HI 270) | ||
History of Japan: Samurai and Salarymen (formerly HI 272) | ||
Middle East: Islamic and Contemporary (formerly HI 284) | ||
Modern South Asia | ||
Fashion Film and Food in South Asia | ||
Women and Gender in South Asia | ||
South Asian Religions |
Additional thematic areas are available upon approval. Examples include “The Formation of the Atlantic World,” “Early Civilizations,” and “The Medieval and Early Modern World.”