Nov 23, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

History and Government - General History Concentration, BA/BS


The general history concentration consists of a total of forty-eight hours in history coursework. Twenty-one hours are in history survey courses, eighteen hours are in upper level history courses, three hours of the the senior seminar, and six hours consist of thematic, specialized history courses drawn from upper level and elective courses. These courses are to be taken sequentially with most of the history survey courses being taken before the upper level ones are taken. In any case, the choice of courses must be made in cooperation with the faculty advisor to ensure successful and timely completion of the degree requirements and to prepare for the writing of the thesis paper. Finally, all eighteen hours of history survey courses and all twenty-one hours of upper level history courses should be taken before the student takes the seminar course.

The general history concentration, based in the liberal arts, emphasizes theory and research to prepare the student for employment in a variety of sectors or graduate studies in history. Should the student wish to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree, rather than a Bachelor of Science degree, then, the student must satisfy a foreign language requirement, which can also be met by passing a Foreign Language Proficiency Examination. Students who wish to pursue graduate studies in history are strongly encouraged to take twelve hours of foreign language electives and, thereby, graduate with a BA.

Bachelor Of Arts/Bachelor Of Science History and Government Major


The Department of History and Government offers the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and the Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees in History and Government and Philosophy, Politics and Economics.  Students who wish to earn the BA degree are required to complete twelve semester hours of a foreign language in addition to other requirements. The BA/BS degrees in History and Government require a minimum of forty-two semester hours for majors in the history concentration and forty-five semester hours for majors in the government concentration. The BS degree in history and government requires thirty-six semester hours for majors in the history (social studies) concentration.

Students who wish to pursue a major or minor in history and government must earn a grade of “C” or higher in departmental courses.

General Education And Institutional Requirements


English Composition (6 semester hours)


Arts and Humanities (6 semester hours)


Sciences (Biology, chemistry, physics, physical science, 1 lab. course req.)


  • ____ ___ Science Electives 7-8 Credits

Mathematics 116 or above (3 semester hours )


  • MATH ___ Math Elective 3 Credits

Technology (3 semester hours)


  • COSC ___ Computer Science Elective 3 Credits

Institutional Requirements (6 semester hours)


Other General (Free) Education Electives (9 semester hours)


  • ____ ___ General Education Elective 3 Credits
  • ____ ___ General Education Elective 3 Credits
  • ____ ___ General Education Elective 3 Credits

Note:


See the full list of University General Education and Institutional Requirements  for additional options.

Students are encouraged to take SUMMER courses and attend MINI-SEMESTER in order to have a manageable semester load.

Note: The Department reserves the right to specify suitable general education courses, in keeping with COMAR, for its majors.

Total Hours of History Survey Courses: 21


For History majors some of the above courses may be included in the program as core departmental requirements or as general education electives, under the social sciences and other general education electives categories.

History Subfields


There are three subfields of upper level history courses, which are the African subfield, the European subfield, and the United States subfield. History majors must take two courses in each of the three subfields for their eighteen hours of upper level coursework (300-level or higher) in history.

African Diaspora History


History Education


  • 3 Credits
  • 3 Credits
  • Students are required to take six credit hours of thematic, specialized history courses. These may be drawn from upper level and general history electives. Themes include European history, African history, United States history, African American history, African diaspora history, women’s history, history education, and historical management. If a student has a department minor (government, philosophy, geography, women’s studies, Africana studies, pre-law, historical management, international studies, and/or public policy), then this requirement is waived.

Sample Program


Freshman Year


Sophomore Year


First Semester


Total: 16

Second Semester


Total: 18

Junior Year


First Semester


  • HIST ___ Sub-field Elective 3 Credits
  • HIST ___ Sub-field Elective 3 Credits
  • 3 Credits
  • ____ ___ Arts and Humanities Elective 3 Credits
  • ____ ___ Other Elective 3 Credits
Total: 15

Second Semester


  • HIST ___ Sub-field Elective 3 Credits
  • HIST ___ Sub-field Elective 3 Credits
  • ____ ___Computer Science Electi​ve 3 Credits 
  • ____ ___ Other Elective 3 Credits
  • ____ ___ Other Elective 3 Credits
Total:14

Senior Year


First Semester


  • 3 Credits
  • ____ ___ Other Elective 3 Credits
  • ____ ___ Other Elective 3 Credits
  • ____ ___ Other Elective 3 Credits
Total: 12

Second Semester


Total: 12