History majors take a minimum of 13 history courses, including at least one HS 100-level course and 12 upper-division (HS 300- and 400-level) courses. These are normally distributed as follows:
- One HS 100-level core course (HS 101-108).
- Eight HS 300-level courses are required, including one which may also fulfill the upper-level History/English Core requirement. Up to two HS 100-level courses beyond the first core course may be substituted for HS 300-level courses. After completion of the core requirement, any HS 400-level course except HS 400 may be substituted for any HS 300-level course.
- History Methods (HS 400 ) is normally taken in the sophomore year after the completion of the core requirement; it provides a foundation for all other HS 300- and 400-level courses.
- Two special topics courses (HS 410-459) are required. These are more narrowly focused and professionally oriented than the HS 300-level intermediate courses. (Note: Students may substitute additional seminars in place of special topics courses.)
- One history seminar (HS 460-498) is required. The seminar is a small, intensive course that is conducted largely through discussion and requires a major research paper.
- History majors who are in the Honors Program take the Honors Human Drama sequence (HN 201-204) and may take up to two 100-level History courses. They may take a 400-level course (HS 410-498) to complete the second part of the Honors History/English Core. If a student elects to take a 400-level History course, that course may also count toward the special topics or seminar requirements of the History major.
Upper-division courses may be taken in any order, though students will usually take their special topics and seminar courses in the junior or senior years. Majors may elect to take extra seminars or special topics courses in place of HS 300-level courses. They may also decide to exceed the minimum number of history courses.
Specialized and independent study courses, which serve a particular purpose (HS 401-409; 499) can be taken as part of the 13 courses required for the history major, but cannot be used in lieu of the two special topics courses or the seminar, nor can they be used for regional distribution requirements.
Among the upper-division courses selected, six must be taken according to the following regional distribution requirements:
European History: HS 101; HS 300-339; HS 410-422; HS 470-479 (two courses required)
American History: HS 102-103; HS 340-369; HS 423-439; HS 460-469 (two courses required)
Non-Western History: HS 104-108; HS 370-399; HS 440-454; HS 480-498 (two courses required)
Useful courses for history majors offered by other departments include Making Sense of Data with Database Management Systems (CS 105 ); Introduction to Statistical Methods and Data Analysis (ST 110 ); introductory courses in economics (EC), political science (PS), sociology (SC); and courses in art history (AH), English (EN), and modern languages and literatures (ML).
Interdisciplinary majors are required to take seven history courses:
- One HS 100-level core course (HS 100-108)
- One HS 300-level core course
- Two HS 300- or 400-level courses. One HS 100-level course beyond the first HS 100-level core course may be substituted for an HS 300-level course
- History Methods (HS 400 )
- One special topics course (HS 410-459)
- One seminar course (HS 460-499)
Among the upper-division courses selected, three must be taken according to the following distribution requirements:
European History: HS 101; HS 300-339; HS 410-422; HS 470-479 (one course required)
American History: HS 102-103; HS 340-369; HS 423-439; HS 460-469 (one course required)
Non-Western History: HS 104-108; HS 370-399; HS 440-454; HS 480-489 (one course required)