Degree: B.A., History
Department of History and American Studies
The History curriculum is widely diversified by topic and by approach and offers an extensive range of courses from ancient to modern times in American, Asian, European, and Latin American. The Bachelor of Arts degree in History itself is distinctive for three courses that are particularly germane to student development of independent, critical judgment based on historical skills. The First-Year Seminars offer incoming students, particularly those who have completed AP courses, the opportunity to move quickly into the history major during their first year. The department's methods course, HIST 299 Introduction to the Study of History, which is typically completed during the sophomore or junior year, prepares majors in the critical evaluation of historical arguments, research and analysis, writing, and oral communication. This course is essential preparation for upper-level lecture courses and seminars and for the senior course HIST 485 Historical Research. This capstone course provides an opportunity to complete a historical research project working one-on-one with a member of the history faculty. An internship option enhances the program by granting credit for history-related, career-oriented work outside the classroom.
The goal of the History program is to produce graduates with a command of factual and conceptual knowledge of the past; the analytical methods that historians use to recover, research, and write about the past; the tools to create and produce materials in a digital age; and well-honed writing and speaking skills. Graduates of the History program go on to a wide range of careers in which the ability to understand and solve problems, and in which skills of independent, critical thinking are useful. Because the practice of history requires the ability to analyze and communicate ideas clearly as well as to retain factual information, it is an ideal preparation for law school and for careers in business, public policy, government, journalism, the military, and law and law enforcement.
Honors in History at Graduation requires a 3.5 grade-point average in the major and superior work in HIST 485 Historical Research or HIST 486 Historical Research Abroad.
Phi Alpha Theta, the national history honorary society, enriches the quality of the History program and offers opportunities to participate in social and educational activities.
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Students will understand the discipline's methods and processes.
2. Students will comprehend historical processes.
3. Students will utilize technological resources in research, data analysis, and presentation.
4. Students will analyze sources and arguments.
5. Students will synthesize research findings.
6. Students will write with clarity about the past.
7. Students will speak with clarity about the past.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 6 credits of the following survey sequences: | 6 | |
| Western Civilization I and Western Civilization II | ||
| American History to 1865 and American History Since 1865 | ||
| Asian Civilization I and Asian Civilization II | ||
| Select 18 elective credits at the 200-level and beyond | 18 | |
| HIST 299 | Introduction to the Study of History | 3 |
| Select 9 credits at the 400-level 1 | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
Three credits must be HIST 485 Historical Research or HIST 486 Historical Research Abroad, and 3 credits may be HIST 491 Individual Study .
AMST 202 Sophomore Special Topics Seminar or AMST 303 Junior Special Topics Seminar (3 credits total) may count as an elective in the History major with permission from the Department Chair.
Internships (HIST 499B Internship ) are encouraged, but count as electives in the major only with permission from the Department Chair.
General Education Requirements
The general education requirements for Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Science degrees apply to all students who are seeking to earn an undergraduate B.A., B.S. or B.S.Ed. degree.
Students seeking a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree have a separate set of BLS general education requirements.
Electives
Elective courses are those that are not needed to fulfill a general education requirement or major program requirement but are chosen by the student to complete the 120 credits required for graduation with a B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. degree or the BLS degree. These courses may be taken graded or pass/fail (or S/U in the case of physical education and 100-level dance). No student in a regular B.A./B.S./B.S.Ed. program may count more than 60 credits in a single discipline toward the 120 credits required for graduation.
Total Credits Required for the Degree: 120 credits
Plan of Study
This suggested plan of study should serve as a guide to assist students when planning their course selections. It is not a substitute for a student's Degree Evaluation or the Program Requirements listed for this major in the catalog. Academic planning is the student's responsibility, and course selections should be finalized only after speaking with an advisor. Students should familiarize themselves with the catalog in effect at the time they matriculated at the University of Mary Washington. Students should also familiarize themselves with general education requirements which can be fulfilled through general electives as well as major/minor course requirements. Course requirements and sequencing may vary with AP, IB, CLEP, Cambridge or previous coursework, transfer courses, or other conditions. To be considered full-time, an undergraduate student must be enrolled in 12 or more credits for the semester.
| Freshman | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| FSEM 100 | First-Year Seminar | 3 |
| 100-level HIST Course 1 | 3 | |
| General Education Courses | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| 100-level HIST Course 1 | 3 | |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 12 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| HIST 299 | Introduction to the Study of History | 3 |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 12 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| 200 to 400-level HIST Electives 2 | 6 | |
| General Education Courses or Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| 200 to 400-level HIST Electives 2 | 6 | |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| HIST Elective | 3 | |
| 400-level HIST Seminar | 3 | |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| 200 to 400-level HIST Elective 2 | 3 | |
| 400-level HIST Seminar | 3 | |
| General Electives | 9 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| HIST 485 | Historical Research | 3 |
| General Electives | 12 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
History majors must complete a 100-level sequence, choosing one from the following: HIST 121/HIST 122, HIST 131/HIST 132, or HIST 141/HIST 142
- 2
In addition to 200 to 400-level HIST courses, history majors may count an AMST course, HIST 491 Individual Study and HIST 499B Internship with department approval.
History and American Studies Department
Claudine L. Ferrell, Chair
Erin K. Devlin, American Studies Program Coordinator
Will B. Mackintosh, Career Advisor (History)
Krystyn R. Moon, Career Advisor (American Studies)
Faculty
Professors
Nabil S. Al-Tikriti
Susan R. Fernsebner
Claudine L. Ferrell
Steven E. Harris
Jeffrey W. McClurken
Krystyn R. Moon
Associate Professors
Erin K. Devlin
Will B. Mackintosh
Jason R. Sellers