The Department of History offers a program leading to the award of Departmental Honors at graduation. (Note: This program is specific to the History Department and different from the University Honors College Program.)
Students who plan to pursue Departmental Honors must fulfill all of the requirements of the History major with the following substitution:
- In place of the one-semester HIST 497/498: Thesis in History, Departmental Honors students will take the two-semester HIST 498 – HIST 499: Honors Thesis in History sequence. Also, rather than a single thesis reader, Departmental Honors students must identify two thesis readers from among the History Department faculty.
- Students must earn a minimum grade of “B” in the HIST 498 – HIST 499 sequence to receive Departmental Honors.
- Additionally, students must complete a minimum of 21 credits in UMBC History courses and graduate with at least a 3.5 GPA in History courses to receive Departmental Honors.
To qualify for the Departmental Honors program, a student must be a junior with a 3.5 GPA in their history courses. Students with a lower GPA can petition the History Department’s Undergraduate Committee for consideration. There are no requirements concerning overall GPA.
Interested students should consult with a History Department faculty advisor no later than the fall semester of their junior year. To enroll in the program, students must submit the Departmental Honors Contract to the Department Chair by the last day of the semester before they will begin their Honors Thesis work (May 15th for work beginning in the following Fall semester).