History majors take a broad diversity of courses that teach the essential subject matter and skills of the discipline. As they advance in the major, students will have the option to specialize in a specific topic, issue, and time period through elective courses. In the last year of the program, they will use these knowledge and skills to produce their own in-depth research project.
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in history consists of 39 credits distributed as follows:
Required courses (15 credits)
- Core 100 and 200 level courses (9 credits)
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- HIST 101: American History to 1877 or HIST 102: American History 1877 to the Present.
- HIST 110: Western Civilization to 1700 or HIST 111: Western Civilization 1700 to the Present or HIST 103: East Asian Civilization or any non-U.S. 200 level history courses.
- Any additional 100 or 200-level course. 200 level courses are primarily World History courses.
(Note on AP credit: Students who receive scores of 4 or 5 on an Advanced Placement (AP) History Examination may apply a maximum of 6 credits toward a History Major core 100 or 200 level course. AP US History = HIST 101, AP European History = HIST 110, etc.)
- Methods Courses (6 credits)
- HIST 201: Introduction to the Study of History
- HIST 496 or HIST 497: Topics Historical Research
- Note: Hist 201 is a prerequisite for Hist 496 or 497. These courses cannot be taken simultaneously.
Elective History Courses (24 credits)
- Elective courses must be chosen from the upper level (300 and 400 level) courses offered by the department. Among them, students must take:
- A minimum of 9 credits in U.S. history and
- A minimum of 12 credits in European, Asian, Latin American, Middle Eastern or African history.
(See the Geographic-designations.Mar2022 for History major requirements to determine how courses are classified by the department.) - A minimum of 9 credits in 400 level history courses (Note: this does not include the capstone, Hist 496 or 497).
- Students may take HIST 391 (Internship) as part of the 24 elective credits requirement.
No grade lower than “C” in any course will be counted toward the major.
To declare the History Major, use the online form available on the Registrar’s website:
Declaration of Major/Minor Form.
To keep track of your progress toward graduation, please consult the Advising Guide for the History Major when choosing your courses each semester.
History / Social Studies Teacher Certification
History Majors seeking Social Studies teacher certification at the secondary level (grades 6-12) must meet all History Major requirements listed above and an additional 33 credits in the Education Department. Upon successful completion of their course work and student teaching, students are recommended for teacher certification in the State of Maryland.
The History / Social Studies Secondary Education Teacher Certification Program consists of 90 credits distributed as follows:
All of the required credits of the History Major (39 credits)
As part of the History Major requirements History / Social Studies Teacher Certification majors must take the following courses:
- HIST 101: American History to 1877
- HIST 102: American History 1877 to the Present
- HIST 110: Western Civilization to 1700 or HIST 111: Western Civilization 1700 to the Present
- One World History course
- HIST 347: The United States since 1945
- HIST 413: The American Revolution or HIST 344: The American Civil War
- One non-western History course
Required supplementary Social Studies courses (18 credits)
- ECON 101: Principles of Microeconomics or ECON 102: Principles of Macroeconomics
- GES 102: Human Geography or GES 110: Physical Geography
- POLI 100: American Government and Politics
- PSYC 100: Introduction to Psychology
- SOCY 101: Basic Concepts in Sociology or ANTH 101: Introduction to Anthropology
Professional Education Requirements (33 credits):
- EDUC 310: Inquiry into Education
- EDUC 311: Psychological Foundations of Education
- EDUC 388: Inclusion and Instruction
- EDUC 410: Reading in the Content Area I
- EDUC 411: Reading in the Content Area II
- EDUC 412: Analysis of Teaching and Learning
- EDUC 428: Secondary Social Studies Methods
- EDUC 456: Internship in Secondary Education (10 credits)
- EDUC 457: Internship Seminar in Secondary Education (2 credits)
For the most up-to-date information on the 33 credits in secondary teacher education required by the State of Maryland, please consult an advisor in the Education Department.
To declare the History Major, use the online form available on the Registrar’s website:
Declaration of Major/Minor Form.
To keep track of your progress toward History / Social Studies Teacher Certification, please consult the Advising Guide for History / Social Studies Teacher Certification when choosing your courses each semester.
Pre-Law
The study of history provides excellent preparation for careers in law and the History Major has traditionally been one of the most heavily represented undergraduate majors in American law schools. Recognizing this, the History Department provides supplemental pre-law advising to those students considering law school.
To declare the History Major, use the online form available on the Registrar’s website:
Declaration of Major/Minor Form.
For pre-law advising please contact Pre-Law Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Amy Froide at froide@umbc.edu.