Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of General Studies in History
Why study history?
We study the past to gain insight for living in our present. At the collegiate level, studying history comprises much more than memorizing names or dates. Historians examine change over time and are most interested in questions that ask 'why' or 'how.' These questions demand complex answers about who we are and how we have come to be where we are.
A major in History teaches skills in research, evaluation, analysis, and communication that allow us to better understand what it means to be human in an increasingly complex and interdependent world. As a department we are:
Welcoming: In our teaching and research, faculty are committed to recovering and centering voices of people whose historical experiences have been marginalized through systemic racism, gender and sex prejudice, and class bias. We welcome all students in our classrooms.
Relevant: The study of history at the collegiate level prepares students for global citizenship and teaches them to construct evidence-based arguments, even in the face of uncertainty, bias, and incomplete information. Our courses develop skills in critical thinking, analysis of qualitative and quantitative sources, research methods and practices, and effective communication –all of which transfer to any number of future careers and occupations.
Personal: Courses in the department are usually small, and the larger courses always include trained Graduate Teaching Assistants to give individual attention and feedback. All our required seminars are capped at fifteen students, and each affords the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member.
Prominent: Faculty in the department are nationally and internationally recognized leaders in their field, and they bring this advanced knowledge into the classroom
Flexible: Students must take only two required courses - a seminar on historical methods (HIST 301) and a senior research seminar (HIST 696) or honors thesis (HIST 690 & HIST 691). Because few courses have sequential prerequisites, History is easy to take as a minor or as a second major.
Undergraduate Admission
Admission to KU
All students applying for admission must send high school and college transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Prospective first-year students should be aware that KU has qualified admission requirements that all new first-year students must meet to be admitted. Consult the Office of Admissions for application deadlines and specific admission requirements.
Visit the International Support Services for information about international admissions.
Students considering transferring to KU may see how their college-level course work will transfer on the Office of Admissions website.
Declaring a Major
The Department of History has no admission prerequisites or requirements before declaring a major. You can declare a History major by scheduling an appointment with our Advising Specialist to fill out a Major Declaration Form. We urge you to meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies and our Advising Specialist when you declare, so that we can explain the major requirements and get to know you and your interests. There is no set time for declaring your major, but you should try to contact the department early for advising, preferably before the end of your sophomore year.
First- and Second-Year Preparation
Prospective majors are encouraged to enroll in one or two introductory courses at the 100 or 200 level in the first two years. Students who come to KU with AP or transfer credit should be aware that only nine hours of history course work numbered 100-299 may be counted toward the major.
Many history courses fulfill Core 34: Arts and Humanities or US & Global Culture requirements
Requirements for the B.A. or B.G.S. Major
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| History Major Foundational Knowledge and Skills | ||
| Majors must complete a course in the following area: | ||
| The Historian’s Craft. Satisfied by: | ||
| HIST 301 | The Historian's Craft | 3 |
| History Required Electives | ||
| Majors must complete a minimum of 12 hours (4 courses) in both Category I and Category II below. The remaining 6 hours may be taken from either category. | 30 | |
History Category I: Western Orientation. Satisfied by courses in Ancient, Medieval, Modern Western Europe, Russia/Eastern Europe, United States: | ||
| Introduction to Western History: _____ | ||
| Introduction to History, Honors: _____ | ||
| Environment and History | ||
| Introduction to Ancient Near Eastern and Greek History | ||
| Introduction to Roman History | ||
| Medieval History | ||
| The Black Experience in the Americas | ||
| Introduction to British History | ||
| Renaissance to Revolution: Europe 1500-1789 | ||
| French Revolution to the Present: Europe 1789-Present | ||
| Russia, An Introduction | ||
| The History of Global Capitalism | ||
| History of the United States Through the Civil War | ||
| History of the United States After the Civil War | ||
| Fascisms in History: Past, Present … Future? | ||
| The Global Cold War | ||
| Introduction to Food History: Around the World in Eight Dishes | ||
| First Year Seminar: _____ | ||
| Writing the Past-Category I/Western Topics: _____ | ||
| Speaking the Past-Category I/Western Topics: _____ | ||
| Sex, Gender, Film, and History | ||
| War and 20th Century U.S. Culture | ||
| Study Abroad Topics in: _____ | ||
| Headless Men: Conquest and Cultural Exchange Before the Age of Exploration | ||
| Sin Cities | ||
| Technological Revolutions and Global Transformations | ||
| Key Themes in Modern Global History | ||
| American Culture, 1877 to the Present | ||
| Globalization: History and Theory | ||
| Ministers and Magicians: Black Religions from Slavery to the Present | ||
| Indian Territory | ||
| History, Women, and Diversity in the U.S. | ||
| From Goddesses to Witches: Women in Premodern Europe | ||
| From Mystics to Feminists: Women's History in Europe 1600 to the Present | ||
| LGBTQ U.S. History, 1600-1900 | ||
| LGBTQ U.S. History, 1900-Present | ||
| History of Women and the Body | ||
| The Spanish Inquisition | ||
| Age of Empires-The Atlantic 1400-1800 | ||
| Sex in History | ||
| Eurometro: Visions of the European Metropolis, 1849-1939 | ||
| The Great War: The History of World War I | ||
| History of Jewish Women | ||
| Ethics, Ideas and Nature | ||
| History, Ethics, Modernity | ||
| The History of the Second World War | ||
| Hitler and Nazi Germany | ||
| The Holocaust in History | ||
| Modern Jewish History | ||
| Hard Times: The Depression Years in America, 1929-1941 | ||
| Environmental History of North America | ||
| History of the Peoples of Kansas | ||
| Antisemitism: A Long History | ||
| The Korean War, 1950-1953 | ||
| At the Movies: U.S. History on the Silver Screen | ||
| History of the American West | ||
| The Vietnam War | ||
| The Black Experience in the U.S. Since Emancipation | ||
| The American Way of War Since World War II | ||
| Perspectives on Science, Engineering and Mathematics | ||
| Angry White Male Studies | ||
| Invention of the Tropics | ||
| Magic and Superstition in European History | ||
| The History of Modern American Conservatism | ||
| Immigrants, Refugees, and Diasporas | ||
| Everyday Communism in Eastern Europe | ||
| Beyond the Iron Curtain: Soviet Perspectives on the Cold War | ||
| United States in the 1960s | ||
| Alexander the Great: Man and Myth | ||
| Julius Caesar: Man and Myth | ||
| Topics in Western History: ______ | ||
| Topics in (Honors): _____ | ||
| Hitler and Nazi Germany, Honors | ||
| Case Studies in: _____ | ||
| War and Society in Greece and Rome | ||
| Playing with the Past: History in Games and Gaming | ||
| Technology and the Modern World | ||
| Women, Gender, and Sexuality in the North American West | ||
| Technology in American History | ||
| History of the Great Plains | ||
| The American Revolution | ||
| The Civil War in America, 1828-1877 | ||
| Israel/Palestine: The War of 1948 | ||
| Aviation in American Culture | ||
| The Politics of Racial Injustice in the United States | ||
| Study Abroad Topics in: _____ | ||
| Professional Skills in the Humanities | ||
| Readings in History | ||
| Service Learning in History | ||
| Topics in Western History: _____ | ||
| The Age of Heroes: Early Greece | ||
| The Ancient History of the Near East | ||
| Rise of Athens and Sparta | ||
| Roman Republic | ||
| Early Roman Empire | ||
| Late Roman Empire (284-527) | ||
| Topics in Non-Western History: _____ | ||
| The Civil Rights Movement | ||
| The Seventies: An American History | ||
| Capitalism and the Black Experience | ||
| The Age of the Renaissance | ||
| The Age of the Reformation | ||
| France and Its Empire: From Acadia to Zidane | ||
| Recent European History, 1870 to the Present | ||
| History of American Women--Colonial Times to 1870 | ||
| History of American Women--1870 to Present | ||
| U.S. Environmental Thought in the 20th Century | ||
| Medieval Russia | ||
| Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union | ||
| Slavery in the New World | ||
| The Body, Self and Society | ||
| The United States and the World, 1890-2003 | ||
| History of Feminist Theory | ||
| First Amendment and Society | ||
History Category II: Non-western Orientation. Satisfied by courses in Africa and Middle East, East Asia, Latin America, Native America: | ||
| Introduction to History, Honors: _____ | ||
| Environment and History | ||
| Introduction to African History | ||
| The Black Experience in the Americas | ||
| Introduction to Non-Western History: _____ | ||
| Russia, An Introduction | ||
| Premodern East Asia | ||
| Modern East Asia | ||
| Colonial Latin America | ||
| Modern Latin America | ||
| Latin American Culture and Society | ||
| The History of Global Capitalism | ||
| Global Environment I: Interdisciplinary Laboratory | ||
| The Global Cold War | ||
| Introduction to Food History: Around the World in Eight Dishes | ||
| Introduction to West African History | ||
| First Year Seminar: _____ | ||
| Writing the Past-Category II/Non-Western Topics: _____ | ||
| Speaking the Past-Category II/Non-Western Topics: _____ | ||
| Study Abroad Topics in: _____ | ||
| Modern Africa | ||
| Sin Cities | ||
| Modern Africa, Honors | ||
| Key Themes in Modern Global History | ||
| Globalization: History and Theory | ||
| Indian Territory | ||
| Native Americans Confront European Empires | ||
| The Premodern Middle East | ||
| The Modern Middle East | ||
| Sex in History | ||
| Ethics, Ideas and Nature | ||
| History, Ethics, Modernity | ||
| History of the Peoples of Kansas | ||
| American Indian and White Relations to 1865 | ||
| American Indians Since 1865 | ||
| Indigenous Peoples of North America | ||
| Invention of the Tropics | ||
| A History of Afro-Latin America | ||
| Immigrants, Refugees, and Diasporas | ||
| Beyond the Iron Curtain: Soviet Perspectives on the Cold War | ||
| Alexander the Great: Man and Myth | ||
| Topics in Non-Western History: _____ | ||
| Topics in (Honors): _____ | ||
| Made in China: Chinese Business History | ||
| History of Sushi | ||
| From Mao to Now: China's Red Revolution | ||
| The Samurai | ||
| Indigenous People of the Great Plains | ||
| Case Studies in: _____ | ||
| Playing with the Past: History in Games and Gaming | ||
| The Rise of Civilization | ||
| Study Abroad Topics in: _____ | ||
| Modern Korean Art and Culture | ||
| Travelers' Tales of the Middle East | ||
| From Harem to the Streets: Gender in the Middle East, 1900-Present | ||
| Readings in History | ||
| Service Learning in History | ||
| The Ancient History of the Near East | ||
| Topics in Non-Western History: _____ | ||
| Foodways: Native North America | ||
| Foodways: Latin America | ||
| France and Its Empire: From Acadia to Zidane | ||
| Liberation in Southern Africa | ||
| Medieval Russia | ||
| Rise and Fall of the Soviet Union | ||
| The Middle East After World War II | ||
| Pre-Hispanic Mexico and Central America | ||
| Ancient American Civilizations: The Central Andes | ||
| Slavery in the New World | ||
| The Andean World | ||
| Global Indigenous History | ||
| The History of Brazil | ||
| Economic History of Latin America | ||
| Modern China | ||
| Sexuality and Gender in African History | ||
| History of Tibet | ||
| Contemporary Greater China | ||
| History Capstone Seminar | ||
| Majors must complete a capstone research experience in which they research and write an original thesis based on primary sources. It normally is taken during the senior year. Alternatively, students with a Major GPA of 3.5 or above may choose to write a senior honors thesis. Satisfied by one of the following: | ||
| HIST 696 | Seminar in: _____ | 3 |
| or HIST 690 & HIST 691 | Honors Course in History and Undergraduate History Honors Seminar | |
History Major Hours & Major GPA
While completing all required courses, majors must also meet each of the following hour and grade point average minimum standards:
Major Hours
Satisfied by 36 hours of major courses. No more than 2 HIST 492 Readings in History courses may be applied to the major. Only courses taken in the Department of History or cross-listed in other units are accepted for credit toward the major.
Major Hours in Residence
Satisfied by a minimum of 15 hours of KU resident credit in the major.
Major Junior/Senior Hours
Satisfied by a minimum of 27 hours from junior/senior courses (300+) in the major. Of these 27 hours, at least 6 hours (two courses) must be taken at the 500-699 level (in addition to HIST 696).
Major Junior/Senior Graduation (300+) GPA
Satisfied by a minimum of a 2.0 KU GPA in junior/senior courses (300+) in the major. GPA calculations include all junior/senior courses in the field of study including F’s and repeated courses. See the Semester/Cumulative GPA Calculator.
Graduation Plan
With careful planning and commitment to a full-time course load, you can graduate with a degree in History in four years. Consult with an Advising Specialist for help in creating your graduation plan.
Double Majors
Many history majors choose to pursue a second major. Fulfilling the requirements of 2 majors in a timely fashion requires careful choice of courses. Consult with an Advising Specialist for help in creating a graduation plan that fulfills all requirements.
A sample 4-year plan for the BA degree in History can be found here: History, or by using the left-side navigation.
A sample 4-year plan for the BGS degree in History can be found here: History, or by using the left-side navigation.
Departmental Honors
The honors program in history allows exceptional undergraduates to work closely with faculty members on a year-long original research project. To graduate with honors, a student must: 1) complete the requirements for the major in history, 2) enroll in the two semester research sequence HIST 690/HIST 691, 3) maintain a 3.5 GPA in History, and 4) successfully defend an Honors Thesis in an oral examination.
Instead of completing the standard capstone course HIST 696, students pursuing Honors in History enroll in a two-semester sequence: HIST 690, in which the student carries out direct research on the topic of their choice under the supervision of a faculty advisor; and HIST 691, which provides a group setting for writing and revision of an Honors Thesis. The rigor of these two courses approximates graduate work and is an invaluable experience for those considering a graduate degree. In exceptional circumstances, a student may complete HIST 696 and, by invitation, enroll in HIST 691 to develop the seminar paper into an honors thesis.
Each student who completes an Honors Thesis must defend it in an oral examination before a thesis committee of three faculty members. In most cases, the committee is composed of history faculty, but committee members from outside the department are encourages as well. Upon completion, a copy of the thesis is deposited in the department and uploaded to KU Scholar Works.
Petitions for exceptions to these regulations should be submitted to the Honors Coordinator.