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History Major (BA)

Our new major encourages students to engage in more diverse and expansive learning while removing the supporting course requirements. The Department of History seeks to broaden the student's cultural background through the study of History and to provide preparation for those interested in publishing, teaching, museum work, law, journalism, civil service, military, archival and library work, diplomacy, business school, graduate study, and many more career opportunities.

Program learning outcomes include:

  • Students will be able to distinguish among a variety of genres of primary and secondary historical texts (e.g. documents, monographs, letters, novels, film, political cartoons, essays) and use them appropriately and effectively in academic work.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct research using primary and secondary sources including archival, print and non-print, and web-based texts.
  • Students will demonstrate the ability to define and defend a historical thesis.

About the History Major

Requirements for the new History major (introduced in 2022) are 39 hours of history course work distributed as follows:

  • 12 hours in 100-200 level introductory courses and including History 208
  • 15 hours in one major field of specialization (see below)
  • 9 hours of history in at least two major fields other than the field of specialization
  • Capstone Seminar: History 408
  • Students must also meet distribution requirements (see below)
  • All courses for the major must be completed with a minimum grade of C-
  • 21 hours of the 39 total hours must be at the junior-senior (300-400) level
  • No more than 6 credits (2 courses) can be fulfilled by AP or IB credit

History majors can petition to include up to 2 courses taught outside the department toward the fulfillment of the major, with the approval of the Undergraduate Committee. Courses taught outside of the History department may fulfill geographic and/or thematic requirements. They may not be used to fulfill the departmental capstone seminars.

Introductory Courses

The requirement is 12 hours at the 100-200 level.
One of these courses must be History 208.
In considering courses that will fulfill this requirement, students are encouraged to:

  • select at least two courses in a sequence;
  • select at least one course covering history before 1500 and one course covering history after 1500;
  • sample both regional and topical course offerings.

Students will normally take one or more introductory courses within the major field of specialization.

Capstone

The History Major Capstone seminar, HIST 408, will be taken in the junior or senior year and may be inside or outside the field of specialization.

Distribution Requirements

Students must take courses in at least three geographical regions.

At least two courses must be taken in two or more of the following fields:

Students must take at least one course covering history in the pre-1750 period.

Fields of Specialization

15 hours in one major field of specialization. Students may choose a field of specialization that is either geographic or thematic. 

Geographic

Thematic

 

Outside the Field of Specialization

Students are also required to take 9 hours of history in at least two areas outside their field of specialization.

  • Students are encouraged to select mainly upper-level courses.
  • Students are encouraged to consider regional diversity.

Courses by Field of Specialization

Prizes & Awards for History Undergraduate Excellence

  • B. Marie Parinbum Award in the History of Africa, East Asia, Latin America, or the Middle East
  • Hoosier Clio Award for Best History Honors Thesis
  • The Jeannie Rutenberg Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Writing
  • The Shipleys of Maryland Award for Academic Record

History Majors are also encouraged to apply for other college and university awards such as the UMD Libraries Award for Undergraduate Research which a number of History Majors have won in the past. History Majors may also be nominated for other awards in the College of the Arts and Humanities and the University of Maryland.

Declaring the Major

Set up an advising appointment with both the History Advising Office and the College of Arts and Humanities below to discuss declaring a History Major.