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Join History Terps!

The Department of History at the University of Maryland offers an innovative humanities education combined with practical career skills that last a lifetime.

Careers for History Majors

94%

of History Majors in full-time employment/continuing education within 6 months of graduating

Careers for History Majors

Recent Career Placements

Skills Learned in the History Major

  • Analytical Thinking
  • Expanded Global Knowledge
  • How to be a Productive Citizen
  • Research Methods and Practices
  • Understanding of International Cultures
  • Writing

My time in the History Department at the University of Maryland was incredibly formative; it was at UMD I learned how to research, how to write, and how to understand the past in order to prepare for the future. I would not be the same person without my experiences there, and it has shaped my life for the better.

Donald B. Caltrider, Jr. Class of 2011

Competitive Salaries for History Majors

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Winter 2021 Salary Survey, History Majors earn among the highest starting salaries compared to graduates majoring in Math, Science, and other majors in the Humanities.

History Major Basics

Requirements for the History Major (BA) are 39 hours of history course work distributed as follows:

  • 12 hours in 100-200 level introductory courses (including HIST208 Capstone)
  • 18 hours of the 39 total hours must be at the junior-senior (300-400) level
  • HIST408 Senior Capstone Seminar
  • No more than 6 credits (2 courses) can be fulfilled by AP or IB credit
  • Courses must be taken in 3 Non-US geographic regions
  • 1 pre-1750 course, 1 post-1750 course
  • All courses for the major must be completed with a minimum grade of C-

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

Explore History Academic Programs

Experiential Learning

Credit-Bearing Internships

Department Internships

External Internships

Learn about Internships

Ready to Declare The History Major?

Email the History Advising Office using the Button below to set up an appointment with a History Advisor. In your appointment, you will discuss the History Major (BA) requirements, review any courses you have already taken, create an academic plan for future semesters, and receive a form to declare your major through the College of Arts and Humanities.

Contact the History Advising Office

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Mircea Raianu

Associate Professor, History
Director of Undergraduate Studies, History

2136 Taliaferro Hall
College Park MD, 20742

(301) 405-1062