Departments & Programs

History

Major in History
Required Courses

Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours to include:

  1. A concentration of 12 credit hours.
  2. One field of 6 credit hours.
  3. Additional electives (6 credit hours) from areas other than the concentration and field areas.
  4. J300 (Junior Seminar) and J400 (Senior Seminar).
  5. At least 18 credit hours at the 300 and 400 level.
  6. A minimum of 18 credit hours completed on the IU Bloomington campus.

Students must complete the degree requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences. Further details, including concentration and field areas, may be found at www.indiana.edu/~ histweb/ugrad.

Recommendations

Students should consult with departmental and faculty advisors regarding their selection of courses within the primary concentration. Suggestions for programs of study are available from the History advisor and on the Department of History website: www.indiana.edu/~histweb.

Prelaw Advice

The history major provides an excellent preparation for students intending to study law. In addition, those interested in legal careers should concentrate on developing particular kinds of skills needed in legal education and practice. They should, for example, develop their analytical skills by taking courses such as logic, their writing skills by taking seminars and other courses that offer structured writing exercises, and their speaking skills by taking courses in speech. Finally, since much of the law deals with marketplace issues, students interested in law should consider taking micro- and macroeconomics.