By studying the past, we are better able to understand and communicate the importance of issues in our contemporary world. Individuals trained in history develop strong research and critical skills, creative methods for recognizing patterns of information, and techniques for clear and persuasive writing.

The IU Online Bachelor of Arts in History explores geographic regions of the world in both modern and pre-modern time periods to identify historical geography, historical actors, events of significance, and social movements with emphasis on exploring historical themes that span multiple places and periods. 

You examine diverse human cultures by describing cultural variation within and between nations, such as race, gender, age, sexuality, language, religion, ethnicity, class, region, or beliefs and values about politics, nationality, economy, and social organization.

As a student in this program, you formulate historical interpretations that effectively make use of such interpretive tools as historical context, historiography, multiple perspectives, and continuity and change over time. You learn to search and retrieve relevant primary and secondary historical sources from a variety of repositories and use those sources to craft historical interpretations, narratives, and arguments. You also use critical thinking to create clear and argumentative thesis statements and well-crafted paragraphs that follow a logical order.

Your IU Online BA in History prepares you for such careers as:

• Historical program director
• Historical research associate
• Historic interpreter
• County historian
• Museum docent
• Exhibitions curator
• Museum content creator
• Collections manager
• Archaeologist
• History instructor

This 100 percent online, consortial program is taught by IU East, IUPUI, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. This consortial model allows you to take coursework from several campuses and learn from a wide range of faculty.

Degree Requirements

To earn the IU Online collaborative B.A. in History, students must complete all the standard campus- and school-specific degree requirements, including general education, and the 36 credit History major comprised of the following requirements:  

1.  Complete a two-part History Foundations course sequence (6 cr.) to be chosen from:

• HIST-H 105 American History I and HIST-H 106 American History II (3 cr. each)
• HIST-H 108 Perspectives on the World to 1800 and HIST-H 109 Perspectives on the World 1800 to Present (3 cr. each)
• HIST-H 113 History of Western Civilization I and HIST-H 114 History of Western Civilization II (3 cr. each)

2. Complete two additional introductory level History courses selected from the list below (6 cr).  Courses used to satisfy the History Foundations requirement cannot be applied towards satisfaction of this requirement. 

• HIST-A 100 Issues in United States History (3 cr.)
• HIST-E 100 Introduction to African History (3 cr.)
• HIST-F 100 Issues in Latin America (3 cr.)
• HIST-G 100 Issues in Asian History (3 cr.)
• HIST-H 101 The World in the Twentieth Century (3 cr.)
• HIST-H 105 US to 1865 (3 cr.)
• HIST-H 106 Us from 1865 (3 cr.)
• HIST-H 108 Perspectives on the World to 1800 (3 cr.)
• HIST-H 109 Perspectives on the World since 1800 (3 cr.)
• HIST-H 113 History of Western Civilization I (3 cr.)
• HIST-H 114 History of Western Civilization II (3 cr.)

3.  Complete

• HIST-J 216 Sophomore Seminar in History (3 cr.)

4.  Complete six History courses at the 300/400 level (18 cr).  These six courses must include classes in 3 different regions as denoted by the course prefix.  Upper-level History courses the following subject code-prefix combinations to identify regions:   

• HIST-A = U.S.  
• HIST-B = Western Europe  
• HIST-D = Russia/Eastern Europe  
• HIST-E = Africa  
• HIST-F = Latin America  
• HIST-G = East Asia  

5.  Complete

• HIST-J 496 Proseminar in History 

This program is offered by IU East, IUPUI, IU Kokomo, IU Northwest, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. After applying, you will be assigned a home campus. You will submit application documents to the Office of Admissions of that campus.