Undergraduate
Bachelor's Degree Programs
History
Major in History
The Department of History offers students the opportunity to better understand the human social condition through the systematic study of the human past. A variety of courses is offered, dealing with the history of the United States, Europe, Latin America, and some non-Western areas. The history major not only provides opportunities to serve the avocational interest of the liberal arts student, but also provides a foundation for continued work at the graduate level. Courses in history serve the student admirably in fulfilling the tradition of a liberal education. They also provide a solid basis for professional training in fields such as law, business, environmental affairs, historic preservation, public administration, and government.
Students completing the History B.A. program will achieve the following:
- Build historical knowledge
- Develop historical methods
- Recognize the complex and provisional nature of historical knowledge
- Apply the range of skills it takes to decode the historical record because of its incomplete, complex and contradictory nature
- Create historical arguments and narratives
- Use historical perspective in the practice of active citizenship
The Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in History (HIST) requires satisfactory completion of the following:
- A minimum of 120 credit hours is required for a (B.A/B.S.) degree from the IU School of Liberal Arts.
- A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C) is required for graduation.
- A minimum of 26 credit hours must be completed after formal admission to IUPUI.
- A minimum of 21 credit hours of major coursework must be completed in residence in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. Course work completed on an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program counts as residential credit.
- A minimum grade of C (2.0) is required in each major course.
- Once a course has been applied toward one requirement, it cannot be used to satisfy a second requirement, except where explicitly stated otherwise. In addition, except in cases of variable title courses, internships, and other special courses, no course will be counted more than once toward graduation.
IUPUI General Education Core
A list of accepted courses in the IUPUI General Education Core can be found at http://go.iupui.edu/gened.
Core Communication (6 credits)
- ENG-W 131: Reading, Writing, and Inquiry I (3 credits) or ENG-W 140: Reading, Writing, and Inquiry: Honors (3 credits) completed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher
English for Academic Purposes (EAP) sections of ENG-G 131 have been designated for students whose first language is not English.
- COMM-R 110: Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3 credits)
Analytical Reasoning (6 credits)
- College math from List A (3 credits)
- List A or List B (3 credits)
Cultural Understanding (3 credits)
- A world language course is recommended
Life and Physical Sciences (6 credits)
- A laboratory science component is required
Arts/Humanities and Social Sciences (9 credits)
- Arts & Humanities (3 credits)
- Social Science (3 credits)
- Additional Arts & Humanities or Social Science (3 credits)
Transfer students entering IUPUI from another public university in Indiana who have completed the transferable general education core at their home campus will not need to complete the IUPUI General Education Core.
Liberal Arts Baccalaureate Competencies
First-Year Experience (1-3 credits)
- SLA-S 100: First Year Success Seminar
- Other: First Year Seminar from another school at IUPUI
Transfer students with 18 or more credit hours are not required to take this course.
Writing Proficiency (3 credits), completed with a grade of C (2.0) or higher, chosen from the following:
- ENG-W 230: Writing in the Sciences
- ENG-W 231: Professional Writing Skills
- ENG-W 270: Argumentative Writing
Transfer students may satisfy the writing proficiency by completing course work equivalent to ENG-W 231, ENG-W 230, ENG-W 270, or GEWR-UN 200 with a grade of C (2.0) or higher at another campus or institution.
Transfer students with 80 or more transfer credits may petition for exemption from the Writing Proficiency requirement. Petition available in the Miriam Z. Langsam Office of Student Affairs, Cavanaugh Hall room 401.
Analytical Proficiency (3 credits), chosen from the following:
- ECON-E 270: Introduction to Statistical Theory in Economics and Business
- PHIL-P 208: Causality and Evidence
- PHIL-P 265: Introduction to Symbolic Logic
- PHIL-P 365: Intermediate Symbolic Logic
- POLS-Y 205: Analyzing Politics
- SOC-R 359: Introduction to Sociological Stats
Analytical Proficiency is in addition to the Analytical Reasoning area in the IUPUI General Education Core. Analytical Proficiency courses may be shared with major requirements if applicable.
Life and Physical Sciences Laboratory
One laboratory science course is required, but may be part of the coursework taken in the IUPUI General Education Core.
Arts and Humanities (3 credits) - Courses in one’s first major field of study cannot be used to fulfill this requirement
100 or 200 level course chosen from the following disciplines
- Africana Studies (AFRO)
- American Studies (AMST)
- American Sign Language (ASL) excluding World Languages courses
- Classics (CLAS) excluding World Languages courses
- Communication Studies (COMM-R, excluding COMM-R 110, and COMM-T only)
- East Asian Languages and Cultures (EALC) excluding World Language courses
- English-Creative Writing or Writing and Literacy (ENG-W), excluding courses in the Writing Proficiency area.
- English Literature (ENG-L)
- Film Studies (FILM)
- Folklore (FOLK) excluding FOLK-F 101
- German (GER), excluding World Language courses
- Latino Studies (LATS)
- Medical Humanities and Health Studies (MHHS)
- Museum Studies (MSTD)
- Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS)
- Philosophy (PHIL)
- Religious Studies (REL)
- Spanish (SPAN) excluding World Language courses
- Women’s Studies (WOST) excluding WOST-W 105
- World Languages and Cultures (WLAC)
Social Sciences (3 credits) - Courses in one’s first major field of study cannot be used to fulfill this requirement
100 or 200 level course chosen from the following disciplines
- Africana Studies (AFRO)
- Anthropology (ANTH)
- Communication Studies (COMM-C and COMM-M only)
- Economics (ECON)
- English-Linguistics (ENG-Z)
- Folklore (FOLK)
- Geography (GEOG)
- Global and International Studies (INTL)
- Journalism and Public Relations (JOUR)
- Latino Studies (LATS)
- Medical Humanities and Health Studies (MHHS) excluding MHHS-M 201
- Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS)
- Political Science (POLS)
- Psychology (PSY)
- Sociology (SOC)
- Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WOST)
World Language and Perspectives (0-14 credits) - This requirement may be satisfied in one of the following ways:
- Completion of second-year proficiency in a single world language.
- Second-year proficiency is demonstrated by:
- passing the full second-year sequence of courses in a single language or
- completing a third or fourth-year course1
- Second-year proficiency is demonstrated by:
- Completion of third-semester proficiency in a single world language and one course in History selected from HIST-H 108, HIST-H 109, HIST-H 113, or HIST-H 114.
- History majors cannot share the global history with their major.
- Completion of first-year proficiency in a single world language; one history course selected from HIST-H 108, HIST-H 109, HIST-H 113, or HIST-H 114; and one course selected from the Global History and Perspectives list:
- ANTH-A 104: Intro to Cultural Anthropology
- CLAS-C 213: Sport and Competition in the Ancient World
- EALC-E 232: China Past and Present: Culture in Continuing Evolution
- ENG-L 245: (The Empire Writes Back) Intro to Caribbean Literature
- GEOG-G 130: World Geography
- INTL-I 100: Intro to International Studies
- LATS-L 228: An Interdisciplinary Look at U.S. Latino/a Identities
- POLS-Y 217: Introduction to Comparative Politics
- POLS-Y 219: Introduction to International Relations
- REL-R 212: Comparative Religions
- Non-English native speaker with approved waiver.
Courses in World Language and Perspectives may also satisfy General Education Core Cultural Understanding.
1 Students interested in receiving credit for lower-division language courses, see the section ‘‘Special Credit for Foreign Language Study.’’
Advanced Courses
Students are required to have 42 credit hours in 300-400 level coursework including courses in their major. Of the 42 advanced credits, 9 credit hours must be 300-400 level coursework outside the first Liberal Arts major field of study and from the School of Liberal Arts. Students seeking dual degrees are exempt from completing 9 credits hours in 300-400 level coursework outside their major and from the School of Liberal Arts.
Major Requirements (36 credits)
It is recommended to take core history courses as part of the IUPUI General Education Core.
Introductory Core Courses (6 credits):
Select one course from list A and one course from list B in residence at IUPUI.
LIST A:
- HIST-H 105: American History I (3 cr.)
- HIST-H 108: Perspectives on the World to 1800 (3 cr.)
- HIST-H 113: History of Western Civilization I (3 cr.)
LIST B:
- HIST-H 106: American History II (3 cr.)
- HIST-H 109: Perspectives on the World since 1800 (3 cr.)
- HIST-H 114: History of Western Civilization II (3 cr.)
Research Methods Course:
- HIST-H 217: The Nature of History (3 cr.)
Capstone:
- HIST-J 495: Proseminar for History Majors (3 cr.)
Concentration Courses (24 credits):
Concentration and sub-concentration courses must be 200 level or higher.
Select any one of the following concentrations:
United States History Concentration (24 credits)
- 12 credits U.S. History (A-prefix courses)
- 6 credits European History (B-C-D prefix courses)
- 6 credits African/ Asian/ Latin American History (E-F-G prefix courses)
OR
European History Concentration (24 credits)
- 12 credits European History (B-C-D prefix courses)
- 6 credits U.S. History (A-prefix courses)
- 6 credits African/ Asian/ Latin American History (E-F-G prefix courses)
OR
African/ Asian/ Latin American/ Middle Eastern History Concentration (24 credits)
- 12 credits African/ Asian/ Latin American History (E-F-G prefix courses)
- 6 credits U.S. History (A-prefix courses)
- 6 credits European History (B-C-D prefix courses)
OR
Thematic Concentration (24 credits)
Thematic concentrations require 12 credits of courses in such fields as urban, family, science/technology/medical history, and two support areas (6 credits each) as specified in the theme description. Consult history advisors and the department office for lists of thematic concentrations currently available to majors.
Capstone (3 credits):
- HIST-J 495: Proseminar for History Majors (3 credits)
Seminar topics vary from semester to semester. Majors should plan to take the seminar during their senior year and, if possible, sign up for a section that has the same focus as their concentration area.
Note: H-prefix courses are special topics, and their application to categories must be approved by advisors.
Dual Degree Advantage
The Liberal Arts baccalaureate competencies are waived for undergraduate students whose first major is outside the School of Liberal Arts and whose second major is a Bachelor of Arts degree from the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI. Students are only required to complete the courses in their major of choice in Liberal Arts. The IUPUI General Education Core or the Indiana transferable general education core must be successfully completed. Students must complete the degree outside Liberal Arts in order to have the Liberal Arts baccalaureate competencies waived for degree completion. The Liberal Arts baccalaureate competencies are only waived for students who actively pursue and complete another degree program outside of Liberal Arts. Both degrees must be completed at the same time.
