Schools
School of Social Sciences
Bachelor of Science in History
Program Description
While long recognizing that history covers all recorded expressions of human activity--political, economic, social, cultural, and intellectual--beginning in the 1970s historians adapted social science techniques to study history, including the construction of databases, statistical analysis, and mapping systems to reveal patterns in history that were not available from traditional interpretations of written records. Use of these tools has expanded dramatically over the last three decades as new technological developments have changed the way that people research and explore history, as well the way history is shared and learned. Students and scholars are pushed beyond the boundaries of books and journals into new media that require sophisticated mathematical, geographic, and technological understanding.
The Bachelor of Science degree program melds the broad perspective, analytical, and effective communication skills inherent in the Bachelor of Arts degree with a working knowledge of statistics, science, and computing to prepare students to for work or further research is economic history, digital humanities, finance, business administration, information systems, marketing, and government agencies.
Student Learning Goals
- Students will develop skills in research, critical thinking, data analysis, and oral and written communications.
- Critical Thinking skills: Students develop their critical thinking skills.
- Conduct research and analyze data: Students will learn where to find primary sources and historical scholarship in databases and libraries, as well as how to evaluate their sources.
- Communicate clearly, both orally and in writing:
- Oral presentations: Students will give presentations on their research in the sophomore and senior seminars.
- Written work: Students will learn to write and incorporate their thesis in introductions to writing; smoothly integrate evidence into writing; organize their writing with coherent paragraphs, transitions, and flow of ideas; and correct citations following the Chicago style.
- Students develop the skills and methods of historical scholars, including:
- Historical Terminology: Students will know basic terminology in history.
- Historical Methodology: Students will learn and apply methods of historians in writing and research in two research seminars.
- Historical Analysis: Students will learn how to formulate interpretations of history that convey human agency, context, continuity, and change.
- Students learn knowledge about historical geography, historical actors, social movements and ideas, and events of significance in at least three geographic regions.
Degree Requirements
General
Complete 120 total credit hours, with at least 30 at the 300-400 (upper division) level, with a program cumulative grade point average of 2.0
General Education Requirements (30 credit hours)
Complete the University General Education curriculum requirements.
Bachelor of Science Requirements (7 credits hours)
Complete 2 courses, one with a lab; one without from Computer, Physical or Life Sciences disciplines, in addition to the lab course take to fulfill the University General Education requirements. Computer science courses are those under department heading CSCI-*. For Physical and Life Science choices, see BA Distribution Requirement list, and select from choices in the Methods of Inquiry in the Natural Sciences.
Major Requirements:
| Department | Number | Course Name | Credit Hours | Minimum Grade |
| HIST-xx | 1xx | Any 100-level HIST course | 3 | C- |
| HIST-xx | 1xx | Any 100-level HIST course | 3 |
C- |
| HIST-xx | 1xx | Any 100-level HIST course | 3 |
C- |
| HIST-xx | 1xx | Any 100-level HIST course | 3 |
C- |
| HIST-H | 199 | Careers for History Majors | 1 |
C- |
| HIST-xx | 2xx-4xx | Geographical Area 1* | Out of 12 units* |
C- |
| HIST-xx | 2xx-4xx | Grographical Area 1* | Out of 12 units* |
C- |
| HIST-xx | 2xx-4xx | Geographical Area 2* | Out of 12 units* |
C- |
| HIST-xx | 2xx-4xx | Geographical Area 3* | Out of 12 units* |
C- |
| HIST-xx | 2xx-4xx | Any 200-400 level HIST course | 3 |
C- |
| HIST-xx | 2xx-4xx | Any 200-400 level HIST course | 3 |
C- |
| HIST-H | 236 | The Historian's Craft | 3 |
C- |
| HIST-J | 495 | Proseminar for History Majors | 3 |
C- |
| xxxx-x | xxx | Non-HIST elective | 3 |
C- |
| xxxx-x | xxx | Non-HIST elective | 3 |
C- |
*Students must complete 12 units from three selected geographical areas. Six (6) units must be from one of the selected areas.
Geographical Areas:
| Department | Number | Course Name | Credit Hours | Minimum Grade |
| United States History | ||||
| HIST-A | 260 | Early North American Women's History | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 261 | Modern American Women's History | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 301 | Colonial North America, 1500-1763 | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 302 | Revolutionary America, 1763-1791 | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 303 | United States, 1792-1829 | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 304 | United States, 1830-1865 | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 310 | Survey of American Indians I | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 313 | Origins of Modern America, 1865-1919 | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 314 | Recent U.S. History, 1919-1945 | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 315 | Recent U.S. History, 1945-present | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 317 | American Social History, 1865-present | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 333 | History of Indiana 1 | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 348 | Civil War and Reconstruction | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 356 | African-American History II | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 380 | The Vietnam War | 3 | C- |
| HIST-A | 381 | Civil Rights Era in the U.S. | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 218 | History of Motion Pictures | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 233 | Sports in History | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 373 | History of Science and Technology | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 407 | Oral History | 3 | C- |
| European History | ||||
| HIST-B | 323 | History of the Holocaust | 3 | C- |
| HIST-B | 356 | French Revolution and Napoleon | 3 | C- |
| HIST-B | 377 | History of Germany Since 1648 | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 205 | Ancient Civilization | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 206 | Midieval Civilization | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 222 | Renaissance and Reformation | 3 | C- |
| Latin American History | ||||
| HIST-F | 216/416 | History of Slavery in the Americas | 3 | C- |
| HIST-F | 232 | Upheaval in 20th Century Latin America | 3 | C- |
| HIST-F | 341 | Latin America: Conquest and Empire | 3 | C- |
| HIST-F | 342 | Latin America: Evolution and Revolution | 3 | C- |
| HIST-F | 350 | The Environment in Latin American History | 3 | C- |
| HIST-F | 360 | Natural Disasters in Latin American History | 3 | C- |
| Asian History | ||||
| HIST-G | 200 | Issues in Asian History | 3 | C- |
| HIST-G | 300 | Issues in Asian History | 3 | C- |
| HIST-G | 385 | Modern China | 3 | C- |
| HIST-G | 387 | Contemporary China | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 207 | Modern East Asian Civilizations | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 208 | American-East Asian Relations | 3 | C- |
| World History | Can be used for 200-400 level electives) | |||
| HIST-H | 243 | Environmental History | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 376 | Atlantic World History | 3 | C- |
| HIST-H | 425 | Topics in History | 3 | C- |
| HIST-W | 255 | Natural Disasters in World History | 3 | C- |
| HIST-W | 300 | Topics in World History | 3 | C- |