History
History Major
By engaging in the fascinating study of how people in the past understood their worlds, graduates from the Department of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies will be prepared to comprehend and think critically about the present by understanding how it has been shaped by the past. In their studies they will learn how to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of alternative explanations for historical events, how to interpret primary and secondary materials to form valid conclusions, how to analyze components of historical events, and how to synthesize and apply their knowledge in an original research project.
The Department of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies offers both a B.A. and a B.S. degree in History. The B.A. degree requires the completion of two years of a modern language at the college level and is recommended for students desiring a rich liberal arts education or planning for graduate school or law school (see Bachelor of Arts Requirement using a Second Language). The B.S. degree does not have a modern language requirement but, instead, requires an appropriate minor. Students transferring to NDSU must complete at least 50 percent of their history credits at North Dakota State University. A History Education program of study also is offered between the Department of History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies and the School of Education.
History majors can prepare themselves for careers in secondary education by completing a double major with either a B.A. or B.S. in History with a second major in History Education. The department advises students to choose History as their primary major.
Lists of approved courses for the distribution and sequence requirements and courses recommended for History Education majors are at the department web site.
History Minor
Students who minor in History are required to complete nine credits of 100-200 level History courses and nine credits of 300-400 level History courses.
Major Requirements
Major: History
Degree Type: B.A. or B.S.
Required Degree Credits to Graduate: 122
General Education Requirements for Baccalaureate Degree
- A dynamic list of approved general education courses offered by term is available on the NDSU General Education Requirements website.
- General education courses may be used to satisfy requirements for both general education and the major, minor, and program emphases, where applicable. Students should carefully review the major, minor, and program emphases requirements for minimum grade restrictions, if applicable.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Experience (F) | 1 | |
| Skills For Academic Success (Also offered with the following prefixes: ABEN, AGRI, BUSN, HD&E, ME, NURS, PHRM) | ||
| Communication (C) | 12 | |
| College Composition I | ||
| College Composition II | ||
| Fundamentals of Public Speaking | ||
Upper Division Writing † | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning (R) † | 3 | |
| Science and Technology (S) † | 10 | |
| Humanities and Fine Arts (A) † | 6 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (B) † | 6 | |
| Wellness (W) † | 2 | |
| Cultural Diversity (D) *† | ||
| Global Perspectives (G) *† | ||
| Total Credits | 40 | |
| * | May be satisfied by completing courses in another General Education category. |
| † | May be satisfied with courses required in the major. Review major requirements to determine if a specific upper division writing course is required. |
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Degree Requirements
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree – The completion of a minor program of study, a second major, or a second degree is required.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree – Second year language proficiency at college level required.
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences College Requirements
An additional 9 credits are required by the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences for all Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degree programs of study, except the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, the Bachelor of Music degree, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree, and the Bachelor of Science in Architecture degree:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AH&SS College Requirements | ||
Courses used to satisfy any general education requirement cannot be used to also count toward the AH&SS College Requirements. A minimum of three credits is required in each of the 3 following areas for a total of 9 credits. Choose only those courses with the prefixes listed for each area. A course with the WGS prefix can only be used in one area. | ||
| Area One: Humanities | 3 | |
ARB, ENGL, FREN, GERM, HIST, HUM, PHIL, RELS, SPAN, or WGS | ||
| Area Two: Social Sciences | 3 | |
ANTH, CJ, COMM, EMGT, POLS, SOC, or WGS | ||
| Area Three: Fine Arts | 3 | |
ARCH, ART, ENVD, LA, MUSC, or THEA | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
Major Requirements
24 credits must be taken at the 300-400 level and 20 credits must be taken in residence at NDSU for a history major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| History Major Requirements | ||
| Foundation Core: Select two 100 level courses from the following: | 6 | |
| Western Civilization I (May satisfy general education category A) | ||
| Western Civilization II (May satisfy general education category A) | ||
| U.S. to 1877 (May satisfy general education category A) | ||
| U.S. Since 1877 (May satisfy general education category A) | ||
| HIST 390 | Historical Research and Writing (May satisfy genera education category C) | 3 |
| Transitional Courses: Select one course from the following: | 3 | |
| Race in U.S. History (May satisfy general education category A and D) | ||
| North Dakota History | ||
| Introduction To Public History | ||
| Introduction to Museum Work | ||
| Women in European History 1400-1800 | ||
| American Indian History (May satisfy general education category A and D) | ||
| American Religious History (May satisfy general education category A) | ||
| Introduction to Latin American History (May satisfy general education category A and D) | ||
| History of East Asia to 1600 | ||
| History of East Asia from 1600 | ||
| Distribution Requirement: Minimum credit required for each distribution area. | ||
| North American History: Select 6 credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Canada | ||
| Public Memory and Memorialization in America | ||
| Colonial American History | ||
| Revolutionary America | ||
| U.S. History 1829-1917 I | ||
| U.S. History 1829-1917 II | ||
| U.S. History 1917-Present I | ||
| U.S. History 1917-Present II | ||
| War and Society in Early America | ||
| The North American Plains | ||
| Environmental History | ||
| American Frontier to 1850 | ||
| American West Since 1850 | ||
| European History: Select 6 credits of the following: | 6 | |
| History of Christianity | ||
| Ancient History | ||
| Medieval History | ||
| Renaissance And Reformation | ||
| The Eighteenth Century | ||
| Europe 1815-1914 | ||
| Europe Since 1914 | ||
| Imperial Spain | ||
| Germany since 1750 | ||
| History Of Russia II | ||
| Widening Horizons: Select 6 credits of the following: | 6 | |
| Australia & New Zealand (May satisfy general education category A and G) | ||
| The Ottoman Empire | ||
| Modern Latin America I | ||
| Modern Latin America II | ||
| Colonial Mexico | ||
| Modern Mexico | ||
| Slavery in the Atlantic World | ||
| History of Modern China from 1600 | ||
| History of Japan | ||
| Vietnam: 125 Years of Conflict | ||
| Cultures and Civilizations of the Pre-modern World | ||
| Cultural Exchange and the Making of the Modern World | ||
| Senior Seminar: | ||
| HIST 489 | Senior Seminar (Capstone) * | 3 |
| Additional Electives: A minimum of 6 credits of history courses required. | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 39 | |
| * | Prerequisite for HIST 489 Capstone: HIST 390 |
